Zetov Bamba

Will this be a hit or a "Bamba"? (Sorry)

 

The Attraction:
I recently started shopping at a supermarket that caters to the Jewish community. They happen to offer good pricing on fruits and vegetables, so while I was in there picking up a few items, I thought it would only makes sense to check out the snack aisle. While feasting my eyes on all these snack brands I had never heard of before, I came across this little treat. Having no mention of cheese flavor, I was intrigued as to what this treasure might taste like since it so closely resembles a Cheez Doodle, without the cheez.

The Review
I was really wondering what on earth this thing would taste like. For those of you that have had a Cheez Doodle before, close your eyes for a second. Imagine that crunch before the rush of cheese flavor hits your tongue. Now take away that cheese flavor. How would you imagine that same snack item would taste? I had certainly had no clue, but the idea that the packaging says "tasty corn snacks" somehow made me think it might be like a corn chip from a Mexican restaurant. Oh..the excitement!

I open the package and inhaled deeply from the bag. I didn't smell anything. "Even more curious", I think to myself. I take a peek in the bag and sure enough, the Bambas look like slightly smaller, naked Cheez Doodles. Enough of this foreplay. It's time to get to it.

I pick a lucky Bamba out of the bag and bite into it. Same type of a crunch one would expect from a snack that looks like this, but the flavor is subtle...and well, frankly unexpected. What is this flavor I'm tasting? It's familiar, but my mind is flipping out. I take another piece and my brain finally nails it; peanut! What!?

Am I high? Peanut flavor? There's no mention of peanut flavor on the front packaging!? I quickly turn the bag over to see the list of ingredients and there it is in black and white. "Peanuts". It even precedes corn on the list of ingredients, yet there's no mention of it or it's flavor anywhere in site, other than on the listing of ingredients. I'm not quite sure what to think...

I'm like a naked cheez puff

The Sweet:

The crunch is nice, yet didn't seem to have an oily feel like some fried corn snacks do. It also boasts about not having any artificial flavor or coloring adding. Perhaps even more impressively, this snack is comprised of only 4 ingredients; Peanuts, corn, palm oil and salt. It's mild flavor will let you polish off a bag without much of a thought. It is also amazing affordable. My bag cost only 50 cents.

The Bitter:
It's a total mind freak! Of all the flavors I was expecting, peanut was not one of them.When was the last time you had a fried chip of some sort that taste of peanuts? It wasn't bad, but frankly I think I may have it enjoyed it more if they turned up the peanut flavor.

"It's like you don't know me at all!"

Conclusion:
Zetov's Bamba is one of the many reasons why I love trying new and different snacks from other cultures and regions. Although this particular item didn't set my taste buds ablaze with excitement, it threw a curve ball to my expectations and after having so many snacks over the years, the unexpected can be a really good thing.

I won't be venturing out anytime soon to pickup a bag of Bamba for myself, but with it's short list of pronounceable ingredients and mild flavor, this would be a snack I would be comfortable giving to the little ones vs some of the main stream snack items lining the supermarket shelves.

Video of the Week
Here I am this American guy trying out all this snacks from other parts of world.

I wonder what, umm...let's say Korean girls think of American snacks? Wonder no more!

 (Thanks Grace for the video suggestion!)

"I would like to date Paul"
(not a direct translation)