![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-270939-100x100.png\")
i want some! sounds like a good munchie!
i want some! sounds like a good munchie!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-178471-100x100.png\")
If it is plain (with no cheese topping), then why would this be ew?
Japan has some very yummy snacks.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-58374-100x100.png\")
this is just the tip of the iceberg, japan has the worlds oddest and simultaneously best snacks anywhere. green tea kit-kat, curry flavored corn puffs, tako-wasabi corn puffs (tako is octopus). they are all generally really tasty too.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/css/images/default.gif\")
Yeah, it reminds me of Pocky. I haven't had one of those in at least 5 years.
Japan comes up with all kinds of wacky ideas. If I spent the day in the asian district here with money to burn, I could come back with 100 things that would make you scratch your head. Keep in mind that a good 90% of all things made in japan never see the light of day in america :P
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-61213-100x100.png\")
Why would this be gross? It doesn't have any cheese powder added to it--the cheeto itself is just a mix of some corn batter mass that's been puffed up... it has almost no flavor itself.
Thanks, Food Network.
My favorite Japanese snack (Other than Pocky) would had to have been Garlic Shrimp and Onion flavoured Pringles. I miss finding all the wacky food when I would go to the supermarkets...
@SOhp101:
I concur on that. After all puffed corn products are by all rights, are corn starches. Tasteless and are of minimal nutritional value.
Bottom line this is similar to dehydrated strawberry foodstuffs that you can get from any decent sporting goods dealer.
Dangerously Berry!
Lol, check this: [www.unpopart.org]
If you Like Hitler, Techno, drinking, and happen to be in japan, then you're in luck :P
@harumph:
curry flavored corn puffs (the brand is Karl) are AWESOME. I down a bag of them every time I go to the azn mart.
you won't be disappointed
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-248249-100x100.png\")
That's kind of like the Ford Focus SVT. I'd give my left, um, you know, for one, but alas, they are only available in Europe. Just doesn't make sense to me why an American car company only makes the really fast model of their car (the one that would compete with the Cobalt SS or Civic Si) available OUTSIDE the country.
This sounds like something that would only appeal to husky, basement-dwelling anime fans.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-5627-100x100.png\")
Is there a website where we can order these possibly?!? tasty treats?
(and btw, POCKY is available at Newbury Comics stores)
Def. a Pocky rip-off. Frito-Lay is trying to cut in on Glico's actions. Frito-Lay in China makes some interesting combinations too, I remember sampling Lemon flavored Lays, Lays Stax with flavors like Cucumber, Thai Crab Curry, Spicy Seafood, Mexican Beef, Tomato, Kimchi...def. some interesting stuff.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-98105-100x100.png\")
I'll wash it all down with a big can of Pocari Sweat!
Those actually look pretty tempting. I think that I would try them.
Pocari Sweat is awesome!
@harumph: I dunno about green tea Kit Kats. I bought some green tea Hershey's bars at the Hershey store in Time's Square, and while I could only take one bit, I brought the rest of a six-pack to work and they were gone in half a day. Something not to my taste, and my niece said that the package \"looked like poison\".
Pocky. Yum. Sweet but not too sweet.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1487-100x100.png\")
Uh oh.
Don't tell Jonah Goldberg.
@harumph: Green tea kit kats sound awesome.
My favorite Japanese sweet-treat is melon bread. I don't really think it tastes like melon, but it's yummy! Oh, and daifuku. That's pretty good too.
@discounteggroll: i can't find the the curry karl in new york but a friend in osaka periodically sends me a few bags. i have two at home that i am saving for the right moment, they are really incredible.
@monkey33: i didn't get to experience the green tea kit-kat first-hand. the last time i was over there they had just stopped making them. they make the special flavors for limited times during the year, i did have strawberry though, that was pretty good. there were others but i forget what they were now. it's always an adventure trying to track down the obscure and limited junk food.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-142649-100x100.png\")
@Joafu: I'm not sure which is weirder... the man or the american kabuki... [ourworld.compuserve.com]
If chocolate covered wheat cookies are good (kit kat), why not strawberry covered corn cookies?
Vending Machines and 7-11: some of the best part of foreign travel. Had some awesome little vending machine sun dried tomato flavored \"bruschetta\" in Italy. Very nice.
Forgot: Starbucks used to make a durien frap in asia. Not the best thing, but then again, I don't have a stinkfruit palate.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-53958-100x100.png\")
Mmmmm, Strawberry Pocky. (drool)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-73631-100x100.png\")
If you want to try imported Asian foods, go to your local Chinatown if there is one. Many will carry foods from multiple countries, not just their own ethnic group. I've seen products from Japan down to Indonesia in Chinese food stores.
As for personal experiences in Asia, the worst (my opinion only) had to be \"chocolate cheese\" products. Urgh. I never found any of the \"fusion\" products to be appealing. Either give me purely Asian foods, or purely western foods; don't mix them.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-172507-100x100.png\")
Does Britney have stock in this yet? She can inflate the value all by her lonesome.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-230327-100x100.png\")
Pockys and Yan Yans have always given me headaches for some reason. I imagine this probably would too. Yuck. *shudders*
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-212073-100x100.png\")
When I was in amsterdam they had all sorts of wild flavors of doritos. stuff like yogurt & cucumber and teriyaki flavors. Now they have teriyaki in the states. Sadly, no yogurt!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-202659-100x100.png\")
So which movie tie in will these be coming to America with as a novelty item? I want some.
Ewww.
Buying candy and junk food in foreign countries is one of my favorite things to do. I think it's such a cool insight into the culture--or at least to get an idea of what it might be like to live there, and be a lardass.
I went to south africa and found chips in flavors like peri peri and monkey gland!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-37033-100x100.png\")
Japan has or has had the following excellent Mentos flavors that the US either doesn't ever get, or only gets sporadically:
Strawberry
Peach
Grapefruit
Yogurt (really)
Apple (red apple not green apple, which is different)
Grape
Also all the different pocky flavors you rarely see in the US.
And the different Kit Kat flavors (melon kit kat, anyone?)
But Korea kicks Japan's ass for junk food. They haven't the variety in their Pocky rip-offs (but they cost half as much), but they have far better and more varied ice cream (and Japanese ice cream is better than american...at least if you're more interested in the ice cream than in what chunks of stuff are suspended in it), the world's best instant Ramen, better mochi, and they don't overuse an (or pat in Korean).
If you're going somewhere solely for the junk food, go to South Korea.
I've seen Pocky in two World Market stores on opposite ends of the US, so I suspect at least some carry it.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-76217-100x100.png\")
In Academic Decathlon one year for Global Economics, they told us about how Cheetos once field tested a dog-flavored Cheeto.
South Korea does have those yummy grape and mango taffies...mmm...
My kids need to not ever give me fish-flavored chinese beef jerky again though, even if it is wrapped in little lumps to look like candies.
this isn't near as bad as the ketchup cheetos they had in romania.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-32381-100x100.png\")
That's what I love about Japan - they're totally unafraid to give things a shot and broaden products; there's seasonal snacks and flavors, limited edition foods, etc. It's ridiculous in some ways, but it's smart - if the product flops, they were only going to produce it for said time anyways, and if it flies, they can add it to their regular or yearly offerings.
The one thing I notice about some of the US food companies is that they don't do that because they're terrified of flopping products - but then when they DO release a new product (due to consumer demand or an attempt to change/better their image) they risk a whole hell of a lot more (and quite often flounder in the process).
If you want to order some of the above yummy Japanese snacks, go to www.jbox.com. They've got lots of different snacks all the time - just be careful, as some of their products are NSFW.
@Fortain:
Actually, jbox.com is the \"PG\" version of the site. It's pretty worksafe...just be carefull about clicking on \"jlist.com\" which is the NSFW side. Anyhoo, either portion of the site would elicit some odd glances from co-workers I would think. lol.
Although I have to agree that after viewing both sides of the site Fortain is correct: NSFW-ish. I decided upon this after seeing the (*ahem*) Hello-Kitty \"body massagers\" available in a rainbow of different colors. Yeah, might wanna visit the site at home.
@BEFRUGALNOTCHEAP
I know, but the occasional possibly-NSFW item (gravure calendar, etc.) does pop up, so fair warning all around.
@BEFRUGALNOTCHEAP
Funny posting timing, but you get my point. ;p
That looks absolutely delicious! Better get my passport..
@mon0zuki: It's not really about broadening the product, its that Japanese, and Koreans eat more lightly sweetened crunchy snacks than salty.
In the US, a crunch+starchy snack is almost universally salty, like pretzels, chips, nuts, cheese snacks, crackers, etc.
But cracker/starchy/corn based snacks, similar to cheese doodles and popcorn, are typically flavored like sweet grains, or a sweetened dried fish. This makes more sense when you consider that fresh sweet corn is a street food/snack there, like we might get warm pretzel.
The base confection under a cheese doodle, or something similar to it, which is a super-heated slurry of corn flour extruded at high temperatures, has been a snacking staple in east asia for a long time as well, so a snack like a cheeto goes over well, as long as it gets a reworked flavor profile.
A friend of ours came back from San Francisco's Japan Town with a snack that was called 'caramel corn', but was basically the base of a cheeto flavored with cocoa. It tasted like huge, airy cocopuffs. They were totally awesome.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-188412-100x100.png\")
RE: Melon pan (bread)
It's not named \"melon\" bread for its taste, but rather for its appearance. Though there are varieties that taste like melon, the basic melon pan is pretty much \"plain\"...like vanilla cake in flavor.
All the weird junk food in Japan is a response to a market that is easily bored. A lot of flavors are fly by night and all manufacturers do this sort of thing. It's not a rip-off of what Pocky does. It's what all snack makers do constantly (new flavors, sizes, and variations).
@harumph:
where in NY are you? im in westchester county and have a few stores around me that carry it. lmk if you want some sent your way
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-212547-100x100.png\")
@meneye: eww yea, they have ketchup flavored cheetos in Israel too... I love ketchup but I couldn't get one of these down ick.
@Rukasu:
Pocari Sweat is a cure-all for when you are dehydrated, like 10 times better than Gatorade. They use to sell it in the States in the 80s and we kept a supply on hand, mostly for when we got the flu.
When you have a fever, it tastes like manna from the gods.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-320776-100x100.png\")
I yet to be amazed by Japanese snack foods, needless to say I've purchased a few boxes of Pocky for decorative purposes because they have cute designs, and then later gave the contests to weeaboo friends. Same thing happened with my Pucca cookies and Shrimp Flavored Chips.
But oh God, I really want to try the mofuggin' Kit Kats. Green Tea? Strawberry? Sounds delicious.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-108390-100x100.png\")
\"Sweetos™'?
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-115837-100x100.png\")
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-60062-100x100.png\")
![[cache.gizmodo.com]](\"http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/07/pizza-hut-double-roll.jpg\"){kind=link}
![[www.unpopart.org]](\"http://www.unpopart.org/readymades/gx/hitler_disco.jpg\"){kind=link}
![always trying something new.](\"http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t293/Joafu/?action=view¤t=Japan.jpg\"){kind=link}
I dunno, I think it looks good. Kind of like pocky or yanyan, and those rock.
P.S. everything in Japan is weird flavored. \"Burnt salt\" and curry-flavored Pringles were some of my favs.