4505 Smokehouse BBQ Fried Pork Rinds: From San Francisco-based 4505 BBQ is a line of flavored pork rinds that I've seen both at Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl. If their Smokehouse BBQ is indicative of the quality of their restaurant, I'm definitely interested. The chicharrones are some of the lightest I've had in any packaged form, and the flavor is smoky in just the right quantity. It has a subtle sweet aftertaste yet is deeply savory at its core. 4.0/5.0
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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
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Breadtop pork floss and honey bread: This sweet and savory (but mostly sweet) bread has a flaky, croissant-like crust and is topped with nori and corn. Inside is a scattering of pork floss. The combination of ingredients is surprising and would be worth purchasing again if the glaze were not so sweet 3.0/5.0
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Epic BBQ Seasoning Pork Rinds: With a name like Epic on top of Whole Foods product placement, this brand of artisanal pork rinds (chicharron) is just asking to be put under the microscope. Unsurprisingly, the brand is from Austin, TX, and uses all the popular buzz words like "paleo friendly," "nose to tail," and "antibiotic free." So, is it good? Texturally, it's among the best I've had from a bag, managing to be both light and crunchy - not overly fried and dissolves quickly on the tongue. The smoky BBQ flavor is bol... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Golden Island Korean barbecue pork jerky: Like most Asian jerky (this one originated in Taiwan) the meat is covered in a sticky glaze, unlike American jerky, which tends to be dry seasoned. I expected some strong and spicy gochujang-like flavoring but instead got something more sweet than savory, almost like a meek teriyaki sauce. The pieces are also sprinkled with sesame seeds. Ultimately, not as authentic as I hoped it would be. 2.5/5.0
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Golden Steamer Sweet pork bao: Here’s another bao from Golden Steamer in NYC. Filled with sweetened pork in a thick savory gravy, it’s like the enhanced version of a dim sum favorite. Lightly sweetened, pillowy white bread is the centerpiece - there’s much more of it than the meaty filling, and that’s fine by me. It costs $0.90. 3.5/5.0
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