Food Should Taste Good peppercorn blend brown rice crackers: After I gave the last box of brown rice crackers from FSTG a perfect 5.0, I was eager to try another flavor from the line. These peppercorn crackers are well balanced, a challenge with an ingredient as potent as peppercorns. Similar to the last I tried, the texture of the crackers was light and crunchy. However, overall I found this flavor to be less special and memorable than the red pepper chips. That isn't to say that these are bad by any means, but it's not a flavor that I see myself eve... (read more) 3.5/5.0
fstg foodshouldtastegood crackets brownrice pepper peppercorn 3.5 blend brown rice crackers
Haitai Korean chili rice cake snack: A uniquely addictive snack with a bit of an identity crisis. Tubular, ridged wheat \"crackers\" that are meant to resemble their solid rice cake counterparts but look more like macaroni. Unlike real rice cakes, this snack is crunchy. Coated in a sweet and savory chili glaze. The immediate flavor is sweet, but the finish is just spicy enough. Really didn't know what to expect when getting this snack, but it is oddly delicious and definitely worth trying. 4.0/5.0
haitai korean chili ricecakes hmart recommended rice cake snack 4.0
Haitai Singdandong Hot Chicken Tteokbookkki Rice Cake Snack: I used to buy Haitai tteokbokki rice snacks from HMart regularly, so I was very pleased to see these Korean snacks at my local Lawson convenience store in Tokyo, though I hadn't tried this particular flavor. The normal ones are satisfying sweet, savory, and spicy glazed rice snacks shaped like large, ridged elbow macaroni, crunchy rather than chewy like the actual tubular rice cakes you get at a Korean restaurant. They were reliably good, the type of snack I would always manage to buy when... (read more) 3.0/5.0
lawson korean haitai singdandong hot chicken tteokbookkki rice cake snack 3.0
Hakkaisan Amazake Sweet Rice Drink: I purchased this fermented rice drink (that's from Japan) at The Market in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. While Amazake is generally a sweet sake, this drink is alcohol-free. Koji rice, the basis of this drink, is rice that has been affected with a fungus named Aspergillus oryzae that's commonly used for making familiar ingredients like soy sauce and bean paste. The drink is kept frozen for freshness and needs to be defrosted before consuming. It has a thick milky consistency and a distinct whi... (read more) 3.5/5.0
japanese japan rice drinks koji hakkaisan amazake sweet drink 3.5
Hakkaisan Purple Amasake: This is a sweet drink made with fermented purple rice, giving it its distinctive color. I tried the regular version made from white rice rice previously in Brooklyn (by way of Japan), but without trying both side-by-side, it's hard for me to say if the flavors are different. I can say that this beverage has a nice acidity and natural sweetness that comes from the koji rice itself (no sugar is added), and it's a fresh refreshing drink. I don't know if most people would enjoy the acidity, b... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese drinks rice koji Daiei hakkaisan purple amasake 3.5
Hot Kid Shelly Senbei Seaweed Flavor Rice Cracker: I grew up eating an assortment of Hot Kid rice cracker offerings, which I strongly believe are some of the best in terms of taste and value. This nori-flavored rice snack was new to me and did not disappoint. Each individually wrapped package contains two sizable rice crackers, at about 3.5" in diameter. A soy glaze coats the crackers, and strips of seaweed add to the savory flavor. One aspect I felt was missing was the sweetness you tend to get with other Hot Kid snacks, but I would sti... (read more) 3.5/5.0
asian chinese nori ranch99 hotkid shelly senbei seaweed flavor rice cracker 3.5 recommended