At a population of about 651,000, Peruvians are the eleventh-largest Latinx group in the United States, with many of them residing in New Jersey, California, Florida, New York, and Virginia. But for those living outside of these areas (and sometimes even within these locations), Peruvian snacks can be difficult to track down. It’s something the husband-and-wife team behind ChaskiBox noticed when they were visiting a friend in Atlanta a few years ago.
“We went to a Peruvian friend’s house in Atlanta, and we saw that he had some Peruvian cookies that he loved so much that he was rationing them out – basically eating one tiny cookie every day so that they would last a really long time,” the duo tells me via email. “We realized that, like him, there must be thousands of fans of Peru all across the world that really love these cookies but have a hard time getting them.”
And so in 2017, ChaskiBox was born. Named after the messengers of the Inca Empire, the duo wanted the box that easily connected back to Peru. “We wanted something that conveyed the idea of Peruvianness being delivered to you, wherever are across the world – especially if you are like us and there are certain things that you really miss but are hard to find in your area,” they say.
Working with a few Peru-based importers, they’re able to provide their base with a variety of treats, such as Chicha Morada, Cua Cua, and Casino.
Currently, the company offers two boxes – the mini, which at $9.99 a month gives customers six to eight snacks, or the original, a box that costs $19.99 and includes 10 to 15 treats. Eventually, the company wants to offer a customizable box, which will allow customers to pick out the items for their box.
The South Florida-based brand offers worldwide shipping, and Peruvians (or lovers of Peruvian snacks) in places like Norway and New Zealand have taken advantage that this business exists.