My friend Karen recently brought me a box of cake mix from Muji in Hong Kong. It was a chocolate cherry mix with green tea swirl, complete with cake pan, cherry cake mix, matcha powder and my favorite part - packaging.
The box includes little plastic bags and ties, along with instructions of how you should cut the cake, so you give the cake out to all of your friends.
What a simple, yet thoughtful, thing to do! I have never seen anything like this in an American cake mix box. Most mixes assume you’ll keep the pan on your own kitchen counter and polish off the cake yourself. Unfortunately, after making the cake, the end result was not one that I’d really want to share with my friends, so I ended up keeping the packaging for a future baking project. Too bad, but the thought to share is still one I can support.
*Muji opened up a branch in in New York City in 2007, but it doesn’t have all of the fun things (i.e. cake mix) like they do at the Muji’s in Asia! I still recommend you stop by to check out their stationery. Thanks Karen!
And I still haven’t opened the truffle kits yet! But I do love the packaging materials they provide. I hope someday they will allow the Muji food products into the stores here.
That looks fun to make! (also looks yummy, did you save me a piece?!)
I’m lucky to chance upon your website. I currently work in a field I was trained in - Marketing. But on days when I don’t feel like going to work, I just wanna have my own little store and sell the things i bake… Although I’m an amateur in all these, some efforts turn out good, some not, my passion will never die
Speaking of pretty packaging, do you ever feel bad because it takes up a lot of space in the land fill?
Waste is certainly a consideration. In this case, it was a small plastic bag with a twist tie (may be biodegradable cello). I would use it to give a piece to someone, it’s a nice thought. No, I wouldn’t feel bad, although it is always important to consider the impact before using something.
At least Kelli kept the packaging instead of sending it to the
landfill unused.
If you are going to share with friends, you have to have
something to transport it with, whether it be a ziploc bag
a foam plate with plastic wrap or something provided by the
cake mix company.
The only environmentally friendly solution is to invite everyone
over and serve it to them on a washable plate…not always
possible…
Careful, anything from China might be deadly.
I believe this was made in Japan, but regardless, China has some great things as well.