Ahlgrens Bilar Original foam candy: A Swedish candy whose recipe has remained constant since its introduction in 1953, Ahlgrens Bilar consists of pastel-colored car-shaped candies with a texture similar to a stale marshmallow. It has bounce, but eating them also strangely feels like taking a bite out of ear plugs. The flavor reminds me of a sweetened version of the dental paste you get during a cleaning. Maybe mint, but also vaguely fruity, I believe that each color is actually a different flavor, none of which are particul... (read more) 2.0/5.0
candy avoid swedish junkfood ahlgrensbilar original foam 2.0
Auntie Anne’s Sour cream and onion pretzell: Almost missed my flight to get this pretzel since they needed 10 minutes to “bake it fresh.” Surprised to find it’s actually the plain pretzels with a heavy coating of powdered seasoning. The sour cream and onion flavor was insane, with an ultra tangy sour cream flavor that had a sharp aftertaste like sweet onion. It was kind of like the coating on sour cream and onion Pringles except 2x more concentrated. The pretzel was very buttery but had a nice soft texture. Actually pretty good for an... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended junkfood auntieannes sour cream onion pretzel 3.5
Beanitos White bean Mac n cheese crunch: These corn-alternative snacks have an irregular crunchy texture with a similar size to puffed Cheetos. The Mac n Cheese flavor is just a marketing spin on cheddar (more on an actual cheese puff whose flavor resembles boxed Mac and cheese in a forthcoming review). They have a slightly less neutral taste than regular corn puffs, with an aftertaste that resembles wheat snacks. Not bad, but not particularly memorable. 3.0/5.0
junkfood cheese cheddar cheesepuffs beanitos white bean mac n crunch 3.0
Better Made Special Barbecue flavored potato chips: This brand of chips was founded in Detroit, which is where I ate a bag during a conference snack break. The chips are thin and slightly crispy but mostly saturated with oil. Seasoned with a sweet tangy vinegar-based powder, it has all the classic flavorings of a bbq chip. It falls squarely in the middle - just so so. 3.0/5.0
potatochips junkfood bettermadespecial barbecue flavored potato chips 3.0
Calbee Grill-A-Corn Lobster in Supreme Soup Flavored Corn Chips: Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown, these Cheetos-like corn snacks have a remarkably concentrated lobster flavor that I think most people could identify blind. The seafood flavor is immediately distinctive from other more popular seasonings you might stumble upon in Asian grocery stores, like squid or octopus. I'm not sure where the soup part comes in, and there isn't anything particularly Chinese about the overall taste; it has a creamy flavor, as if you're eating lobster... (read more) 3.0/5.0
hongkongsupermarket junkfood seafood chinese calbee grill-a-corn lobster in supreme soup flavored corn chips 3.0
Calbee Pizza Potato Chips: These are junk food potato chips I see commonly at convenience stores in Japan. (Calbee is kind of like the Japanese version of Frito-Lay.) Though the packaging shows pepperoni pizza, it doesn't have a meaty flavor to it and instead tastes oddly sweet, like too-sweet tomato sauce. The predominant flavor is sweet potato, but there's also a little bit of zingy cheddar flavor, but not much else that is reminiscent of pizza (for example, no oregano seasoning as far as I could tell). The chip... (read more) 2.5/5.0
chips potatochips japanese junkfood calbee pizza potato 2.5