Lorina Pomegranate Blueberry Sparkling Soda: Given its uniquely curved bottle, labelling with a black and white photograph of the Eiffel Tower, and stamp dating Lorina's establishment over 100 years ago, this bottle of fruit soda is clearly aspirational, appealing to consumers who wish they were drinking it at an outdoor cafe on the streets of Paris. It tastes very clearly of both pomegranate and blueberry, and its purple red color enhances the effect. Sweet and well carbonated. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks soda lorina pomegranate blueberry sparkling 3.5
Korean Plaza Market Lotus paste pastries : These baked goods from Koreans Plaza Market have a buttery, soft exterior similar to moon cakes and a generous amount of white lotus paste inside. The filling has a starchy consistency, almost like biting into a softened Japanese sweet potato. Miniature size makes them good for snacking. 3.0/5.0
recommended sweets pastries korean asian koreanplazamarket lotus paste 3.0
Oorifood Premium Garlic Snack: Since moving to the Bay Area, I've been impressed with how well American grocery stores stock Asian snacks in their ethnic food aisles. Berkeley Bowl in particular has an array of both Japanese and Chinese staples, including dried seafood, shrimp crackers, and multiple varieties of rice crackers (even carrying their own in the bulk section). But one thing that I have missed is Korean snacks, which I had easy access to back in Cambridge, MA since I lived close to an HMart. Luckily, I recent... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended korean puffs longreads oorifood premium garlic snack 4.0
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
recommended wholefoods porkrinds meat chicharron epic bbq seasoning pork rinds 3.5
Zema Madhouse Sweet Potato Spice Cookies: Crumbly mini cookies flavored with sweet potato, ginger, and cinnamon. Gluten-free, substituting gluten-full ingredients with hemp, chia, and flax meal. Sounds too healthy to be any good? Fear not – the flavors are robust (especially the spicy ginger), and pumpkin seeds lend good and varied texture. As far as crunchy cookies go, Zema's madhouse has struck an admirable balance between good-for-you and good-tasting. 3.5/5.0
recommended ginger glutenfree zemamadhouse sweet potato spice cookies 3.5 wholefoods
Bare Cinnamon Banana Chips: Containing only bananas and cinnamon, these literally bare banana chips are super crunchy but not dense, giving them a uniquely crisp texture. In the bag, they clink like bingo chips unlike more weighty alternatives like fried banana chips. No added sugar. Cinnamon is an unexpectedly good pairing. Only downside is they get stuck in your teeth. High price per serving (just 3 in the bag), but well worth a try. 3.5/5.0
recommended fruit bare cinnamon banana chips 3.5