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Walkers Monster Munch: I saw a Snack Masters episode where British chefs tried to replicate the texture and flavor of the pickled onion Monster Munch snack, a baked corn snack shaped as monster paws with a punchy seasoned coating. You can get these at any convenience store in London. The texture is slightly denser than puffed Cheetos but has a similar effect - you get less in a bag than you might expect given the volume of each piece. The pickled onion coating was quite unique - not like any flavor I’ve ever had i... (read more) 3.0/5.0

british walkers monster munch 3.0
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Jolibee Peach mango pie: Often when lots of people are effusive about something, I try not to learn too much about it beforehand so it doesn’t color my first impressions - like watching a trailer of a movie or reading a review of a novel. Jolibee is one of those establishments that has its own religion, so when I finally got to try it, I knew both that the fried chicken and mango peach pie were favorites but nothing more about them. I was surprised to find that the mango peach pie was fried, but in retrospect it’s ... (read more) 2.5/5.0

jolibee peach mango pie 2.5
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Lotte Yogurt Jelly: These are the Yakult-style gummy equivalent to Haribo cola gummies. They come in small snack-size packaging that contains about ~2 servings. Each gummy is shaped like the squat yogurt-drinks many asian kids had growing up. Definitely on the sweet side, but pretty true to the flavor of Yakult. 3.0/5.0

gummies korean asianfamilymarket lotte yogurt jelly 3.0
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Snacklins Barbecue Plant Crisps: I purchased this bag of plant-based "cracklings" from Whole Foods not knowing anything about the brand's Shark-Tank success story. The vegan crispy, puffed crisps are made with a combination of yuca, onions, and mushrooms and have a light, melt-in-your-mouth texture that is definitely the closest I've ever tasted to meat-based pork crackling (though more like the softer versions than the heavily fried crunchier ones). Comparing it to a meat product is a little unfair though, because they a... (read more) 3.5/5.0

recommended wholefoods vegan snacklins barbecue plant crisps 3.5
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Kuze Fuku & Sons Yuzu with Apple Cider Vinegar: I enjoy switchels so I was hopeful about this apple cider vinegar-based drink purchased on sale from Uwajimaya, but the verdict is that it was not good - it tasted like an unbalanced mix of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar with little more, somehow both bland and a little too sour. Would not recommend this low calorie beverage. 1.0/5.0

drinks uwajimaya vinegar kuzefukusons yuzu apple cider 1.0
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Kitkat Matcha Kitkat: I’ve probably had surprisingly few KitKats in Japan despite it being the dominant market for unique seasonal flavors, so I’m always grateful when they are gifted to me and I have an excuse to try one I haven’t had before. The matcha KitKat has a waxy coating that seems like it’s probably white chocolate based, rather than milk chocolate. The flavor was more nuanced than I expected - not just a standard matcha-flavor taste but a little more bitter than the typical. I think my overall take on... (read more) 3.5/5.0

recommended candy japanese kitkat matcha 3.5