Trader Joe’s Calamansi Cooler: I’m a fan of the increasing number of calamansi-flavored products I’ve witnessed overt the past year, and there is perhaps no bigger institution to bring visibility to this tropical fruit than Trader Joe’s. Their calamansi cooler contains less than a 12oz can but looks substantial given its slender and tall packaging. Non-carbonated, the beverage tastes like a cross between lime and grapefruit with a trace of a more acidic, funky fruit like passion fruit. Overall, it’s a bit too sweet for my... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks tjs traderjoes calamansi cooler 3.0
Polar Tart cherry limeade seltzer: Like the initial bite into a ripe juicy cherry, amplified 5x, this seltzer has an intense concentrated flavor without any of the sweet qualities of fruit. It tastes artificial in the way that Cherry Coke doesn’t actually taste like cherry, but rather an imagined scenario where you could reduce the flavor of a mouthful of cherries into a single simplified taste. Lime trails behind, with a zingy citrus note at the end of each sip. Highly carbonated. 3.0/5.0
drinks polar tart cherry limeade seltzer 3.0
Steaz Peach green tea: At this year’s annual Mystery Hunt puzzle competition, my team was stationed close to the 26-100 lecture hall and its cluster of 6 vending machines. This tall can of Steaz came from the machine of non-Coca-Cola-owned beverages selling alternative caffeinated energy drinks. I was looking for a drink to get me through several more hours without the side effect of crashing, and for this, the can did its job-I felt alert and invigorated but not jittery. Flavor-wise, it didn’t stand out to me as ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
organic steaz peach ice tea 3.0 drinks greentea
The Laughing Cow White Cheddar Babybel Cheese: I miss those Laughing Cow mini cubes, readily available in the dairy aisle of the local supermarket in the 90s and even obtainable when traveling in Taiwan as a child. But I haven’t seen them in many years, except for in Canada where they still seem to be sold and in the UK, which I only know because there was a recent British ad campaign I found on YouTube. All we have left in the US are the wedges of spreadable cheese and the classic Babybel rounds, snackable cheese covered in red wax. Sof... (read more) 3.0/5.0
thelaughingcow white cheddar babybel cheese 3.0
Inaba Irodori Mix: A mix of classic senbei glazed rice crackers, including irregularly-shaped, textured shoyu nuggets; glazed sweet and savory crunchy balls embedded with strips of nori, each surrounding a single peanut; airy crisps resembling puffed shrimp crackers; and a surprising addition of dried anchovies, providing a concentrated salinity that balances some of the sweeter bites. Contained five individual-sized packs portioned well to be satisfying snack for grown ups. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market in... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese tokyofishmarket ricecrackers nuts inaba irodori mix 3.5
Tao Kae Noi Hot Chili Squid Grilled Seaweed Super Crisp: The unique texture of these ultra thin and crispy seaweed crisps inspires me to keep trying new flavors. This one, hot chili squid, tastes like a concentrated seafood ramen seasoning packet, except that it incorporates a sweet garlic chili paste that makes it unsettling sweet. More zesty than spicy. It’s one of the less successful flavors from this line of snacks but not so bad that I wouldn’t purchase a flavor I haven’t tried before. If you enjoy dried seaweed snacks but haven’t picked up t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
nijiya taokaenoi hot chili squid grilled seaweed super crisp 3.0