I’ve never been one for sweet treats but this time of year always makes me crave something milky and indulgent. Alongside the year-end also comes Christmas which also invokes all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings, as well as a hankering for sugar. The thing is… nothing quite hits the spot right. Sometimes the sweetness is so one-note that any desire I had to continue after the first bite just dies or I just feel guilty after finishing it. So my ears instantly perked up when SNOWSAND announced its arrival here!
Exclusively available in winter, this confectionary brand originates from Sapporo, Hokkaido, and has gained immense popularity throughout the country. Known as SNOWS in Japan, you’ll get to taste their creations right here in Singapore in a month-long pop-up! From 20 November 2024 to 26 December 2024, put on your sweet tooths and bite into these meticulously-created delights!
With a focus on Hokkaido seasonal products like milk, the pop-up presents 2 signatures from their collection: the SNOWSAND and the SNOWBALL. You don’t understand how obsessed I am with milk-flavoured desserts – especially Hokkaido milk. With a focus on winter-drawn pasture-fed milk bursting with richness, I know I’ll be addicted to these treats all winter long!
While they look radiantly delicious, will the taste live up to the visuals? Let’s dive into the components that make up each treat. First, let’s look at the SNOWSAND: fresh cream chocolate sandwiched between 2 langue de chat cookies.
The chocolate is made from fragrant milk, creating a thicker and creamier mouthfeel. Buttery and savoury, the outer cookies have been baked with a refined and unique baking technique to ensure a crispier texture, providing the perfect pairing with the chocolate as you crunch into the sandwich cookie. Favour the saccharine of white chocolate? Well, SNOWSAND is available in both white and dark chocolate – Shiro and Kuro respectively.
Want something you can eat in a single bite? You’re not alone, so turn towards the SNOWBALL! These chocolate truffles can be brought down to 3 simple parts: the filling, the shell and the outer coating. Soft fluffy cream enriched with smooth Hokkaido milk encased in an aromatic truffle chocolate. For a finishing touch, cocoa powder is dusted all over the truffle chocolate, creating a contrast between the flavours.
Guaranteed to melt in your mouth, your tastebuds are hit by the bitterness of the cocoa powder and the sweetness of the chocolate tangling together. Then, the chocolate melts away as your mouth is enveloped by the luscious cream filling, washing away the stronger flavours of the chocolate and leaving behind a subtle aroma of milk. Before you know it, you’ll be reaching for another! I definitely foresee myself doing so.
Wait, I’ve yapped so much about the milk but is it really that important? Apparently so. Hokkaido milk is already well-regarded as one of the richest-tasting milk you can find in the world and the brand specifically practices pasture farming, something embraced by only 1% of dairy farms across Japan. The richer mouthfeel of the milk SNOWSAND uses is due to their cows’ diet in winter as well as their stress-free living conditions. Sourced from their very own free-range farm in Hidaka, Hokkaido, it offers an ideal environment for pasture-based farming.
So… TL;DR — rich creamy milk requires a very specific climate, relaxed cows and a first-rate feed? I guess to create a premium experience for the customers, an equal amount of quality has to be translated to the very start of the production. I don’t know about you but I’m definitely looking forward to getting my hands on those truffle chocolates! And how much meticulous and deliberate effort is being put into creating these delights just serves to convince me even more.
So if you’re in the mood to indulge or looking for the perfect present for a sweet tooth, then you have to be there at the pop-up when it launches. Here for basically the entire Christmas season, make a pit stop at the SNOWSAND pop-up at Takashimaya Department Store in between all your holiday shopping. Or if you’re heading to Japan, be sure to check out their website for their full offerings before you go!
SNOWSAND Pop-up
🗓️Date: 20 November 2024 to 26 December 2024
📍Location: B2 Food Hall, Takashimaya Department Store, 391A Orchard Rd, Ngee Ann City, Singapore 238873
💲Price:
- SNOWSAND Chocolate Sandwich:
- 8 pieces (Shiro/Kuro) – S$22
- 16 pieces with Signature Gift Box (8 Shiro & 8 Kuro) – S$53
- SNOWBALL Chocolate Truffles:
- 9 pieces – S$16
Visuals courtesy of SNOWSAND
