A Review of New Things I've Tried #42 (Snacks Edition)

I love a good snack, but I've been a lot less inclined to buy pre-made ones, especially not new-to-me ones, so you haven't seen such a review from me in a while. In fact, my last post on this subject came a year ago! But I've still been exploring, and I'm glad to have collected all these things together.

1. 88 Acres Blueberry Lemon Seed and Oat Bar

This is like a granola bar, but better. I wasn't necessarily expecting much, but it tastes remarkably like lemon, and not in an artificial way at all. That's not surprising, since the flavor comes from actual lemon oil. This is an allergy-friendly brand that I love even though I am not allergic to things, because they keep amazing me with how delicious their stuff is.

2. Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil Triscuits

I adore Triscuits, of course, and this is no exception! These are a peppery version, so be prepared for a bit of a kick. But they're still the Triscuits you love, just with some extra flavor. Mmm.

3. Spicy Sour Doritos

These are from Israel; hence the Hebrew on the label. But these are Doritos! And they contain zero dairy! These are sold in a local grocery store with a wide selection of kosher products, and I was so excited to find them, because the American vegan Doritos (spicy sweet chili) hadn't been anywhere to be found for ages. 

I don't think most American brands would advertise a chip as "sour," in favor of maybe "tangy," or something, but that doesn't matter. These are delicious. They have that same mystical Doritos texture we all love, and the flavor is balanced perfectly. It's not as strongly flavored as I think an American version would be, but I thoroughly enjoyed them.

4. Hardtack Black Bean Sesame Barley Cookies (검은콩 깨 보리 검ㄴ빵)

I hadn't gone to an Asian market in a while, so I treated myself with a visit to a Korean grocery store a few towns over. These cookies were one of the things I picked up. They're pretty simple--a mildly sweet mini tea biscuit type of cookie--but I really enjoyed them.

5. Rap Snacks Rick Ross Sweet Chili Lemon Pepper Potato Chips

These were, for lack of a better word, just odd. Though they say they are sweet chili lemon pepper, they're not spicy or sour at all--just sweet, with the vaguest sense of having some chili powder somewhere. I'd be unlikely to try them again.

6. Nok Cha Won Black Soy and Black Sesame Tea (검은콩검은깨차)

I also picked this up at my local Korean market. It's a sweet, nutty drink. It's not clear from the art on the box, but it also has a lot of peanut powder in it, plus some crushed peanuts, so you end up with the peanut flavors, too. It comes in individual packets you just pour into a mug and add boiling water to. Super easy, and also really good.

7. Dandies Mini Vanilla Marshmallows

Though Dandies have been around since well before I was vegan, marshmallows weren't high on my priority list. For some reason, though, a few months ago I suddenly had marshmallows on the brain and I couldn't get them out! So I bought some mini marshmallows, and they were just as I remembered marshmallows being--or at least, as I remember good marshmallows being, all soft and pillowy but with a good spring back. I am looking forward to giving Dandies more of my business if I can find their other flavors of marshmallows anywhere.

8. Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Wheat Thins

These were on sale; I like Wheat Thins but it's been years since I had any and apparently they added flavors to some of them! These are amazing with a little non-dairy cheese, or just on their own. 

9. Garden Herb Triscuits

More Triscuits? Why not? They're wonderful! This one is less spicy than the cracked pepper one, but still savory and amazing with some non-dairy cheese.

10. Shirakiku Sweet Soy Cream Rice Cake (Tonyu Cream Daifuku)

Although I picked this up at a Korean grocery store, this is actually a Japanese brand, but the local Korean store does offer a lot of things from across Asia in general. This little snack is a bit pricey for every day (this ran about $2). Still, I enjoyed it as an occasional treat. I've had these filled mochi before, but never with soy cream, and, well, wow. It adds a great texture contrast with the bean paste and mochi, as well as being all sweet and creamy and delicious. I would not eat these every day, but I was really excited to try them, and I would happily have another one.

Have you had any good vegan snacks lately?