Trader Joe's PB&J Sack Duo Packs: This is another hand-picked snack selected by my sister and sent to Japan for me to review. It's a welcome reimagining of the classic sticks + dip combo but with novel components: cylindrical peanut butter wafer sticks similar to Pirouline paired with a raspberry jam dip. I really like the peanut butter wafers, which I would buy on their own – they have a definite peanut butter flavor, but not enough peanut butter texture to stick to your mouth, and it's also not so saturated in peanut but... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended traderjoes pb&j sack duo packs 4.0
Trader Joe's Mango Jalapeño Apple Fruit Snacks: These strawberry shaped dummies are shaped as if they've been stamped rather than molded, a straight extrusion of a 2d profile. They have a dense rather than chewy texture similar to a thick piece of fruit leather. Its flavor combines several concentrates, including apple, mango, and lemon, and it's finished with jalapeño pepper powder. You can definitely taste all of those individual ingredients – there's a pleasantly spicy aftertaste and the lemon juice helps balance out the sweetness of... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended traderjoes mango jalapeño apple fruit snacks 3.5
Trader Joe's Jalapeño seasoned corn and rice puffs: My sister sent me an awesome birthday present from the US: a box of Trader Joe's snacks. I've been away from the US for 9 months now (!) and before that, was mostly shopping at the Park Slope Food Coop, so I haven't had a chance to try their seasonal snack offerings for a long while, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed shopping there. Normally, puffed snacks made of alternative grains like rice and quinoa (as opposed to the more typical corn puffs) are too soft in texture or have a ... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended traderjoes jalapeño seasoned corn rice puffs 3.5
Coop Ginger Ale: This small single-serving can comes from my local grocery store, Coop. From what I've experienced of ginger soda offerings in Japan, they tend to have a spicier ginger flavor and are less sweet than what you'd find on American supermarket shelves (like Canada Dry or Seagram's). That's perfect for me, as I like very gingery sodas. Even as a store-brand offering, this is a great quality ginger soda. According to Tasty Snacking archives, this is the 40th ginger soda that I've had, and it's d... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended coop japanese ginger ale 4.0
Frito Lay Pizza-La Ebimayo Chips: Pizza-La is a takeout pizza chain in Japan second in popularity only to Domino's. While I haven't actually had their pizza before, I have had pizza in Japan several times from chains like Pizza Hut, takeout at grocery stores, and acclaimed pizzeria restaurants, so I've experienced some of the regional specialties tailored to Japanese tastes. In particular, it's common to see mayonnaise drizzled across the top of pizza pies, giving the pizza a creamy, tangy, and sweet flavor (the sweetness ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chips japanese fritolay pizza-la ebimayo 3.0 queensisetan
Kamakura Gelato Soymilk gelato: I went on a day trip to Kamakura, a city about an hour south of Tokyo, to visit several temples, and when it started raining, I ducked into a gelato shop that many Japanese people appeared to be enjoying, a short walk from the Hasedera temple. A scoop of soymilk gelato was a little over $3 USD and had a deep roasted flavor and dark beige color. The texture was smooth, the flavor more light than creamy. They had a lot of other entiching flavors I wish I could try, but a single cup was just ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended gelato japanese kamakura kamakuragelato soymilk 4.0