Archer Farm's Cinnamon Rolls

Archer Farm's Cinnamon Rolls

From mall favorites Auntie Anne's cinnamon pretzels and Cinnabons to homemade variations of crumb cake and monkey bread, it's clear that Americans have a weakness for the holy trinity of cinnamon, sugar and flour...and I ....am very American.

The Attraction
Cinnamon, sugar and flour or as I like to call it, catnip for people.

The Review
It's going to be hard to mess this up and Archer Farms do not. The rolls are soft. They also aren't stingy with the cinnamon and sugar, but it's not overdone either. With that said, this isn't exactly breaking new ground on the snack front, but it's a solid interpretation of a classic snack combination. You can probably polish off a roll with 2-3 bites and then quickly work your way to the next one. Turn on the TV and soon enough you'll begin to wonder how the container got so empty so quickly.


The Sweet
Archer Farm's version is consistent with most other interpretations of cinnamon rolls. It's good.

The Bitter
It's cinnamon rolls, which is a good thing, but Archer Farm's version doesn't distinguish itself from other mass producers of pre-made store bought cinnamon rolls. I recently bought cinnamon rolls at Whole Foods that not only tasted identical, but was similarly packaged as well. Hmmm...maybe that should be a knock on Whole Foods?


It's called cinnamon rolls for a reason; they are simply cinnamon rolls..and that's where in lies the conundrum. Can you be "down" on a product because they deliver what they promise to deliver, no more, no less? Maybe "down" is too harsh of a word, perhaps tagging it average or mediocre might be more accurate. People rush to Peter Lugers Steakhouse not because they deliver a steak like everyone else, it's because they make a steak like no one else.

With that said, would I purchase another container of Archer Farm's Cinnamon Rolls at the local Target? Absolutely, but I would be just as likely to purchase Whole Foods version or Stop and Shops version or (insert your local grocery store name here) version, not because their versions are so outstanding, more just because it's cinnamon rolls and I am a red blooded American.

Man Mi Bakery's Wal-Nuggets

Man Mi Bakery's Wal-Nuggets

It was just another ordinary day at lunch when all of a sudden my friend Grace whips out a container that she wants me to try.


"Wal-Nuggets?" I read on the box
"Yes. It has a weird name, but it's good!" she replied


The Attraction
It was free, it was in front of me and I was curious.

The Review
Upon first inspection, these "nuggets" remind me of these other freshly made pastries that I've had in the past that are usually filled with strawberry cream inside and are also freshly made. The pattern on the pastry is that of a shell of a walnut, which the product cleverly derived it's name from. The first bite into the cushiony pastry reveals a red bean paste filling with (surprise) some walnuts pieces inside. The walnut pieces actually does a nice job breaking up the consistency of the nugget by adding some resistance to the filling and presents a nice contrast to the smooth, creamy bean paste (think crunchy peanut butter).

The Sweet
A soft, spongy exterior that gives way to a not too sweet red bean paste interior makes the Wal-Nugget an easy snack to enjoy. I'm not a big fan of red bean, but the filling with the addition of some walnuts bits had just the right consistency and it wasn't too long before the container was empty. For about $2-$3 a box, this snack won't break your snack bank.

The Bitter
You have to be at least OK with red bean paste. In addition, I believed many other Korean bakeries offer a similar product, but this particular version can only be purchased at Man Mi Bakery in Flushing, New York.

I think the "make it or break it" for any food item is if you would purchase the item if you just so happen to come across it. There are some items that you would go out of your way to have and others that you would clearly avoid, but as in life, not everything in the food universe is that black and white. Where does the Wal-Nugget fall in the wide spectrum of gray that spans between the two? The white space that I call my grocery basket.

Korean Snack

I loved the idea that I had no preconceived notion as to what this may or may not taste like. I don't even know what the dish is that the snack is trying to emulate, so I didn't have a frame of reference to say whether it succeeded in making it taste like the item or not. When was the last time you ate something without any idea what it may taste like at all? 

The Attraction
It's looks sort of like Italian ziti, but with an egg in it. Portable ziti, in a bag? OK, count me in! It also didn't hurt that there was absolutely no English on the bag other than "SO HOT" in caps.

The Review
First, when I cracked the bag open, it had a slightly sweet smell. Yes, that was my first thought too, sweet? I was definitely not expecting that. Ziti isn't sweet, but then again, this wasn't suppose to be like ziti. I take my first bite and in addition to being greeted with a nice crunch, I start to think that the smell should have tipped me off. It was sweet! It reminded me of a cereal I've had before, perhaps Sugar Smacks. Then as I come to the tail end of consuming my first bite, I get a hit of the heat. I think my brain was confused by this combination; sweet and spicy? What is this? It wasn't a punch in the face of fire, rather it was more of like a firm tap on the shoulder that said, "I ain't no cereal, fool!" I had to have another piece to confirm that what I just tasted was real.

The Sweet
From the crunch to the slightly sweetness to the spiciness, this was a pretty perfect balance. The sweet and spicy combination worked well. It wasn't too much of one or the other. Neither one was over the top and dominated the other. Even now as I try to imagine that flavor, it's difficult to recreate; I can imagine the cereal taste of it, but when I try to imagine the spiciness, my mind tends to drift into a savory spicy and that's not it at all. It's a sweet spicy.

The Bitter
If there is a downside, it would be that the packaging has no english on it. Some might say that since the product is from Korea and probably intended for Koreans, that there's no need for it. Other than that, it's hard to find something to complain about.

I have no idea if this product taste like what it suppose to taste like in comparison to the real dish it is trying to capture the essence of, but what I do know is that I found myself eating one and then another and then another. That says about all you need to know about what I think about this snack.

Choco Roll Pudding Filling

Choco Roll (Pudding Filling)

I've come to accept that often for me, how good or bad I judge something is based on my expectations and how the reality measures up to those expectations, so when I saw this treat sitting on my local Asian grocer's shelf promising a chocolate exterior with a pudding filling, I was excited to give it a go.

The Attraction
Chocolate and pudding, hello?

The Review
To add to the anticipation of trying this product, my fellow snack club members were either away or too full to participate for several days, so the build up was crazy. First thing to note was each "bar" was individually wrapped. Each bar is about the length of a Twix bar, but completely round vs. a Twix bar that has a "flat" bottom.

My initial thought after unwrapping one and taking a bite was "Where the hell is the pudding?!" I found that the core of the Choco Roll isn't actually pudding itself, rather pudding flavor! WTH! Now, I'm no food engineer or rocket scientist, so I don't know if it's possible to even have such a product with actual pudding inside a chocolate "shell", but I frankly didn't care. You tell me; look at the photo of the product above and wouldn't you be led to believe that pudding was going to be inside this mofo? Well, as it turns out, the core of the Choco Roll is actually closer to a dry egg roll-ish flour based concoction. No pudding! I was completely going to bash this product, but I took a step back, put on my pro snacking hat and decided to judge this item again giving up my expectations.

The Sweet
The portions are generous per roll for an item like this. They are larger than most other chocolate related items I've tried from Asia. The filling isn't overly sweet which is nice as it doesn't overpower the chocolate exterior. It makes the overall bar a quick and easy eat without feeling "tired" of the sweetness like some other chocolate products.

The Bitter
No Pudding! In addition to it's inaccurate depiction of the product on the outside of the box, I wish the core of the Choco Roll was more definitive. The core itself was mealy; not completely dry, yet not moist. It was slightly damp. I think a drier, crisp core would have proved to be a nicer contrast with the smooth chocolate outer layer.

At about $2 a box and 6 rolls inside each package, the price is right. Unfortunately, for me, this product may have been doomed from the beginning as my expectations and the actual item were worlds apart. Where I looked to find a jackpot of pudding goodness, I was forced to settled for a slightly sweet crumby filling. If you enjoy egg rolls and wonder what a crushed up one would taste like covered with chocolate, then I would invite you to give this guy a try, but with a word of warning to not make the same mistake I did; imagine what you think this would taste like and throw it out the window...and then actually try it.

D-Plus (Hokkaido Cream)

D-Plus (Hokkaido Cream)

I have previously tried this product line when I came across these buns at a Japanese grocery store, but as fate would have it, I would be wandering around a H-Mart (Korean Grocery store) and come across this little treasure. I've had the blueberry and the green tea flavor before (and was a fan of both) when I noticed this very specific "cream" flavor.

The Attraction
I really have a fondness for products that expand upon their product line by incorporating things like new flavors. They haven't always been "home runs", but it's a neat little twist of an existing product you know well, so I'm almost always game to give it a shot.

Review
What I love about these buns are the light, soft, airy nature of them (think fresh dinner rolls without any of the crusty parts) There's a subtle sweetness to them that isn't overpowering and the flavor of the bun itself is delicately revealed to the eater. You aren't knocked over the head with it, which is nice, but it left me with the next question; what the heck does Hokkaido Cream suppose taste like? I felt like a bit of an adolescent trying a recreational drug for the first time "Wait, wait...I think I feel something...no, no, nothing".

After several very focused bites, I could taste the cream in the bun. It was the most obvious when you first bite into it. How the taste of Hokkaido Cream differs from regular cream, you may ask? I couldn't tell you other than the cream is suppose to originate from Hokkaido (a city in Japan).

The Sweet
D-Plus buns are consistently light and airy with a subtle flavor to them. I haven't tasted a flavor I didn't liked yet.

The Bitter
Specific to this flavor, I wasn't able to determine what the difference was between Hokkaido Cream and the taste of regular cream. It was a very subtle cream flavor.

At $2 a bun, I would have no problem buying this item again, but not necessarily because the flavor was so overwhelmingly tasty, (in actuality, the cream flavor was rather underwhelming) but more because I just love their delicately baked products.

Previews

Upcoming product reviews

Choco Roll (Pudding filling)

Goo Goo Cluster

Sorry I didn't have time to post a formal review this week, but I've been stockpiling products (good for the blog, bad for my waist line) for future posts. I'll have an update later this week, but above I've included some items I'll be reviewing soon. It's such hard work to have to snack in order to keep this site updated. Woe is me...

Meltyblend (Royal Milk Tea flavor)

Meltyblend (Royal Milk Tea flavor)

I've recently have been part of an unofficial snack club at work. Seemingly once a week a member brings in a snack for everyone to sample. This week when I was doing some grocery shopping, I came across this baby at my local Chinese grocery.

The Attraction
With a name like Meltyblend, I was already intrigued. Throw in "royal milk tea flavor" and an interesting square packaging and this box was quickly tossed into my shopping cart. I also have to disclose that I have previously sampled many Meiji chocolate products over the years and have been very happy with the result. So, I'm a little bias...

Review
When first opening the box, what's interesting to note is the individually wrapped pieces of chocolate. I guess with a name like "Meltyblend", its probably best that each piece be packaged this way. When opening my first piece of chocolate, I was surprised to find that the chocolate itself was partially melted. Now, I understand the name, but this is ridiculous! Anyway, I squeezed it into my mouth and it was OK. To be honest, I was so put off by the chocolate being melted, the flavor didn't even register. Perhaps that was just a fluke...a second piece would be needed immediately.

Take two: Ahh...better. This second piece, looked as advertised; a cube of chocolate that is reminiscent of a cube of sugar...except that it's made of chocolate. Upon tasting it again, the chocolate lived up to it's namesake; it melted quickly in my mouth. First, I noted how creamy the chocolate was (although all Japanese based chocolates tends to be creamier and smoother than their American chocolate counterparts). Shortly after, the "royal tea flavor" came through. The flavor the chocolate tries to emulate is essentially a "milk tea" or tea with milk flavor and it does so subtly.

The Sweet
Smooth creamy chocolate with hints of "milk tea" flavor. Nice "flip top" package design.

The Bitter
Pricier than other Japanese chocolate imports. Coming in at about $2.99, it's less likely to be your ever day go-to chocolate fix.

Did the flavor knock my socks off so much that I would I run out to the store to pickup this box again? Probably not, when you can score some other tasty Japanese chocolate bars for about a buck less, but if a member of the snack club brought in another box, I would happily take some and probably sneak some extra pieces to keep at my desk...

Jackfruit

Jackfruit

This go around, I cover jackfruit. Now, prior to this sampling, I didn't even know what the heck a jackfruit was or what it looked like.

The Attraction
I was in an Asian grocery store when the gf picked it up and started looking at it because she hadn't had any since she left Taiwan several years ago.Next thing I know, an older Indian gentleman started telling me how tasty it was. When I asked my gf what she thought of it, she gave it the ringing endorsement of " it's not bad". How could I refuse after a declaration like that...

Review
The picture above is one I found online and I had to use it because the jackfruit itself was sold in cross sections. I can understand why because it was going for about $4.29 a pound. I decided to hedge my bets and get the smallest piece I can find.

At first, the spikey-green exterior and the fruit bearing interior reminded me of a durian (another fruit found commonly in Asia). Thankfully there wasn't a smell like one.

Seems like the good parts you eat are the parts that look like bulbs with a pit on the inside. Peeling these "bulbs" from their sometimes "gluey" homes, took a little effort. Another thing I noticed when I pulled the fruit out, is that is was slightly "foamy" feeling in texture. Think like a piece of dehydrated apple ring that you might buy at the store. I'm not sure if that's just because I had an older jackfruit or if it's naturally that way.

First bite: The dehydrated apple ring texture analogy also translated to when you bit into it. It had the same type of feel. Flavor-wise, it had a sort of banana mixed with a little apple flavor to it. As I continued to eat it, I found myself wanted to try more because the flavor and texture combination was so foreign to me.

The Sweet
I enjoyed the flavor and texture of the jackfruit. It's also a healthy snack option.

The Bitter

At $4.29 a pound, this won't be at the top of my "snack" list, although if you think about it, many snacks lining the supermarket shelves aren't much cheaper. In addition, the availability of it also makes it a less likely to find treat.

If you are looking for a healthy snack option and are ok with the flavor of banana, but are tired of going to the "old stand by" fruits, you should give jackfruit a try.I know I would again.

Mint Moon Pie Crunch

On a recent road trip, I was excited to see signs for a Cracker Barrel along the highway. For me, the thrill of Cracker Barrels aren't the actual food they serve in there; it's the waiting area where they have hard to find assorted candies and snacks, so it was only natural that I pay it a visit. Upon my entry into the waiting area, I laid my eyes on this baby and knew I had to try it. Now, I have to disclose that about a year ago went on a mini Moon Pie binge and tried the Chocolate, Vanilla and Banana flavored pies when I came across a local deli that sold all three flavors, so it felt like "my density" (a la George McFly) to try this new variation of the Moon Pie line of products.

The Attraction

As a fan of Moon Pies, it was natural that I give this a go. 

Review

I am normally not a fan of mint, but because I loved Moon Pies so much, I was willing to look past the mint flavor to give this item a try. One of the things that struck me was how the packaging was different from the other "normal" Moon Pies. This was a two pack and the pies themselves were smaller.

Upon opening the package and sliding out a pie, I realized that this mint pie was much firmer than the pies I had sampled previously. Honestly, I could hardly wait to take a bite into it. (therefore the fuzzy picture)

My initial bite was surprising in every way possible, unfortunately, not in a good way. The first thought that occurred to me was how the "tops" and the "bottoms" of the pies were not soft like the larger pies; they were more like thin chocolate wafers. In fact, it wasn't until I was prepping this entry that I realized that the wrapper itself says "crunch" on it. The next thing was the mint filling itself. It wasn't the fluffy marshmallow-like texture that I knew and loved in the traditional pies. This filling was pasty.Think more like the filling of a York Peppermint Patty. I finished the rest of the pie in part because I couldn't believe how much I didn't like it.

The Sweet

The Moon Pie company continues to try to expand their product lines.

The Bitter

From the uncharacteristic crunchy outside to the disappointing filling, it's hard to find anything I did like about this snack.

What I came to love about the Moon Pie products were the soft flavored shells that enveloped the fluffy marshmallow filling inside, so for me, this snack was extremely disappointing. This item bared no resemblance to that winning combination. Unless you love York Peppermint Patties, but wish it had a crunchy wafer shell, I would skip this snack and save the calories on something else.