Berkeley Bowl Dark chocolate Malt Balls: I wish malt balls were shelf stable so they could be purchased without any coating. Until then, they seem so only exist in chocolate covered balls, as is this bulk snack from Berkeley Bowl. The chocolate coating is significantly thicker than that found on Whoppers or Maltesers, but as a side effect, the predominant flavor and texture is that of dark chocolate. When the chocolate layer is consumed first, the malt interior is found to be crunchy unlike the melt-in-your-mouth consistency of mas... (read more) 3.0/5.0
candy berkeleybowl dark chocolate malt balls 3.0
Hippeas Far Out Fajita Organic Chickpea Puffs: A new take on the beloved puffed vegetable snack, Hippeas utilize ground chickpeas puffed to a crispy and light texture. The coating is slightly toasted, and each bite feels more substantial than a corn-based puff like Cheetos. The flavor is bold and smoky, with prominent chili powder and paprika seasonings that faintly resemble American Barbecue without any of the underlying sweetness. A good level of heat as well. If you prefer a more neutral flavor, this may not be for you, but I appr... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl hippeas far out fajita organic chickpea puffs 3.5
Barbara’s Cinnamon crunch Snackimals: Abstract but still easily-identifiable animal shapes make up this glazed corn and oat cereal. Puffed texture falls somewhere between Lucky Charms non-marshmallow pieces and Kix in density. Lightly sweetened with a pleasantly spiced cinnamon flavor. Organic take on kids cereal. 3.0/5.0
cereal berkeleybowl barbaras cinnamon crunch snackimals 3.0 organic
Garden of Eatin’ Nacho Cheese Corn Tortilla Chips: Garden of Eatin’ is a rare snack brand: tastefully seasoned and consistently unique in its interpretations of classic flavors. This nacho cheese chip is tangier than most, opting for a milder, creamier flavor than the bold edge of Doritos. It’s also much more lightly seasoned. Favorable for those who are satisfied with a serving size of 9 chips (I know of none). 4.0/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl gardenofeatin nacho cheese corn tortilla chips 4.0
Yaya’s Herb and garden vegetable popcorn : More herb than vegetable, this popcorn tastes strongly of oregano and olive oil. Because of its one-dimensional taste, it has been sitting in my pantry for several months now, an unheard of amount of time for any snack in my apartment. Would not recommend, but the popcorn otherwise (fluffy and light) is good enough that I would consider trying Yaya’s other flavors. 2.5/5.0
berkeleybowl yayas herb vegetable popcorn 2.5
Marukyo Black Sesame Funwariyaki Dorayaki: Dorayaki is a delicious filled pancake dessert from Japan that has no equivalent in American pastry (as far as I know). The closest likeness I can think of is the Whoopie Pie, though dorayaki has a bean paste filling rather than cream, and the ratio of cake to filling is slimmer. Berkeley Bowl sells an assortment of refrigerated cakes in their Asian grocery aisle, though I have normally been wary of these silica-packet-filled packaged snacks. I was intrigued, though, by this black sesame ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended berkeleybowl japanese blacksesame marukyo black sesame funwariyaki dorayaki 3.5