Maruesu Sweet and Sour Squid

"Throw your arms up in the air..."

The Attraction:
I'm a big fan of squid. Whenever I hit a Japanese joint, I always browse the menu to see if they have grilled squid or Ika Maruyaki in Japanese. Since it's not everyday I'm waltzing around a fine Japanese establishment, I saw this at my local Asian grocer and thought, "If I could get my squid fix whenever I wanted, why wouldn't I want to?" Enter stage left pre-packaged squid.


The Review
In all fairness, I have to first divulge that I can't read Japanese and there is barely a lick of significant English on the package of this sucker. I just know I like squid, but never was a fan of the super dry / pressed variety (these kinds). I found them a little to fishy for my taste.When I saw these that seem to resemble something closer to "fresh" looking squid, I was all in. I plunked down my hard earned $5 and was ready to go. It wasn't til after I ate the squid and prepped this review that I realized that the version of this product I bought is actually "sweet and sour" flavored. Umm...not my first choice, but it's still squid, gosh darnit! How did I figure that out with little English on the bag you may ask. I had to use all my mental acuity, years of training in watching Japanese anime, two hours of meditating on a mountain and mostly Google translate to figure it out. (check it out here) Be sure to turn on Google translate or it will mean nothing to you, unless you can read Japanese, of course.

I look like squid!

The Sweet:
True to the packaging that the squid came in, they look like "fresh" squid! Yay. Oh, and they smell like it too. (I'll let you decide if that's sweet or bitter). Anywho, I took a bite of a nice cluster of tentacles and found that the texture and chewiness that I enjoy with squid was present. There was a slight sweetness followed by the advertised sour. It was tender, without being rubbery. Not too shabby for 5 smackers.

The Bitter:
I wish I knew it was "sweet and sour" flavored before I bought it, because I would have selected another flavor. Be it as it is, I have to review the item I bought for what it is, not what I wish I had bought. With that said, I didn't like the "sour" aspect of it, but if you love "sweet and sour" squid, you may dig this. Keep in mind that when they say "sweet and sour" it is a very mild version of "sweet and sour". (think less Sweet and Sour Chicken that you get at the neighborhood Chinese fast food joint and more of what you may know of Japanese cuisine in general with all it subtleties of flavor) If you are looking for flavor to sock you in the face, you aren't going to find it here.

Unrelated to the actual flavor of the item, when I kicked on the translator for the product at the website, this is one of the lines used to described the squid, "Acidity and refreshing, it is a popular snack for women." How odd; the company somehow knows that I enjoy eating these while I'm in the lactation room pumping away.

"Feet, don't fail me now!"

Conclusion:
Maruesu delivers on it's promise of sweet and sour squid at a reasonable price. You can take a bite without feeling like you are eating a tire, yet still it is able to maintain squid's chewy texture. I don't have a doubt that their other flavored squid products are probably well done too. I might just be telling you all about it very soon. Well done, Maruesu, but you may want to rethink the description of your item on your website.

Video of the Week
This one's been out for a while, yet for some reason every time I see it, I laugh uncontrollably.

"Dance with me if you want to live"

Although it's not food-related, it features everybody's favorite robot-killing machine, Arnold Schwarzenegger showing off his dance moves during a promotional stop at BET's 106 & Park. Maybe it's his expression when he dances, the way he says, "What is a Staaanky Leg?", but it brings me joy with every viewing. You can question the man's politics, his taste in women, (post Maria) but you can't question the man's ability to have a good time no matter the situation. The dancing machine kicks in at about the 1:20 minute mark.

Green Tea Kit Kat

I've seen these floating around in many Asian markets around town as of late. Although I was curious, the import aspects of them made them pricey (a bag for about $12!) so despite my civic duty to report back on the more interesting snacks I've come across, I decided to pass until they became more affordable. Little did I know, fate would hand deliver these to me.

The Attraction:
One day I went into work and found this pack waiting for me on my desk. The intern that worked in our department was leaving after serving his term and decided to get us all a pack as a thank you gift. Had I known he would be showering us with snacks, I would have pushed for a full time hire. (Not totally true, but not completely false). It's no secret that I am fond of sampling regional variations of snack items that I've come to love (Oreos, potato chips, etc.), so it was a natural fit for me.

The Review
I was so excited to finally have a chance to taste this new flavor! Better yet, to sample it without shelling out a king's randsom for it. Let this serve as a notice to snack companies abroad; when and should you release a new flavor or even just a new snack in general, offer samples to the public! Who wants to commit to buying a huge box of something not knowing if you'll like it or not! Even if it wasn't a price issue, there's the "waste" issue. I still have a box of Kellogg's Special K serial in my pantry from over a year ago when my Mom gave me it thinking I would like it. Too boring to eat, too wasteful to throw out. Now what do I do? I digress...

I take the pack home after work so I can thoughtfully access the product in privacy. One of the first things I notice is how the packaging seems "taller" than the typical Kit Kat package. Can it be that instead of the standard 4 sticks per pack of Kit Kat they released the green tea flavored version with 5-6 sticks! My head was going to explode....I felt like I found money! Well, I should have known it was too good to be true; the sticks were wrapped in packs of 2 and turned sideways. They were about 75% the length of a US Kit Kat stick. That times 3 packs made them less then 4 whole conventional Kit Kat sticks you would get in a US package of Kit Kats! Let me get this straight, you pay an arm and 2 legs AND you get less product!? Someone has to die for this.....

The Sweet:
After I let the wave of outrage pass, I opened the wrapper and indulged. For a moment, I forgot what I was upset about; the smoothness of the chocolate with the flavor of green tea washed over me. I know it sounds like a cliche, but it felt like it was right out of a cheesy romance novel or better yet a bubble bath advertisement, yet that's how it felt. All was forgotten and forgiven at the moment. The green tea chocolate seems to be made from a white chocolate base and then flavored with the essence of green tea. Missing is the sometimes bitter after taste associated with green tea...and that's a good thing. I wanted to save a pack so I can have it one more time before I completed this review....it never made it.

The Bitter:
Price, price, price! I jumped on Amazon just now and it looks like you can now get a bag for about $6, but you may have to wait for a month to get them to your doorstep. The other big gripe, portion sizes. It seems like Nestle only offer these in the smaller sizes that I noted earlier. If there's one thing that annoys the mess out of me is the small portion size vs. the cost. It's reminiscence of a boutique product....and I hate that.

Conclusion:
As a product, Green Tea flavored Kit Kat works and works big. Flavor-wise, other than if you have a strong distaste for white chocolate in general, it's a wonderfully done item. Not too sweet, the flavor works just right where the green tea doesn't overwhelm you. Hard to find a complaint there. Where there are areas to improve upon is the pricing and sizing. Perhaps I'm just spoiled by having the accessibility to a $1 Kit Kat whenever I want and feeling irked at the idea of ponying up more than double that for a smaller portion of essentially the same product. Well, maybe that's the thing; it has the same name, same signature Kit Kat crunch, but they seem worlds apart. Whereas the traditional Kit Kat seemingly has a very "earthy" vibe, the green tea version rings of exotic-ness and has a refined air to it. A refinement that will make your taste buds sing and hopefully lessen the sting in your wallet.

Video of the Week
I'm going to start posting links to videos that may be of interest. (at the minimum to me).
This week's video features a gal in Korea that apparently can eat huge sums of food and documents it all live.

*Thanks to my pal Grace for introducing me to this freak of nature

I have a bunch of mixed emotions about this; she's cute, which is a plus, but she can eat more than me, which I'm not quite sure is a turn-on or turn-off just yet. She still manages to eat lady-like even though she eats as much as a linebacker. Imagine going out with a girl that ate like this on the first date. Her plumbing must get a crazy workout.

Bigger and Backer!

I know, I know...it's been a long time since I've updated this baby. Sorry, just had a lot going on and had to sort out eating all these tasty treats all while trying to look like I don't. Remember folks, as much as I love snacks, everything in moderation. OK, someone move this soapbox out of here...with that said, a plethora of reviews this week, El Jefe!

Lemon Twist Oreo

The Attraction

I came across this inviting package when I was up in Connecticut at the ever entertaining Stew Leonard's, which is terrific, by the way. I digress; being a fan of Oreos as well as enjoying a nice lemon-flavored snack cookie (quite popular and available in Asian grocery stores), it was destined to land in my shopping cart. The clever and eye-catching "limited edition" emblazoned on the package didn't hurt either.

The Review

Upon just cracking the package open, the smell of lemon cream came wafting out. It was really lemony smelling (in a good way). 

OK, so I dig my teeth in.....and textually, I'm quickly reminded as to why Oreos are as so popular as they are; the contrast of a nice firm cookie sandwiching a slightly yielding cream inside proves to be a very effective and addicting combination. Then the lemon cream hits my taste buds and I'm a bit surprised it's not as overwhelming as I was fearing when I opened the package. It delivers on it's promise of lemon-flavor, albeit sweeter then most of it's Asian cookie counterparts. Yes, I think I'll still have several more of these.

The Sweet

Enough lemon-flavor without feeling like you are biting into a lemon rind. It's also an Oreo, people...and you know how good those are.

The Bitter

A shade sweeter than I would like, but that didn't stop be from eating more of them. Oreos aren't also the cheapest cookie on the block; around the Northeast of the US, they seem to average anywhere from $4.50-$6.00 a package. As with some really great products, their limited availability sometimes help build their lore, but also disappoints fans that want to have an opportunity to sample new product, but have a difficult time locating them.

Nabisco uses their tried-and-true formula for their legendary Oreo line and successfully applies it to the lemon flavored version. The cookie combination is already proven to be historically sound, but does the lemon flavor prove to be enough to be a viable option to keep consumers coming back to demand a consistent spot on the supermarket shelves? I sure hope so.

Snickers Peanut Butter

Snickers and peanut butter, oh my!

The Attraction

I came across this little "prince" when I was visiting a friend in the UK awhile back. Here I was thinking it was only available in the UK, only to come back to the States to see it in a Duane Read. Oh well, it's still a Snickers with peanut butter. Two things you love put together have got to be great, right?

The Review

I was pretty excited to try this sucker, so I quickly unwrapped it right after I took this photo! I dug right in and immediately noticed something wasn't quite right. Something about it was different. No, not the peanut butter part, doofus. Something seemed missing.....nuts! There were maybe 1 to 2 nuts per square in the package. Maybe they thought the peanuts were redundant with the peanut butter? You can see my 1 nut in the picture below: (please feel free to create your own inappropriate jokes around that)

The Sweet

There's not really much to like. Frankly, I don't even remember what the addition of peanut butter taste like to a Snickers, because I was so distracted by the missing peanuts.

The Bitter

Where the eff are the nuts?! OK, let's say they thought the nuts were overkill for a product that contains PB, but they can't be completely surprised if part of what made a Snickers so enjoyable was the contrast of peanuts with the chocolate if Snickers fan are disappointed. Without it, the chocolate bar is rather ordinary and falls flat.

When you have a certain expectation based on an experience with a brand you like, you can't help but feel somewhat betrayed when their product doesn't have the same elements as the product they are using as the foundation. You love Honda vehicles? Try our new Honda car now with an HDTV built into the dash...oh, but it doesn't come with a Honda engine...

Don't waste your time on this one.

NutRageous

Did someone say Reese's? OK, I'll try it..

The Attraction

This could be a nutty version of a peanut butter cup? Sign me up... I also wasn't certain if this snack was readily available which made it all the more tempting to try. My eyes also seem to be drawn to any packaging that has "Reese's" on it.

The Review

This is not a nutty version of a Reese's Peanut Butter cup, although that not to say that's it's bad thing. NutRageous lives up to it's namesake; there's lots of nuts here! It's actually a lot more like what I imagined the Snickers Peanut Butter bar would be like; crunchy, chocolatey peanut butter goodness. It's like eating a Snickers bar and throwing in 2 more peanuts into your mouth because you love peanuts that much.

The Sweet

Love chocolate with peanuts? You've got the right bar! Peanuts are clearly on center stage with this snack. It almost seems like the chocolate is just a vessel to contains the nuts, nougat and caramel.

The Bitter

Most chocolate bars use a higher ratio of chocolate to nuts and although the name tells you exactly what the product is, it may seem like not enough chocolate or conversely, too many nuts. I'm not sure if there's a point to even put peanut butter in there cause the nuts are to plentiful. I don't remember even tasting it. It's like washing down a piece of lemon meringue pie with a glass of lemonade. After a while you aren't sure where the flavor is coming from.

I know I'm in danger of sounding like I may be hard to please, especially when I just previously skewered Snicker's Peanut Butter bar for not having enough nuts and for NutRageous for potentially having too many for some snack lovers. I think in this case, it's all about expectations; Reese's NutRageous bar tells you exactly what it is and what to expect whereas the Snicker's Peanut Butter bar implies that it's a Snicker's bar with peanut butter, but does not deliver as such.

NutRageous is the antitheses to many conventional commercial chocolate bars out there by seemingly giving you more peanuts than chocolate, but if you tire of peanuts playing a co-staring role in your snacks and prefer them to take the lead, this is perfect snack for you.

Far East Meets New Jersey

Kyushu and Okinawa Fair

 

For months, the lil lady and I have been discussing about taking a drive over to Edgewater, NJ to the Mitsuwa Mall to check out all the delicious Japanese treats we might find over there. It just so happens 2 weeks ago, we jump in the car and decide to go on the spur of the moment. To our pleasant surprise, there happened to be an Kyushu and Okinawa Fair going on that weekend (http://www.mitsuwa.com/event/eevent.php?e=45). What does that mean? More snack reviews of course!

 

As you can see there were plenty of things to try there, but as to conform to the namesake of this blog, I will focus only on snacks (although for the record, the Tonkotsu Ramen from “Ramen Tatsuno-ya”was crazy good. The soup was so thick and porkish, that it was almost like they boiled down a whole pig just to make the soup. I digress). I'll focus on two items this go around; the Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff and Japanese Donuts.

 

The Attraction - Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff

 

Upon walking into the food court area of the Mitsuwa Mall, you saw people lining up for everything! From ramen to crepes and mochi balls to bubble tea. There were lines for everything! One of the lines that seem to never get shorter, were for these Strawberry Pudding Cream Puff  pastries. As a matter of fact, people would line up waiting for more to be ready for purchase as the chef continued to grind these out for the snack-hungry public.

 

Let me ask you, if you walked into a place that had a reasonable line, yet was generating a good amount of buzz and banners around you were constantly reminding you that these items would only be here for the weekend, what would you do? Now that I think about it, it was rather unfair; I never stood a chance. It would be like throwing Snoop Dog (now Lion) into a room full of exotic weeds he's never smoked before and asking him to "watch it" while I went to the other room to complete my viewing of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (extended version). We all know there's only one way it would end... 

The "goods" are in there..

 

The Review

Now, I need to fully disclose I brought these cream puffs back home to sample as I was too full to eat anymore after devouring some ramen, fish cakes and doriyaki. As I gently took these tasty looking treats out, I was happy to see that the cream held up fine and the puffs themselves didn't get soggy from the cream potentially melting.

 

First bite in; I noticed as with most Japanese sweets, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. The cream was subtle and the strawberry flavor from the pudding was laid back. As the first bite was almost down, the bitterness of the burnt caramel came back around to remind you he was still at the party and wouldn't leave until he said "Hello"

 

Open sesame!

 

The Sweet

The incorporation of the strawberry pudding in a cream puff (which is essentially all this is) is actually a welcomed addition. It adds a needed texture and flavor component to an overall too airy of a pastry. The strawberry pudding gives you something to really "sink" your teeth into. All the components are not overpoweringly sweet.

The Bitter

I get why bitter caramel was added to the strawberry pudding; to help "cleanse" the sweet flavor in your mouth after each bite, however it came across a bit too strong at the end and with pastries in particular, it was a bit reminiscent of an "accident" or something that was left in the oven too long.

That's not ham in there!

I was a bit skeptical about this snack item at first; it reeked of taking a proven formula (Japanese Cream Puffs, a la Beard Papa) and throwing something in and saying it's something else. It's not anything new, but I guess this one struck me as almost too obvious. Then again, of all the things I would have thought about pairing with a cream puff, a strawberry pudding with burnt caramel wouldn't have even been in the top 1000. At about $3 a piece and having to buy them in a pair, (total $6 for 2) it was worth trying, but should I someday find myself on the other side of the world in Kikuya, I won't be searching the phonebooks for a reunion. I'd rather let this one pass like an old acquaintance I once vaguely knew.

 

The Attraction - Japanese Doughnuts

Donuts.....is there really anything more that needs to be said?

The Review

These guys were offered up in two varieties; original and brown sugar. I opted to be greedy and asked if I could mix them and the vendors gladly obliged. "What must these taste like?", I thought to myself as I waited on line to pay for them. "Some exotic sweet flavor from the brown sugar? Some Japanese flavor from the original flavored one?" (I too, have no idea what "Japanese" flavor taste like, but this was running through my mind).

 

Original first; damn these things are hard! They are also not very sweet, but on the oily side, as if it was in the fryer too long. Maybe it was just that one donut, so I grab another..

 

Brown sugar; damn, this one is hard too! And just as oily! It's not a coincidence. 

The Sweet

Umm...I'm struggling to think of something good to say. Not too sweet? (But in this case it's sort of like going out on a blind date and later describing them as "not too ugly". Is that really a compliment?

The Bitter

Oh boy, where to begin? It was hard, like a stale scone more than a donut. It was oily. Most donuts suspend belief at least for a little bit that it derives it's awesome taste partially from being fried, but not these suckers. There's never a doubt that these were fried..and too dang long as well.



If you look close enough, you can see the ring of oil!
 

There critters were $4 for 5....and that's about $4 too much. I can't think of any redeeming quality about these donuts. (They can double for candles from all the oil in a pinch? Missing a bocce ball? Get one of these!) I'll help save you the trouble and money of trying to find these by describing how to make one of these of your own; buy an old fashion munchkin from Dunkin Donuts, pour a teaspoon of oil over them, leave them out for about a 2 weeks and then take a bite. Congratulations, you just had one of these donuts!

Banana Mini Moon Pies

Banana Mini Moon Pies

Over a year a ago, I hit a Cracker Barrel and picked up a pack of Mint Mini Moon Pies. Although I was less than excited at the results (Feb 2012 blog entry), when I saw the banana flavored version of the "Mini Pie" series this year at another Cracker Barrel, it didn't discourage me from wanting to give that a try since banana was one of the core flavors of the original Moon Pie line.

The Attraction

 I do have to fully disclose that I have had the full size version of the Moon Pie before and was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I'm not a huge fan of banana-flavored anything generally, but I enjoyed how the banana flavor wasn't too overwhelming and the overall pie wasn't too sweet.

Why bother trying the mini-version then?

The question begged to be asked; after being greeted with the surprisingly unpleasant crunchy shell of the mint flavored version, do all mini-pies have hard shells or was the mint version the exception? (Gosh, I sure hope so) 



The Review

It didn't hurt that I was already of the fan of the large size version.When I opened the package, the mini version of the moon pie looked just like that; a smaller version of the large pie. Only one way to know if it taste the same!

First bite in....and it's confirmed. The shell is like the original! Back was the familiar soft shell I had come to associate with Moon Pies and the fluffy marshmallow filling. What was surprising as I rejoiced in that knowledge was how much I enjoyed it. Dare I say even more than the original Moon Pie.

The smaller moon pie just isn't as dense as the original. It seemed easier to manage in my mouth and just somehow the ratios seem to work better. I think there's less of the marshmallow filling, but it works nicely in the smaller package. The banana flavor was consistent with the minis bigger brother; just the right balance. With 2 pies to a package, I doubt the second pie will stick around for very long.

The Sweet

This version of the moon pie is what it really it should have been all along; a smaller version of the original Moon Pie! With less marshmallow filling, it just seems to be a better product, IMHO. Do I still love the original? Yes, of course, but given the option, I think I would rather go the mini-pie route. (gasp!)

The Bitter

In the New York City area, it's sometimes hard enough to find Moon Pies, forget about minis. I've only seen minis at one place and one place only, Cracker Barrel. The idea of driving 2 hours to get a pack of Mini Moon Pies isn't very appealing.

For about $1 a pack ( I got them for half that), the price is right. It's hard to find and that might be the most annoying part of Mini Moon Pies. They got it right this time. If you like Moon Pies, you're going to like the minis. How much you like them will vary depending on how much marshmallow you like in your Moon Pie; like more, you might like the minis less; like less of the fluffy filling such as me, you might be pleasantly surprised how it's possible to improve upon an already proven formula.

Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

Bob Evans Strawberry Bread with Icing

What I saw...

On a recent road trip to Virginia, I happened upon a Bob Evans. OK, truthfully, the roads were littered with them, but due to hunger and convenience, we decided to venture in to see how the "Southern" half lives.

It was upon entering, that I saw that Bob Evans offered an assortment of baked breads for purchase. They came in assorted flavors like Banana Nut, Blueberry and the well advertised Strawberry Bread with Icing (there was a  2 x 3 banner up displaying a blown up image of a delicious looking slice of the aforementioned pastry). A man can only be so strong...

The Attraction

Aside from the "subtle" advertisement touting the heights of ecstasy you may reach when you consume a slice, I am a huge fan of freshly baked goods..even more so if the baked goods contain strawberries (or the essence of).


..what I got

The Review

The first thing I noticed was that the strawberry loaf was the only flavor that had icing on it. I immediately began to wonder to myself, "Is that because the bread isn't sweet enough on it's own? What if the bread is too dang sweet because of the icing and will cause me to instantly fall into a diabetic coma after shotgunning one of their sweet teas with the bread?"

Like every snack review pioneer before me, I knew what I had to do. This bread was bigger than me, bigger than any one man's glycemic index. I threw caution to the wind and moved onward...

I wisely opted to wait until I got back home to try a slice of the bread....and it was worth it. Just opening the bag that the bread was wrapped in revealed the smell of strawberries. I had to quickly cut a slice to see if this baby was as advertised.

Soft, but striking the careful balance of not being too airy like a cake, nor too dense like a scone, the texture was just right. The essence of the strawberry came through even without an assist from the cream cheese icing.

The Sweet

The consistency was perfect. It was able to convey a bit of a "home made" vibe, without bringing some of the common pitfalls of home made baked items (slightly overdone crust, cracking, uneven consistency). The strawberry flavor was present without overwhelming you with sweetness or having the flavor punch you in the mouth.

The Bitter

The icing isn't really necessary. I could have done without it. The sweetness of the bread can hold up on it's own, although I can see how the addition of icing could attract more interest and may please some more stubborn palates. To my understanding, the strawberry version of the bread is also only available seasonally.

Individually, each loaf sells for between $4.99-$5.99 a piece or $10 for 3 loaves. That pricing is fair, but works out much better if you opt to go the multiple loaves route.

Even with the addition of the "unneeded" icing, I would still gladly seek out this product. Making it a seasonal item may only add to it's allure.

I don't know if my travels will lead me to another Bob Evans, but should I begin to see those yellow and red signs along the highway again, I will look back at my experience not unlike that of a lost love or an old flame...a love in which perhaps the final chapter has not yet been written...

Arnott's Caramel Tim Tams

Arnott's Caramel Tim Tams

Several months back, I had a friend ask me if I've ever heard of Tim Tams. I had not, but sure enough within several weeks she was able to locate a place that sold them out of DC and had a "courier" purchase and bring them back to us in New York.

Tim Tams come in primarily in two flavors here in the States; Chocolate Creme (original) and Caramel. Although I had both flavors in hand, I was eager to try the caramel variety.

The Attraction

Chocolate and caramel along with the thrill of trying to locate these obscure (at least in the US), treats them made a must-try. It didn't hurt that the lucky folks in Australian (where these cookies are originally manufactured), rave about these little buggers.

The Review

Manufactured in a well-spaced plastic packaging, these chocolate treats come 9 to a case. Upon first inspection, the Tim Tams visually reminded me of a thicker version of a childhood favorite snack of mine, Keebler's Deluxe Grahams Cookies. The flavor itself wasn't all that different either initially, until I got a taste of the caramel. It instantly brought to mind another often snacked on treat with chocolate, caramel and wafer; a Twix bar! It's almost identical in flavor, however consistency-wise, the Tim Tams are a bit crunchier and drier, probably cause there's not as much caramel in them compared to a Twix. However, instead of the caramel covering the whole wafter, the caramel is filled within a channel in the center of the cookie. In the "original" flavor of the cookie, that channel is hollow. I'm a big fan of Twix, so even with less caramel, I instantly dug the this chocolate covered treat.

The Sweet

Chocolate, caramel and throw in some crunch; it's a tried and true recipe for a tasty outcome. Fans of Twix will instantly connect with the familiar flavor combination. Even more so if you have always wanted a "crunchier" or a less caramel-filled version of a Twix bar.

The Bitter

These treats are hard to find! Initally, that made the sampling of this snack all the more rewarding, however after realizing I can readily get a similar snack with a fraction of the effort, I would rather just go down to the local CVS and Duane Reade to pickup a Twix.

For about $4 a package with 9 wafers, that breaks down to about 44 cents a cookie. That's pretty close to about the cost of a Twix, so cost-wise, you are in line with similar-like snacks. On it's own, it's a great snack. With that said, I'm actually a fan of the softer wafer that Twix offers. Other than wanting to try this tasty chocolate biscuit for yourself, the effort and additional time to locate these treats may not be worth it when there's a comparable product readily available at your local grocer. Being that I still have some left, you also won't have the problem of this snack occupying a space in your pantry for very long either.