Lay's Potato Chips Thai Spicy Crab

I've been dying for a Thai Spicy Crab chip...not!

The Attraction

I love international flavor variations of conventional products that we have here in the States. It was only natural when I saw a Thai Spicy Crab version of Lay's potato chips that I felt compelled to give it a shot. Besides, who can turn down a Thai spicy crab flavor chip? ( I don't even know what it's supposed to taste like)

The Review:
I wasn't too keen on trying these chips because, well, I've never gravitated toward seafood flavored anything in a snack, but I thought, there can always be a first time for everything. I open the bag and there was almost no smell emanating from the package. No spicy, no seafood, no Thai (whatever that smells like).

Looks normal to me,
but people also once said that about Kanye

I pickup a chip and go to town. At first there's a sweetness to it. I wasn't expecting that, but once the sweetness peaks, it quickly kicks into it's salty 2nd act and then casually gives way to the spicy finale, all while the seafood flavor lays in the back snapping it's fingers keeping the pace for the rest of the players. The crunch is consistent with what you would expect from a Lay's chip, being international or domestic (although I do find the Asian international version to be less oily and slightly thicker).

As I go through several more chips, I start to try to remember what I reviewed recently that tastes like this. Ahh! I got it! It's like a less crunchy and seaweed-ish version of Tao Kae Noi Hi Tempura Seaweed Spicy Flavor. So if you are looking for something like that, but not seaweed based, you may have found a winner here!

Like Kanye, it's far from normal!

The Sweet:
Nice sweet heat delivered on a bed of seafood essence.

The Bitter:
Not everyone loves seafood flavor.

Conclusion:
It's clear that this was another marketing move to give a product a much more desirable flavor name than just "Spicy Seafood Flavor". Although I'm not a super seafood fan, "Thai Spicy Crab Flavor" sounds much more appetizing to me than the former.

For all the clever marketing ploys, it still boils down to the flavor. For me, I'm just not inclined towards seafood flavored snacks, but even with that, I did enjoy these chips. If you are a fan of such flavor, this could very easily find a spot in your snack pantry, perhaps next to your roasted seaweed and spicy dried squid.

Video of the Week 

They are coming...to eventually make us make them cars.

In case the video I shared with you a few months showing a robot on four "legs" running and bounding over obstacles without much issue didn't make you want to soil yourself, this week I present, Atlas, the biped robot that will stop at nothing to accomplish it's goal (watch the box lifting demo). Now substitute the box with you and put an Arnold face mask on the robot. Commence bladder release.

Kuai Kuai Corn Snack Chocolate

Is it me or does that dotted line
make you want to sign the bag?

The Attraction

The little lady has been eating the coconut version of these and then one day she saw the chocolate version and convinced me to give it a try. It usually doesn't require too much prodding to get me to try a new snack, btw.

The Review:
I've tried the coconut version of these snacks before and I must say, well, this isn't about the coconut version. It's all about the chocolate today. However, if the coconut version is any reflection of what these babies could taste like, this could get very interesting very quickly.

I open the bag and a gentle chocolate breeze blows my way as the bag finally gives in to my hungry hands. I peer in and notice that these chocolate puffs have an usually shiny coating on them. Almost like they should have a savory flavor. I should hope not if it's chocolate flavored.

No more time to waste, it's time to get busy......eating that is.

They look like bbq Combos

I pickup a puff and take a bite. It's crunchy, but not quite as crunchy as a cheez ball or a cheez puff. It's more along the lines of a Cherrios crunch. The chocolate flavor is there, but it's unremarkable. It isn't too sweet, but the chocolate flavor dissipates quickly.

As much as I try to avoid it, I can't help but to compare these puffs against Crown's Big Caramel Corn Choco....and you know how much I love those things.

So shiny!

The Sweet:
Light chocolate flavor in a corn puff

The Bitter:
Nothing special

Conclusion:
These Kuai Kuai Corn Snacks aren't bad, but they are just ordinary. It also doesn't help that they came on the heels of the other-chocolate-corn-puff-snack that I just reviewed and fell in love with, but standing on its own, it didn't "wow" me at all. Even with its mascot making a heart for me, I didn't heart these in return.

Video Mail of the Week 

In this week's mailbag, it's an oldie, but a goody. It's from my friend Gabriella. I use the term "friend" loosely after I got some input about my beloved snack blog from her:

"...do you see what your snack blog looks like? I think my 10 year old baby cousin could put a better blog together than this! Oh, and your picture?! Why are you in a undershirt in your photo? What's wrong with you?!"

Yes, Gabriella, I think Bette Midler said it best when she said "You are the Wind Beneath My Wings". In this case, you are definitely the something beneath my something. For some reason, that might have been the last time I asked for some feedback about my blog from her.

Please keep the feedback coming!

Crown Caramel Maple Corn

Here we go again!

The Attraction

A few weeks ago, I reviewed another Crown product called "Big Caramel Corn Choco", and to my surprise, despite it's "unusual"appearance, I fell in love with that product. I have since purchased that snack multiple times, so it was only natural when Crown had a new Caramel Maple Corn offering, I was hot to try it out.

The Review:
The expectations were high when I brought this sucker home. I will say that the color difference really made a big impact in the way I viewed this snack. Seeing the chocolate version really turned my stomach, but the lighter color appearance of these corn puffs seemed way more palatable.

They look tiny 3/4 donuts

I crack open the bag and and sure enough, the scent of maple syrup fills the air. This was very similiar to the Choco version of this snack. This is looking good. I pickup a corn puff and take a bite.

Much like the first version I sampled, there is a tremendous crunch with my initial bite and as the flavor profile takes shape, the maple syrup essence comes screaming through. There is nothing subtle about these flavors. "Hi, I'm maple syrup flavor! What's your name, fool!?"

This could spell trouble!

The Sweet:
Crown just keeps on hitting it's stride, flavor-wise

The Bitter:
It's on the sweeter side, but's it's still damn good.

Conclusion:
Why should I have ever doubted this? With the amount that I loved the chocolate flavored version of this snack, was there anyway I wouldn't have enjoyed this maple syrup version? On it's own, it's solid and this review isn't about comparing the two against each other, but...

..if you had to twist my arm, the chocolate version is still the winner, but if Crown keeps cranking out new flavors, I will gladly be there to try them out in hopes of finding a new love.

Video of the Week 
Working on it!

Oreo Cinnamon Bun

 

Pinch me. I must be dreaming

The Attraction

I read about this a few weeks ago somewhere. At the time I wanted to scream and jump up and down with excitement, but I thought that might set a bad example to the people I manage. Good thing there are men's stalls in the restrooms at work. Just one or the other is enough to catch my eye. Put them together and it is a recipe for additional calories for the week.

The Review:
Oreo has been stepping up it's game recently. They've done some tinkering recently and I've been a fan (see Thins), so when I heard they were adding another flavor, specifically a Cinnamon Bun one, I was ready to plunk down my hard earned cash to try some.

Looks like a Golden Oreo

I take my prized possession home and slowly peel back the packaging. "Hey, they sorta look like Golden Oreos." I think to myself, but a gentle whiff of the opened package dispels that thought as there is a clear smell of cinnamon to these cookies. 

"Woohoo...you sexy!"

I decide to not waste another minute and pick up a cookie and attack.

It has all the characteristics of an Oreo; crunchy, crisp cookie exterior, sweet cream interior. The crispy cookie wafer is where the cookie gets its cinnamon flavor from. On it's own, it has a flavor reminiscent of a graham cracker or a graham cracker-like product. That's a great start already, but then the cream plays off that flavor and tries to mimic some of the sugar icing that is on top of a legitimate cinnamon bun. It's not as sweet, but it strikes the right balance with the cookie shells. The folks at Oreo know what they are doing.

...but boy it doesn't taste like one!

The Sweet:
Great cinnamon flavor in the cookie shells partnered nicely with the sweet cream filling. It's an Oreo!

The Bitter:
Doesn't really capture the essence of eating a cinnamon bun

Conclusion:
OK, so you won't be forsaken a trip to the mall to grab a cinnamon bun because of these Oreo Cinnamon Bun flavored cookies. They actually don't capture much of that feeling at all. Yes, they both are sweet, yes they both contain cinnamon, but that's about where the comparisons end. I understand it's a marketing move to name it this flavor (and boy did I bite!), but it works. Both from a marketing standpoint because I bought a pack and as a snack itself because it's rather tasty.

As if life wasn't complicated enough, I now have another Oreo flavor I must choose from the next time I'm at the grocery store.

Video of the Week 
I normally don't like posting videos that have some bad mojo to it, but I thought this one might make some of our readers think twice before they loose their minds should someone honk at them. After all, it's only a honk and what does a honk really mean? Nothing really, but it almost spelled disaster for this guy.

He sure showed the person taking the video who's boss

Sakuraya Strawberry Daifuku

Who doesn't love a good daifuku?

The Attraction

I've hopped in and out of many a Chinese, Japanese and Korean grocery stores in my day and have seen several variations of daifuku. There are some great local variations, but one commercial brand I have seen over and over again in this neck of the woods is this Sakuraya brand. There must be something to this right?

The Review:
I'm no stranger to daifuku. One of my favorite things about it is the wonderfully chewy mochi or glutinous rice exterior. I like that aspect so much, the filling almost isn't even a factor. Is there anway I wouldn't enjoy these? I've had some locally made versions before, but I have yet to try Sakuraya's version. Let's hope they don't ruin this me.

"Ahh, nice and squishy"

I take my nice package of 4 daifuku balls home and crack it open. In addition to the red hue, the slight smell of strawberries gives away what flavor awaits inside. As I pick one up, I give it a slight squeeze; the texture is firm, yet soft. That's a good sign. Daifuku any other way just isn't daifuku to me.  

I bring the mochi up to my mouth and take a nice size bite. The texture and mouth feel is as what I would have guessed from with my "squeeze" test; a firm, chewy exterior that gives way to a milky strawberry filling. The mochi flavor itself is rather mild. Slightly sweet, but when you hit the filling, the familiar artificial strawberry flavor that you commonly associate with Asian snacks appears. I've come to accept this with Asian snacks, but thankfully Sakuraya was wise enough to tone it a few notches to not overwhelm the more subtle mochi flavor all together.

Three more to look forward to

The Sweet:
All the great things about daifuku! Great texture and chewiness

The Bitter:
Artificial strawberry flavor, but they all have that to an extent

Conclusion:
Honestly, this review may have been a bit of a "gimme", but like that hypothesis about how a women can identify a man she would like to be romantic with within seconds and its the man's job to not say anything stupid to mess it up, Sakuraya let it's daifuku do just enough of the talking to ensure everyone ends up a winner tonight. 

Video of the Week 
Anyone that loves sushi probably has ambitions to one day to go to Japan and watch the tuna auctions and then have a chance to sample some of the winnings for that day. Though it may be a while before I can do that, here's a video of some English blokes doing just that.

 "Is it me or does it smell like fish in here?"

Welchs PB&J Snacks Crunchy

Cause who doesn't love PB&J?

The Attraction

I was at a local discount retailer (ahem, 99 cent store, ahem) when I spotted these on line waiting to pay for my aluminum foil. I've been wanting to review snacks from a discount retailer for awhile to see if they would be any good. Although I really wanted to review an unknown brand, I thought this PB&J concept was too interesting to pass up.

The Review:
I take this bag of potential snack heaven home and open it. As quickly as I open it, the smell of peanut butter (pb) fills the air. "This could be good. Real good." I think to myself. I take a ball out and take a look at them. They have the appearance of a wall of pb, except for some spots of lighter color in them. That must be where the crunchy lives!

Looks almost like a Combos, but in ball form

I take hold of ball and bite. Surprisingly the ball of pb yields to my bite and reveals the "jelly" center. It was very different from my expectation. There was no "crunch" in my bite as the package had advertised. The pb outer was more like a waxy shell. As for the jelly center, it was just a grape flavored version of one of their fruit or "jelly" snacks.

In my mind, I was thinking a harder or crunchy pb shell and a jelly center that was more like a fluid or at least more jelly-like opposed to a purposed fruit snack. Either of those characteristics would have been a favorable element, but Welsh's took it a whole different direction.....and not a good direction.

"Oh...that was it?"

The Sweet:
I like the idea...

The Bitter:
...but the execution? Where's the "crunchy"?

Conclusion:
I really would like a portable snack that could capture the essence of PB&J. Although Welch's put forth a decent attempt, I think it ultimately misses the mark. Part of the joy of PB&J for me is the crunch of the savory peanut butter juxtaposed against the sweet moisture of the jelly. There was no crunch to be had and no moisture of  jelly in here. It looks like it's back to the good ole reliable between two slices of bread until snack makers get it right.

Video of the Week 
I love Taco Bell. Maybe more than a man that's trying to maintain his weight should. As much as I love them, it never occurred to me to buy a bunch of their products and reconstruct it to make a Taco Bell Lasagna like this gentleman did. I wish I could say that I'm totally grossed out. (psst...I'm not)

 "How can I get more calories into my body as quickly as possible?
Oh wait, I have an idea!"

Tao Kae Noi Hi Tempura Seaweed Spicy Flavor

Aside for the fried and salted part,
does this qualify as a healthy snack?

The Attraction

I've seen this on the shelf several times before, but never compelled to buy it. Then recently a friend of the Little Lady's was kind enough to buy me a bag after I asked her what she enjoys snacking on. Consider my horizons expanded.

The Review:
I stared at the bag for a bit as I was initially not super excited to try these, but I had to know what this gal was talking about. I open the bag and the smell of seaweed comes to greet me. OK, no mistaken what this snack is about. Its seaweed and it wants you to know it's in town for the weekend.

I pick up a curious looking piece of seaweed which somehow they manage to dip into tempura. I'm not sure how someone would think of it, but the seaweed seems rather crispy in my hand.

This doesn't light my fire

I proceed to take a bite and a monstrous crunch comes echoing out of my mouth. The salt and seaweed flavor comes at you first and as you continue on in your bite, the spicy sidekick sneaks up on you and let's you know it can carry it's own weight.

At first, I thought they reminded me of fried shrimp chips, but as I ate several more pieces, it was definitely more seaweed in flavor than shrimp. What was surprising was the crunch I was able to generate from these fried and tempura-ed chips. These are no Doritos, but they aren't too bad.

...or does it?

The Sweet:
Great savory spicy flavor with a chip-like crunch.

The Bitter:
If you don't care for seaweed, you won't like these.

Conclusion:
Granted, these weren't at the top my list of snacks to try, but when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. Though they were better than I expected, I don't see myself picking up a bag of these on the regular. I've had seaweed based snacks before like...well, roasted and salted seaweed. They were good, but for me, seaweed just isn't a snack that I gravitate towards. So if you love seaweed, you will enjoy these. If you are indifferent or less than interested, you would probably be better served looking down other aisles for your snack fix.

Video of the Week 
In this week's video, a woman finds protein in her prepackaged salad. Good thing it's been triple washed otherwise she would have really been grossed out.

 As if we needed another reason to not eat salad