Yida Haw Cheese: As a child, I imagined if I needed to sustain myself on my paltry allowance, I could afford to live off Haw Flakes, a traditional Chinese candy consisting of stacks of purple-red discs (think Necco wafers, but thinner), costing about fifty cents for a pack of 10 rolls. They taste like strawberry fruit leather and are made of a Chinese fruit called hawthorn. Texturally, it's hard but then slightly chewy at the first hint of moisture. This individually wrapped candy from Yia is a different t... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended candy yida haw cheese 3.5
Trader Joe’s 3 Seed Multigrain Beet Crackers: A textural crossover between a tortilla chip and a cracker, this multigrain seeded beet snack from Trader Joe’s has a vegetal flavor without being uniquely identifiable as beet (beyond the color). Because of its crisp and slightly irregular texture, they seem like a slightly more unique substitute for corn tortillas and would probably pair nicely with a creamy dip. On their own, they’re a bit salty. 3.0/5.0
traderjoes 3 seed multigrain beet crackers 3.0
Calbee Takoyaki Corn Puffs: Similar in size and texture to Utz cheese balls but tasting nothing like them, these octopus-flavored puffed corn snacks from Japanese snack brand Calbee actually hail from South Korea. They’re coated in a light brown powder tasting strongly of Worcestershire sauce, giving each bite an initial vinegary and savory hit but ending on an unexpectedly (and slightly overpowering) sweet note. They don’t have as strong of a seafood flavor as I would like, probably because the Worcestershire seasoni... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended octopus korean calbee takoyaki corn puffs 3.5 nijiya
Regent Pandan Cake: A half-sphere mini cake, baked-brown on the outside and shamrock-green on the inside. Has a light texture that eats a bit dry. Often paired with coconut, pandan leaves are popular in southeast asian cuisines like Thai and Indonesian; the flavor of this pandan cake fell somewhere in between rich coconut and light lemongrass. Fragrant and not too sweet, but the texture could have been more moist. 3.0/5.0
cake 99ranch asian regent pandan 3.0
Plum organics Apple cinnamon and oatmeal Jammy Sammy sandwich bars: Square cereal bars sized for kids (they barely fit in my palm). Has an apple cinnamon flavored “jam” in the middle that’s sweet, but because of the size, it’s not overwhelmingly so. Decent and standard; probably wouldn’t purchase again because of the minuscule portion size. 3.0/5.0
plumorganics apple cinnamon oatmeal jammy sammy sandwich bars 3.0
Barbara’s Cinnamon crunch Snackimals: Abstract but still easily-identifiable animal shapes make up this glazed corn and oat cereal. Puffed texture falls somewhere between Lucky Charms non-marshmallow pieces and Kix in density. Lightly sweetened with a pleasantly spiced cinnamon flavor. Organic take on kids cereal. 3.0/5.0
cereal berkeleybowl barbaras cinnamon crunch snackimals 3.0 organic