Trader Joe's Mochi rice nuggets: The joy of eating mochi comes down to its distinct chewy texture and its faintly sweet flavor, accentuated by even sweeter fillings like red bean and black sesame. So what happens when you take mochi, fry it so it's crispy, and season it so it becomes a savory snack? Trader Joe's is attempting to answer that question with their mochi nugget crackers. The nuggets are slightly larger than a piece of Capt'n Crunch and are on the salty side, with a golden sheen similar to corn cereal. Each crac... (read more) 2.5/5.0
crackers traderjoes mochi rice nuggets 2.5
Lundberg Mochi Sweet Organic Rice Cakes: Made with whole grain brown rice, these "sweet" rice cakes are actually more savory than sweet since they are lightly salted. I was hoping they would have a different taste than normal plain rice cakes, but they are essentially flavorless (minus the salt). 2.5/5.0
organic berkeleybowl lundberg mochi sweet rice cakes 2.5
Trader Joe's Rice Bites with Quinoa & Cranberries: To be honest, I'm not a big fan of quinoa, and dried cranberries are probably my least favorite dried fruit. So why exactly did I purchase these grain + fruit bites from Trader Joe's? I blame it on my curiosity for this growing food trend of bite-sized squares, in both chewy and crunchy varieties, that appeal to health-minded consumers yet are not actually so healthy from a pure calorie and sugar-intake perspective. Trader Joe's take is simply not good. It has a cloying, artifical sweetn... (read more) 2.5/5.0
traderjoes rice bites quinoa cranberries 2.5
Befco Scallop bakauke rice crackers: Shaped like mini boomerangs, these individually wrapped pairs of Japanese rice crackers come in a variety of flavors. This time, I purchased their scallop version from Sunrise Market in NYC, which was about $0.25 more expensive than their classic soy variety. The scallop crackers have a very strong salty and briny flavor that I wouldn’t necessarily identify with scallop but tastes of seafood more generally. It has a strong odor I couldn’t quite place until I suddenly realized they smelled ki... (read more) 2.5/5.0
japanese befco scallop bakauke rice crackers 2.5 Sunrisemart
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
japanese ricecrackers cornpotage kamedaageichiban corn potage rice crackers 2.5
Want Want Chicken and scallion mini rice crackers: Crunchy rice crackers shaped like golden brown nuggets coated in a seasoning tasting largely of onion and garlic. I wouldn't have guessed it was chicken flavored, but it does have that vaguely bouillon + MSG mix you get from seasoned ramen packets. Overall, I thought it was so-so. I prefer the rice crackers that have a more balanced savory and sweet coating. Purchased from Hong Kong Supermarket in Chinatown, NYC. 2.5/5.0
chinese ricecrackers nyc hongkongsupermarket wantwant chicken scallion mini rice crackers 2.5