4505 Spicy Green Chili & Lime Pork Cracklins: Cracklings are one of the few meat-based snacks you can find in the snack aisle in western grocery stores (compared to the variety of seafood-flavored options you have in Asia), and cracklings seem to represent the most moorish cravings, with their typically high salt and fat content. This bag from San Francisco-based BBQ shop 4505 features pork skin covered with a spiced green chili powder and a bright finish of lime. I found them to be a little bit on the salty side and much crunchier (a... (read more) 3.5/5.0
cracklings ballardmarket 4505 spicy green chili lime pork cracklins 3.5
7th Ave Donuts and Diner French cruller: Here’s another donut from a 24-hour shop, this time based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Mostly diner but partially donut shop, 7th Ave Donuts and Diner has a selection of unfussy classics from glazed to jelly to toasted coconut. I judged the quality of their donuts from their French cruller. Its thick vanilla icing was far too sweet, but the donut itself was surprisingly good, with its toasted exterior, crispy at the edges, but eggy, slightly raw custard-like interior. I would gladly come back fo... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended nyc donut dessert 7thavedonutsanddiner French cruller 3.5
Abdallah vanilla cream caramels: Wanting to bring back a local confectionary, I walked through several terminals at MSP in Minnesota and came across this brand. I was sold by the golden Made in Minnesota seal as well as the non-chocolate options. Each piece is substantial and has a classic, buttery richness. As someone who loves caramel candies, I'm a fan. 3.5/5.0
abdallah minnesota candy caramel vanilla 3.5 recommended cream caramels
Abide Monarch black sesame and matcha bubble tea with boba: In the 9 years I spent in Cambridge, we never had a dependable bubble tea shop. The short-lived bubble tea shop in Kendall was just ok, but since it was close to lab, I’d sometimes find myself there for quick meetings. Upon returning to Cambridge for mystery hunt, I visited a pop up boba shop at the Middlesex lounge with a diverse menu of tea and fruit drinks incorporating ingredients like peppercorn and cloves and with names like Binary and The Monarch. I ordered the latter, a hot milk tea ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
drinks bubbletea recommended cambridge abide monarch black sesame matcha bubble tea boba 3.5
AJ Stephans Ginger Beer: A refreshing and bright ginger soda that is potent but not overly so. Fairly balanced in terms of sweetness. From Boston. 3.5/5.0
ginger gingerbeer soda ajstephans boston recommended jamaican beer 3.5
Akai Bonshi Coconut Choco Sand Cookies: When I first came to Japan, I was surprised to always see the word "Sand" on cookie products but realized that "sand cookies" are a basic type of thin cookie somewhere between shortbread and sugar. This bag contained three varieties of sandwich cookies: pineapple, mango, and banana, which have different creme fillings. They're all pleasantly tropical and are equally sweet and rich, with a toasted coconut coating. Purchased at Queens Isetan grocery store in Tokyo. 3.5/5.0
recommended akaibonshi coconut choco sand cookies 3.5 japanese queensisetan