Trader Joe's Barbecue popped Ridges: Basically TJ's version of PopChips, though their version is a little thicker and larger in diameter. The barbecue leans more sweet than savory and is an altogether familiar blend reminiscent of Barbecue Lay's. Overall, a decent snack if you want a lighter alternative to potato chips but are still craving that traditional bbq flavor. 3.0/5.0

Tohato Strawberry Caramel Corn: Tohato is a Japanese puffed corn snack line with unmistakable cartoon packaging. The puffs are irregularly curled, about 2/3 the size of Cheetos, and with a thin sugar coating that gives it a crisp texture. The strawberry flavor is not too sweet and just a little bitter ultimately artificial-tasting but not in an unpleasant way. This brand is commonly found in Japanese grocery stores; this particular bag was purchased at Sunrise Mart in Japan Village, Brooklyn. 3.5/5.0

Kameda Age Ichiban Corn Potage Rice Crackers: Individually wrapped rice crackers, about 2" in diameter, with a concave shape and irregularly textured surface. They have a salty coating with a savory corn aftertaste; the initial flavor is upfront soy. I was hopeful that it would taste more like the sweet and savory corn potage puffs umaibo I've had in the past, but this is nowhere near as good. Purchased from Sunrise Mart, the Japanese supermarket chain in NYC. 2.5/5.0

Fairway Kettle corn: Fairway is the great equalizer, with a mix of affordable conventional and organic produce and snacks that aren't easily found in other chains in NYC. Their kettle corn is more buttery than most, and the caramel coating is not overwhelmingly thick and crunchy. Overall, it's a good value snack. 3.0/5.0

Tohato Matcha milk caramel corn: I've seen these caramel corn snacks at Asian grocery stores over the years but have never tried them until now. They come in a smaller bag containing about 3 or 4 serving sizes (there is no English on the bag for me to tell exactly). The puffed corn pieces are irregularly shaped, kind of like a miniature version of Jaxx cheese puffs, and have a glazed sugary coating that makes them crispy yet light and airy. The matcha flavor is pretty good; it's a little more bitter than most American ma... (read more) 3.5/5.0

Kado Tamanegi Santaro onion corn puffs: I purchased these Japanese onion-flavored corn puffs from the Japanese market Midoriya next to Union Square in Manhattan. I was attracted to its cute packaging, which seemingly depicts father-son bonding, but on closer inspection, it appears the father is digging the son up with a shovel. This possible potrayal of vegetarian cannibalism is somewhat disturbing, but I'm more confused by the literal translation of the English label of "tamanegi santoro," which translates to mushroom onions (acc... (read more) 3.5/5.0