Calbee Takoyaki Balls: Puffed corn snacks coated in a sweet and savory seasoning blend that tastes just like takoyaki sauce (sort of like Japanese Bulldog sauce or Worcestershire sauce, deep in umami). In other words, it doesn't taste like seafood but just the sauce that typically coats the normally octopus-filled balls. Undoubtedly a substantial amount of MSG. Purchased from Uwajimaya, but actually a product of Thailand. 3.0/5.0
uwajimaya japanese calbee takoyaki balls 3.0
Get Back to Human Grain-Free Pizza Crackers: It's been a while since I've shopped at a health-food store, so I didn't realize that suddenly grains have become the enemy. These grain-free crackers proudly advertise everything the snack doesn't contain (refined starches, maltodextrin, seed oils)...but do they taste good? The flavor is a distinct take on pizza – oregano and garlic forward with a roasted tomato aftertaste. The texture of the crackers are crispy; much thinner than Wheat Thins, which makes them feel less substantial. Over... (read more) 3.0/5.0
sproutmarket sprout glutenfree crackers getbacktohuman grain-free pizza 3.0
Trader Joe's Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Beverage: This holiday drink is definitely better suited for being a mixer than for consuming on its own because It's both quite sweet and has a sharp acidic cranberry flavor. I think if it were mixed with a little bit of ginger ale, or even diluted with some tonic water, the overall balance would improve. 3.0/5.0
drinks traderjoes sparkling cranberry ginger beverage 3.0
Koikeya Polinky Corn Soup Flavored Corn Chips: These (crunchy) triangle (!!) snacks have a corn-based flavor similar to Bugles but are covered in a powdered corn potage-like seasoning blend. They mostly taste like MSG. Texturally a cross between Chex Mix and Bugles. Not my favorite corn soup flavored snack but decent. 3.0/5.0
hmart japanese koikeya polinky corn soup flavored chips 3.0
Trader Joe's Pumpkin Brioche Twist: This TJs brioche was in the same section as the pastries, so I was expecting it to taste more like a dessert. In reality, it's definitely more of a flavored bread than a cake, with the same buttery texture as regular TJs brioche but with a faint yet distinct spiced pumpkin flavor. Reading the label more carefully, I saw that they do accurately describe it as "slightly sweet" and "lightly spicy." Overall, I found it a bit too mild to be satisfyingly festive. 3.0/5.0
traderjoes bread pumpkin brioche twist 3.0
Chung Chun Rice Dog Sweet Potato Corn Dog: The first time I came across Korean corn dogs was in Shin Okubo, the Korean district of Tokyo. I had wandered into the neighborhood at sunset and was surrounded by neon signs and endless stalls of street food, all labelled in languages I couldn't translate but could generally tell what region of the world they represented. That's how I learned that fried cheese on a stick, and hot dogs covered with deep fried diced potatoes resembling an ear of corn from Willy Wonka, was a popular Korean j... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chinatown seattle korean corndog chungchunricedog sweet potato corn dog 3.0