Frutips Black Currant

 I'm sorta a big deal

The Attraction

I've seen this candy around at various points in my "Asian" life. It was time I wrote a proper review of this perennial treat.

The Review:
Ask any Hong Kong native or frequent visitor to the island about this snack and most likely they will be familiar with it. Frutips in HK are like the equivalent of Lifesavers or Tic Tacs here in the States. Every grocery / convenience store carries these snack stables. I vaguely remember seeing these at various point of my childhood growing up. Even though I was raised in the US, I remember seeing the packaging of these snacks when I would visit HK or when someone would visit from HK and would bring a few roll of these for someone I knew.

Tunnel of yummy goodness?

I have forgotten about this snack years ago, until about 3 years ago, a former colleague of mine with friends in Hong Kong would have them ship her these gummy pastilles to her several times a year. She was kind enough to share some with me and it immediately brought me back to my younger days.

What's curious about it is that although gummies are not an unusual favorite of children and grown-ups alike, the famous flavor of these Frutips are black currant. Yes, black currant. You may be asking, what the heck flavor is that? Well, it looks like a grape and blueberry. It's better explained here.

Gummy and chewy

In any regard, the black currant flavor is far more familiar to folks in Asia and in Europe. So much so that another black currant flavored treat, Ribina, is also very popular in Hong Kong. Fortunately, you can get these concentrated drink mixes here in the US.

What makes these treats so tasty? They are gummy, but not overly sweet, with a subtle tartness to them. The gummy texture is also not too gummy. It doesn't get all in your teeth to the point where you have to use your tongue or worst, your finger, to get the candy our of your teeth. I'm drooling a little just thinking about them now.

The Sweet:
Gummy, chewy, slightly sour treats that are highly addicting

The Bitter:
Hard to find outside of Asia

Conclusion:
There's a reason why this gummy treat is so popular in HK. It's not too sweet and the chewy consistency makes it tough to resist a multiple pastille tasting. Unfortunately, these are usually not sold in the US, so they are a tough item to come by, but when you do, after trying it, you'll be hording a few rolls of these the next time you happen upon them.

Video of the Week

Boy, the things you can win these days in the claw machine

A slightly pervy, yet genius of a business person in Taiwan came up with the idea of putting bikini-clad women in the claw machine games to draw more players. This may surprise you, but it seemed to have worked in a big way. No, you can't select the model with the claw (unfortunately) and it's probably not a good idea to play one of these machines while you are on a date, unless you want to potentially just go home alone.

Pomelo

 No, I'm not a giant pear!

The Attraction

As part of my recent trip to Taiwan, I had the chance to try this obscure fruit in the US, that happened to be in season on my visit.  

The Review:
These pomelos were all over the place when I was in Taiwan. Every market had them, I saw truck fulls of them everywhere I went. I even saw fancier versions of them wrapped preciously in paper and packaged in boxes. What the heck must these things taste like if they are so popular? Oh heck, what do I have to lose?

My in-laws had a big box of these in their house and one night after dinner, they busted out a few for us to have. I was a little nervous at first as I've never had one before so I had no idea how to begin to eat it. They were kind enough to cut it open for us, so at least I knew not to bite into it like an apple.

Once it was opened, it looked very similar to a giant orange or a large grapefruit. I wasn't sure how to feel exactly. I love oranges, but more lukewarm towards grapefruits. Either way, I had to try it now. I can't not have a little in front of the whole family.

Look how big this sucker is compared to my hand!

When I picked up a half, it was clear that even though it looks like an orange, the skin surrounding the actual pomelo flesh itself was much thicker and tougher. Almost like you have a really dry grapefruit skin.

Sure enough, people begin peeling off the skin around the flesh and ate the juice vesicles. (not to be confused with juice testicles, which is something I just made up). I followed in suite and stared at the fruit of my labors for a moment. Then I popped it in my mouth. After all that work, this better be worth it...

Tasty little bit

As I chomped down on the pomelo, there was a burst of citrus juice in my mouth; it tasted like an orange at first, but before it could get sweet like a conventional orange, a tartness settled in like a grapefruit. Wow...how interesting. It's literally like an orange and grapefruit combined; not as tart as a grapefruit, but not as sweet as an orange.

Is that a good or bad thing?

I laboriously picked thought a few more pieces to see if it would become any clearer to me, but it didn't. I did eat all the pieces that I extracted...that must mean something, I think.

The Sweet:
It's a great snack if you are looking for something new with a sweet and slightly tart twist.

The Bitter:
Takes some work to get to the good stuff

Conclusion:
Pomelos are a strange snack to me; they didn't really strike me as anything special when I first had them. They didn't bowl me over the way persimmons did when I first had them, so I thought I could take them or leave them. However as more time passes since my last encounter, I find myself looking for them in Asian markets.

Maybe Pomelos are like that female friend that you always got along with and had a great time with, but you never really thought about because they were always there. It wasn't until they weren't around anymore that you realized how much you missed them.

Yes, what I think I'm trying to say is say is Pomelos are like Rachael Leigh Cook in "She's All That"

Video of the Week

Great, it's going to kill me, in a stylish way

After warning you for months, if not years that these things (here and here) are going to take over the world and kill us, they've now made a robot that can jump and flip. I'm human and I can't do half the stuff this robot can do. We are doomed. Calling Kyle Reese, come in Kyle Reese.

Luppo Cake Bite

 Oh no, not again!

The Attraction

I didn't pay this any mind really, but the little lady was interested for some reason. She normally doesn't pickup any Choco Pies, so I was surprised when she brought this snack to my attention. Who am I to turn down a new chocolate snack? I have a feeling this might be a disaster. How exciting!

The Review:
This whole thing dates back to one of my early reviews of Moon Pies. I really loved it, but then as I would go through the Asian markets, I would come across seemingly the Asian knockoffs called Choco Pies. If you read through the Wiki on it, then there was some drama between two large snack producing companies over the name "Choco Pie".

These look familiar

Well, to sum up that chapter, I think Moon Pies are tastier than Choco Pies, however in NYC, Choco Pies seem vastly easier to come across than Moon Pies. If you can't have the real thing, Choco Pies aren't a bad substitute.

Fast forward to this Luppo Cake Bite (cough, another Moon Pie clone, cough) and you are all caught up. What's different already about this snack is unlike the original and it predecessor, these treats are not individually wrapped. They sit in a plastic tray neatly separated, a la Mallomars. 

Doesn't look too exciting

I didn't expect much as I've had several variations of Choco Pies before and the lack of individual wrapping made me think it was all in the name of a cheapo product. Not much put in, not much comes out....or so I thought.

I pluck a lucky "bite" out and take a casual nibble. "Hmm...this seems familiar, but something is a little different.", I thought to myself. I take another bite to see if I can hone in on the different twist.

"Coconut?"

Despite no mention on the packaging, these "cake bites" have a slight coconut flavor to them. It's not in your face or coated with coconut shavings or anything, but there's a definite coconut flavor in there. Aside from that little twist, it's what you have come to expect from a Choco Pie; a nice layer of chocolate coating on the outside, with a marshmallow cream filling on the inside. A bit of a bounce when you bite in from the filling. All wonderful, yet hardly earth-shattering things.

That was a little different

As I took a few more bites, I had to ask myself; "Coconut good, coconut bad, or coconut weird?"

It's not bad and it's not really weird tasting either. I guess that could only mean one thing.

The Sweet:
Slight coconut flavor brings a unique twist on a familiar tasting and looking snack.

The Bitter:
Not the most original idea

Conclusion:
I thought I had seen the last of these Moon Pie / Choco Pie clones. Realistically, how many similiar products can you have of snack that doesn't involve flavor variations? Yet Luppo Cake Bites boldly steps into the already crowded chocolate "pie" arena and differentiate itself with a subtle and tasty twist.

As for me, I think I'm done with these chocolate pies. How many more can a person eat? Well, then again, maybe I should learn by now that one should never say never.

Video of the Week

Not to be confused with this parkour

Yes, parkour was (is) still a thing. It's still impressive no matter how much time has passed. Even more so when you hit the longest and scariest looking parkour course in China. I got winded pressing the play button on the video, so I can appreciate this guy's athleticism.

Belvita Banana Bread

 Just looking at this makes me want to go (to the bathroom)

The Attraction

One of the perks at work are company provided snacks! Along with having them free of charge, it has opened up a new world of snacks for me to try. Can't feel guilty about buying a snack that doesn't taste good if you didn't have to pay for the snack. It all works out!

The Review:
I was a bit curious about these snacks when I first saw them put out in the pantry, but I didn't gravitate towards them initially because for some reason I thought these were snacks for "older" people that had problems "going", if you know what I mean. Still, I was intrigued as there aren't many snacks that advertise banana flavor and I have a thing for banana flavored baked goods. Why wait any longer?

I unwrap the banana bread and am quickly treated to the scent of bananas. This is a pretty great start.

I slowly inch the "bread" out of the wrapper and take a good look at what was inside. It peeks out of the wrapper and like the photo on the packaging would suggest, the bread resembles a cookie more than a conventional bread. A hash brown like cookie, to be specific.

Now I want a McDonald's Hash Brown

OK, so I have a great banana scent and a delicious looking cookie outside, but lets see if it can complete the sacred food trinity and bring some terrific flavor as well.

I take a bite and it's very much like a soft banana flavored cookie. The texture isn't as soft as a conventional bread, but it yields nicely to my bite. I was afraid it may be a dry, crumbly mess, but surprisingly, it was a soft banana-flavored bite. I could get use to eating this in the mornings...

It's sorta like having a cookie for breakfast

...but then about half-way through the bread, a bite struck me odd. I detected a strange aftertaste. It was for a split second, but it was there. It was a flavor that changed the whole experience. It came across as artificial tasting and it planted that flavor and taste in my head so I was unable to enjoy that banana flavor any more in this snack without thinking about the "unnatural" process that may have taken place to create that banana flavor.

The Sweet:
If you like cookies and banana flavor, you are in luck

The Bitter:
About half-way through, the banana flavor left an odd aftertaste

Conclusion:
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I really thought it would very dry and...well, for older people that couldn't use the bathroom. Come to find out that wasn't really what these were marketed for. These are supposed to be a breakfast snack. Oh well, almost the same.

I guess when you are looking for a breakfast snack that is a little healthier than a Pop-Tart, but something tastier than oatmeal, I could see this being a nice middle ground. Still that slight artificial aftertaste brought me back down to earth and will quickly remind you how unnatural of a breakfast snack this really is.

Video of the Week

A small leak

I fancy myself a relatively handy guy around the house. Some painting here, some patching there. Once in awhile I have to roll up my plumber's sleeve to do some work in the kitchen or in the bathroom.This video is my worst nightmare; it was supposed to be an attempt to fix a small leak and install a new faucet. As you can see, it didn't quite work out well. What is more surprising is that the video is 14 minutes long....and I watched every second of it. What's up with that?

Chocolates Exoticos de Colombia (Coconut, Coffee Bean, Goldenberry)

 The Colombian trifecta of chocolate!

The Attraction

As a fellow co-worker returns from yet another exotic vacation, she was kind enough to share some of her spoils of her trip. In this case, her trip was to Columbia and the spoils being chocolate!

The Review:
The packaging had me intrigued cause it was so exotic and interesting looking, although upon looking at the various flavors, I was a little less sure. Of the three flavors I had (coconut, coffee bean and goldenberry) I was most interested in coconut the most. In addition to not being a fan of dark chocolate in general, I am also not a coffee person, so that may spell for a bad combination for that flavor. As for goldenberry...I just had no clue what a goldenberry is. I'm guessing maybe something like a raisin? If so, that could be the winner of the bunch. Who doesn't love Raisinets?

There's coconut in there somewhere

First up, coconut or "Coco" as the packaging suggests. I open the bag and smell the hint of dark chocolate. I go ahead and pop one in my mouth and sure enough, the bitterness of the coated dark chocolate candy hits first. Then after several chews, there is a change in texture. Something almost fruit like. I guess it's the coconut, although flavor-wise, there is no indication that is what I'm chewing on. The coconut is almost nougat-like in texture, but the coconut flavor I was so anticipating was a no-show. OK, maybe coffee bean can avenge this lackluster first act.

Coffee bean for those that can't

get their caffeine fix fast enough

I repeat the steps with the coffee bean flavor and in this case, I was greeted with the grit and bitterness of coffee bean. Perhaps if I were a coffee fan I may have felt differently, but the flavor combinations were too harsh for my standards. First the bitterness of the dark chocolate only to be followed by the super bitterness of pieces of coffee bean was too much for me. What I will say is that I think it was a good idea to have bits of coffee bean vs a whole bean to help try to mellow out the bitterness flavor combination. I did really like the contrast texture-wise of the coffee bean and chocolate. It was similiar to having bits of Oreo in a chocolate ball (minus the pleasant Oreo flavor).

..and goldenberry. Cause that's what we all need.

More snacks made with goldenberry

Lastly, it now was all riding on the goldenberry flavor to potentially redeem his snack siblings. I repeat the process a third time, but this time to my surprise....the goldenberry was tart.....very tart. So, not bitter like the coffee bean and lost in the dark chocolate flavor like the coconut, but rather tart. Super tart. Dare I say almost lemon like tartness, but with none of it's charm. It would seem that goldenberry too was not in for a good day.

The Sweet:
The dark chocolate tries it's best to save the day.

The Bitter:
With the exception of the coconut flavor, the ingredients are so strong that it's difficult to consume.

Conclusion:
It was already an ominous start with all three snacks being made of dark chocolate, but little did I know that was probably the best part of these items. Of the three, coconut was the best, but when I say best, I mean the least nastiest. I wouldn't plunk down any money to purchase anymore of these. Well, lets take it a step further and say if they were free again, I would not even take more in that scenario. Surprisingly, coffee bean was next least nastiest. All in all, it was a trifecta of terror. They were all so strong in flavor, I literally forgot that these were considered a "candy".

I see how the brand was trying to offer snackers a "taste of Columbia" by creating snacks that highlights the country's natural riches. Unfortunately, none of these three items does a good job of capturing snacks from Columbia that I would love to have more of. It's actually quite the contrary.

Video of the Week

Super Hero Dad for the win

I've seen some videos in my day, but this one was pretty amazing. Here is a seemingly regular Dad working on his scooter. Next thing you know something is happening out of frame and his children is in the middle of the action. He doesn't miss a beat and does what we would all hope to be able to do if ever needed.

Newtons Blueberry

"Highway to the Danger Zone"

The Attraction

A few months ago I reviewed Newtons Strawberry, to mixed results, but to my surprise, it has become one of most viewed snack critiques on my humble snack blog. Was it because people also wanted to try it, but were afraid to commit to a whole package? Did they disagree? Hopefully some readers will comment and let me know why that may be the case, but in the meantime, let's try another variation in the Nabisco Newton family....Newtons Blueberry.

The Review:
I tried to approach this with as much of an open mind as possible, but I wasn't really sure what was in store for me with this blueberry flavor variation. I adore the original Newtons Fig flavor and was very disappointed with the strawberry version. With time, I grew to accept the strawberry flavored one and it was "OK", after awhile, but the original version would always be the first choice. Where would this blueberry deviation take me? OK, OK, I've come to grips with it; I was expecting this would be a strawberry like experience...and that was not a great place to be starting from.

Please don't destroy all that I've loved

I tug at the resealable package tab and I eventually get the wrapper to acquiesce to the inevitable. There they are in all their glory. Maybe it's a bit of the OCD in me, but I love to see how perfectly lined up they are in the packaging...essentially just waiting for me to devour them. All snacks should parade around me in such a fashion, but it would probably impact my waistline in a very negative way.

I lean in and give a gentle inhale to see if I catch hint of the blueberry essence that awaits me and it does not disappoint. There is a scent that fills the air ever so much. I pinch a lucky Newton out from the package and take a bite.

"Did I grab the wrong flavor?" I think to myself. "This tastes like fig."

However as I a draw closer to the midpoint of my mouthful, the blueberry flavor jumps out from behind the curtain and makes it's appearance. There it is...and it's so well done.

Unlike the Newtons Strawberry, these do not have that tartness to them that I alluded to in my previous review. This was far closer to what I had hoped it would taste like; a Fig Newton with blueberry flavor versus a strawberry filling surrounded by a Newton shell. It sounds like similiar things, but I can assure you that they are not. 

Hey, that was a surprise!

The Sweet:
Much like the original fig and strawberry variation, these Newtons are soft and chewy. However this time around, the flavor seems familiar with enough of a subtle blueberry twist.

The Bitter:
I don't think there is one.

Conclusion:
I love reviews like this. Although it doesn't redeem the concoction that is the Newton Strawberry, it gives me hope that if Newton chose to try other flavor varieties, they could potentially pull it off. I'm not sure if it's because blueberries are in some way closer to figs that strawberries, but these just taste close enough to the original so it feels like home, yet different enough to notice a difference.

If Newtons were like TV, the Newtons Strawberry is like your favorite TV show going on hiatus and coming back with a different person playing one of the characters. It makes you say, "Who the heck is that? That's not Aunt Viv?!" Whereas Newtons Blueberry is more like your TV show going on hiatus and coming back with your main character with a new haircut. It's familiar, but slightly different. (but not in a Felicity kind of way.)

Video of the Week

From Mongolia's Got Talent. Yes, Mongolia

Anyone that dances seriously knows how important timing is. This is especially true when you dance with a partner and even more so if that dance partner is a giant video screen with cool graphics and animations on it designed for you to seemingly interact with it. I have a hard enough time keeping in rhythm with a 2-step, forget about this routine by Canion Shijirbat from Mongolia's Got Talent. 

Odwalla Chocolate Chip Peanut

You guys are here again?

The Attraction

Recently, I reviewed Odwalla's Berries GoMega and then compared it against Kind's Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate bar. I received some grief about that as some readers felt that it was not a fair comparison because I wasn't comparing like products. Yes, they are both "healthier" snacks, but one is fruit based and the other, chocolate based. OK people, you win. Let's do it again, but this time let's see if Odwalla can step up their snack game and make something I would want to eat on purpose.

The Review:
There are two ways that I could have conducted this test; either review a fruit based product of Kind's or a chocolate based snack of Odwalla's. After some debating (not really), I thought I would go the chocolate route (what a surprise). Actually, I think it was the better way to go as I had some serious doubt as to if Odwalla would be able to produce a snack that I would recommend, even if chocolate was a primary ingredient. If they could not make chocolate and peanut taste good, I don't think they would be able to make anything that would.

Hmm...Could this be better?

I unwrap the chocolate chip peanut bar and take a peer inside. Much like their Berries GoMega, the bar itself looked like it was compressed with oats, bran and other things that are good for you. Granted the physical appearance isn't quite as sexy as the Kind bar, but in the end, this review is really about how the Odwalla bar stands on it's own, not how it compares to other similar products.

I take a bite from the bar and I notice the texture isn't as mealy as their other bar. It's not that the Berries GoMega was dry, but the texture seems different. This go around, the bar was more reminiscent of a drier brownie or cake. When I sink my teeth into a chocolate chip on the same chew, it dawns on me that this bar taste like a chocolate chip cookie. OK, not like the world's most decadent, rich or moist cookie, but like a chocolate chip cookie with maybe a third of the chocolate chips a cookie would have. The peanuts aren't as prominent as I'm accustomed to (perhaps because they are actually peanuts, not peanut butter), but you will harldy notice as you polish off the rest of the bar.

This was a little different

The Sweet:
Comparable in flavor to some "non-healthy" snacks.

The Bitter:
Not a replacement for some of the more high end / decadent snacks.

Conclusion:
Even though I got some grief for comparing two very different types of healthy snacks, I'm glad I did. Odwalla got a chance to redeem itself with their Chocolate Chip Peanut bar and redeem it did. If you are looking to keep on the "healthier" snack side of the pool, this bar is a reminder that although all healthy snack options are not created equal, going to a healthier snack option doesn't necessarily mean a death sentence for your taste buds. In the case of Odwalla's Chocolate Chip Peanut, it actually means a reprieve.

Video of the Week

"It's always about porn"

VR is getting more and more exposure these days. From gaming to business applications, it seems like there are new and interesting ways to incorporate VR into the fold. Conan O'Brien recently headed over to You Tube's VR Lab to see exactly how far they have taken VR. The results are somewhere between funny and like being in a giant video game.

Doritos Hot Honey

 Yellow Doritos bag?
Could it be cheddar flavor?

The Attraction

As part of my plunder on my last trip to H-Mart, I scored these "exotic" flavored Doritos. I wasn't quite sure what flavor they were when I bought them, but I just knew it said Doritos on it and it was different....that was good enough for me.

The Review:
After doing some digging on the interwebs, I discovered that this yellow bag of Doritos is actually "Hot Honey" flavored. I can't be certain, but I'm willing to bet this may have something to do with the recent influx of honey-flavored snack items into the market following the honey-butter craze in Korea. (See here and here). I'm just thankful these chips aren't honey-butter flavored as well.

I also do observe that in the upper-left hand corner, it's noted that Lotte, the fine makers of classic Asian snacks like Choco-Pie and Toppo Coffee and Vanilla Ice Cream Flavor produced this Doritos product. This will be interesting.

I tear open the bag of chips and take a deep inhale. There isn't an obvious scent, maybe one of fried corn chips, if you inhaled deep enough. That could be a good sign as it wasn't too sweet or too spicy to the point where it was obvious even without taking a bite.

I pickup a well formed chip and take a bite. It's every bit what you would expect from a Doritos-branded chip; nicely formed corn chip with a great crunch, but in terms of taste, it reminded me of something that I haven't had in awhile. Something that wasn't even a snack, per se. More on that in a minute.

Looks like a pale Dorito

The initial flavor of the sweetness strikes first and as slowly as that flavor begins to fade, there is a slow burn towards the back of my throat. I'm beginning to like this type of spicy. It's a much more laid back spicy. I've been so accustomed to the forward-vinegary heat of things like buffalo wings and certain kinds of beef jerky that when you have something that attacks your spicy zones in a different way, it's really interesting. Most of the spicy items I've had seems to impact the front-to-center part of your tongue. This sweeter heat seems to hit from the back and then the sides of your tongue. Don't get me wrong, you have enough of these and your mouth won't care where the heat is coming from, it just knows it's on fire..but in the most pleasant kind of way.

In terms of the sweetness, I was surprised to discover that the initial sweet hit reminds me of McDonald's Sweet and Sour sauce. Yes, that's right. The very sauce you use to dip your McNuggets into. Shocking, but true! There's even a slight hint of smokiness in there which gives it almost gives it a bbq twist. Turn up the dial a few more notches and you could possible mistake this for a sweet bbq-flavored product.

Pale does not mean no flavor

The Sweet:
Great Doritos crunch with a tasty sweet and spicy flavor dusting.

The Bitter:
If you aren't used to sweet-flavored chips, this may take some time to adjust to.

Conclusion:
I was never totally won over with the honey-butter craze from a little while back. All those products were fine, but it never got me to the point of going from store to store trying to locate my next "hit". These Doritos Hot Honey chips won't quite get me to that point either, but if anything, it made me wonder why this product couldn't be as big.

I prefer the thicker corn chip with the associated crunch that this snack offers. The heat also provides a "cleansing" affect from the first sweet flavor wave and clears the deck for another chip to follow...and believe me...another chip will follow.

Video of the Week

What could possibly go wrong? (hehe)

Ah...what can be more beautiful than a couple's wedding day? A day to celebrate all the love and joy that will culminate out of the union of two people. Sometimes when you see two people, you aren't totally sure if they belong together. In this case, I'm sure they do because the only thing better than her reaction is his equally intellectual reaction. Blessings to you both...you will need it.

Kind Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate

Can this possibly be "good" for you?

The Attraction

After my last review of Odwalla Berries GoMega, I received some emails questioning what was a good healthy snack bar since in my assessment was less than stellar about the Odwalla bar. I didn't have an answer off-hand, but I thought it was fine time to start testing a few so I can recommend some to try as opposed to just give you ones to avoid.

The Review:
I've seen these Kind bars around for a bit. I can't say I was necessarily excited at the idea of trying another "health" bar, but I also think we can't just eat milk chocolate bar and potato chips everyday (although I would probably try). I will say that just by the looks of the transparent wrapper, it looks more appetizing already than some other bars in this "healthy"arena. This bar was not a compressed bar, but it does advertise a bunch of almonds, peanuts and chocolate! However far looks can get you, this was a good start, but as in life, it can only get you so far for so long. Let's see what lies beneath the surface, shall we?

If only all healthy things looked this good

After liberating the Kind bar from the wrapper, it's difficult not to take a second and admire the overall beauty of this bar; from the glistening shine off the assorted nuts to the drizzle of dark chocolate across the bar. As if that wasn't enough, the whole underside is coated in dark chocolate. If looks could kill, I would be in for some serious trouble.

I finally take a bite and it's...every bit as tasty as it looks. Dare I say the abundance of nuts and chocolate in some regards can stand right up there against your perennial snack bar favorites. Think a nuttier Snickers bar. In fact, it's so nutty, it reminds me of another nutty chocolate bar, the Nuggle. Forget about tasty for a "healthy" snack, it's just plain tasty. I will say that although it advertises peanut butter, I don't really detect any. It could be that the bar itself is so full of nuts that it gets lost in the shuffle, but frankly, I forgot about it because I was so surprised at how good it tasted.

I could get used to this!

The Sweet:
Deliciously comparable to many commercially available chocolate snack bars

The Bitter:
Exactly how "healthy" is this?

Conclusion:
I get it, I'm not exactly comparing apples to apples here if I'm putting this up against the Odwalla bar. Most people in the world would probably prefer dark chocolate and nuts vs. compressed oats and cranberries (duh, really?), but let's just let this snack stand on it's own. I can't vouch for how "healthy" this particular Kind bar is, but compared to a standard Snickers bar I would hope it's better for you. In fact, maybe that should be the approach here; maybe in the future when you have a hankering for a "guilty" chocolate snack, instead of reaching for the standard candy store variety, reach for one of these.

Are you going to turn into a supermodel from eating these instead of the customary assortment of chocolate goodies? Not likely, but if you can shave off a few calories along with a few grams of sugar and get some protein in the process as well, what's the harm? Your taste buds certainly won't be upset with this compromise.

Video of the Week

Hope you packed a lunch

Over the course of time, I've come to accept that some people work at their own pace; some a little faster, some a little slower. However in this case, I can't tell if this woman is working at this pace deliberately or she is just a super methodical mover. Whatever it may be, I don't think she would last very long as a bank teller in NYC. Either she would get constantly get yelled at by customers and quit or tons of customers would catch heart attacks from their blood pressure boiling over waiting. (Have you seen how we react to just slow walkers on the street?) 

Calbee Takoyaki Ball Cookies

 Mini-baked potatoes?

The Attraction

Last week I hit a H-Mart around my way after not stopping in for awhile. I was greeted with a bounty of new and interesting snacks....these Takoyaki Ball Cookies being one of them. Wait, did I just say Takoyaki-Ball Cookies? I have to try these.

The Review:
I first had Takoyaki about 7-8 years ago with a friend down in the East Village. What initially drew me to them were the octopus chunks inside the balls themselves. I really enjoy squid and octopus, so I was game to give them a shot.  I liked them, but it was the kind of dish that I could take or leave. Interesting and tasty, but not a eating absolute eating necessity. I've since had takoyaki after that on occasion, but never really ranked them high on the "must have" list. Even at that, what would a snack "chip" or ball version, in this case, taste like?

I excitedly open the bag and inhale deeply. Sure enough, somehow these balls do exude a scent that reminds me of takoyaki, but I was still skeptical. As I take the bag away from my face, I notice that Calbee makes these balls.

Well, at least they are round like a real takoyaki

You may know Calbee from some of my other snack reviews like their Honey Butter Chip and Hot and Spicy Potato Chips. Based on my experience with their products, seeing their name on the packaging brought some comfort. For the most part, I've always found Calbee snacks to be good.

I pick a lucky ball out of the pile and take a quick look. It resembles a short tater-tot or maybe even a small hush-puppy. (the food, not the shoes). I put a takoyaki ball in my mouth and it's like a flavor explosion, literally. At first I was overwhelmed with all the flavors going on; savory, smokey, seafood-ish, then sweet. "Cookies" also isn't a very accurate term in this case These are more like corn-puffed spheres. It's hard to believe these balls have so much going on in them. Something strange happened after I had one; I wanted another.

After having several, I could distinguish the fishy/smokiness of what was supposed to be the benito flakes and then the sweetness of the mayo and takoyaki sauce. It was remarkable how much they were able to capture the flavor of takoyaki in a prepackaged dry snack.

"No, I am not a tater-tot"

The Sweet:
Captures the flavor of eating takoyaki.

The Bitter:
There's a lot of flavor in these balls, maybe too much for some.

Conclusion:
Look, these things are good. I wish I could put it in a more eloquent way and stretch out my review, but Calbee just flat-out did a great job of capturing the flavor-essence of eating takoyaki. I had my doubts before trying these, but in the end, the spot on flavor was incredibly satisfying...and dare I say addicting.

Video of the Week

Don't you have enough of my money already?

In case you have been under a rock this week, Nintendo has released a new video showcasing their new gaming system, "Switch". If you are wondering what on earth could Nintendo bring to the gaming console world at this point, watch the video and begin to imagine hours of your life slip away from you even when you are away from home. Oh and don't forget about the awesome lines you'll have to stand in to get one. Yay.

Newton's Strawberry

I always called these Fig Newtons, even when not fig-flavored.

The Attraction

I love Fig Newtons. Granted they aren't as sexy and exciting as some other snacks, but they are certainly tasty. These Newtons Strawberry's have been around for awhile, but for some reason I always went with the default original. Well, not this week...

The Review:
I've been "ruining" my dinner (according to my Mom)  for years by snacking on Fig Newtons frequently throughout my life. As much as I've loved them, I've been wanting to try the strawberry variation since they've hit the supermarket shelves, so I was really excited to take these home to finally sample.

I open the package and the scent of strawberries attack my olfactory nerves immediately. "Boy, this is going to be good!", I think to myself. I admire the rows of Newtons waiting for me to pounce on them for a second...and then I indulge.

Please stand at attention, so that I may devour you.

The bite is familiar; their signature soft and chewy exterior is in full effect. As the chew progresses, the strawberry filling hits my tongue and it's not overly sweet. There's no mistaking it for strawberry, but what is unfamiliar is the slight tartness that comes along with the filling. It's something that doesn't exist in the original fig flavor, so it's unexpected. I'm guessing that the fig flavor didn't seem as sweet overall, but the strawberry version needs a limiter or a spoil to counteract some of the sweetness in the filling. In theory, yes it makes sense, the results however make one yearn for the classic flavor that brought you to this dance to begin with.

 

Can you call these Fig Newtons Strawberry?

The Sweet:
Soft and chewy, just like the delicious original Fig Newtons

The Bitter:
I think there's a reason why it's been figs all these years

Conclusion:
These Newtons Strawberry are everything that you have come to love about the original fig Newtons...all but for one important difference.That one variation from fig to strawberry flavor changes much more than I imagined. Somehow the figs aren't as sweet and ground the snack where the sugar level doesn't seem to soar and need some tartness to tame it, unlike the strawberry filling. With the fig flavor, I could polish off a row in one setting. With the strawberry flavor, maybe 2-3 pieces.

Before having one, I was certain I was going to love these because I love Fig Newtons and I love strawberries. 1 and 1 should equal 2 right? It's not always that simple. In the case of these Newtons Strawberry, the math just doesn't add up.

Video of the Week

I've been waiting for this!

You got to hand it to the folks over at Marvel; first they were able to slowly bring the comic book world to a boil with the way they released individual superhero movies and then have it culminate into The Avengers movies. Now they are doing the same on the small screen first with Daredevil, then Jessica Jones, after Luke Cake and now Iron Fist. I can't wait to see how they handle The Defenders!

Hazelnut Elite

Does that say elite?

The Attraction

I was strolling in my supermarket recently when I ended up in the Kosher aisle. In that area, there was a whole section dedicated to kosher snacks. Kosher or not, if a snack sounds interesting, I'm in. Enter the kosher snack known as Hazelnut Elite!  

The Review:
I'm not a super crazy fan of hazelnuts, but I'm also not a hater. I enjoy a good chocolate with some nuts inside, be it hazelnut or otherwise. When I saw this in the kosher aisle, I dreamed of potentially uncovering the secret delicious snack that Jews have never spoken about to the rest of the gentile world. Yes, I have a very active imagination and am an optimistic snack consumer.

How bad can any chocolate and nut combination be? Nuts go together with chocolate like Benny and the Jets, Jack and Diane, Frankie and Johnny. Even when its bad, it's never that bad.

You can see the caramel oozing out

I go ahead and liberate the chocolate bar from it's wrapper. Even looking at the picture now is making me drool a little. There's some caramel that found its way to the outside of the bar which gives me a bit of a hint as to what's to come. Caramel, nut and chocolate? Sounds like this could be like a Snickers bar...and who doesn't enjoy a Snickers bar every now and again?

I take a bite and immediately the flavor and texture is reminiscent of a Milky Way bar, Caramel, nougat and a hint of hazelnut....wait, what?! Did I say a "hint of hazelnut"? It's name is freaking "Hazelnut Elite"! How could there only be a hint of hazelnut?! I take another bite out of disbelief and sure enough, there is the smallest amount of hazelnut in there, but it's 90% nougat. The caramel seems to be towards the side of the chocolate bar and there are no pieces of hazelnut to be found.

To give you an idea, imagine you had a whole hazelnut. You then take said hazelnut and chop it with a knife. You now have hazelnut pieces, like this. See the pieces left on the knife? Flick off the large pieces and the dust you have left on the knife seems to be the amount of hazelnut in this snack.

Ironically, this phenomenon seems all to familiar, isn't that right Ms. Holly Original!

Look at all those hazelnuts!
(there hardly are any)

The Sweet:
Milky Way-like familiarity

The Bitter:
Where are the hazelnuts?

Conclusion:
If I've said it once, I've said it a dozen times; its all about setting expectations. If I tried to set you up with someone and you asked me how they look and I said, "They have a good personality.", then you would know exactly what you were in for and would adjust your expectations accordingly. Now if you had asked me the same question and I said, "They are stunning, a model, super hot!", your expectations would be very different.

In the case of Hazelnut Elite (even just based on the name alone), I was expecting a beauty queen to come my way. Instead what I got was the person with the good personality. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with a person with a good personality, but it wasn't "sold" to me that way.

In the end, it just feels like a bait and switch to me.

Video of the Week

There goes what's left of my reproductive years

If you were like me and were around the first time NES came out, then you remember all the hours of fun you had hanging at your bud's house not doing homework and playing video games. Now over 30 years later Nintendo is releasing a small, classic edition of the iconic gaming system. Good thing I grew out of that phase of my life. Now I can spurn work and play video games instead of skipping homework and playing video games.