One of the joys of traveling the globe is immersing yourself in
local cultures and seeing how people live. Naturally, Mr. Mickey's favorite way of
experiencing all that is by tasting the local snacks. Even if it's
just to check out the packaging of the local version of M&M's, international snack research is a fun way to clock regional differences and really expand your pallet for convenience store fare. I've been in India for the past week and Bombay, where I did my best snacking, definitely has a lot of deliciousness to offer when it comes
to candy bars, cookies and chips. Here's a guide to some of Mr. Mickey's favorite
nibbles he's come across abroad.
GANDOUR SAFARI BAR
I love the packaging on this candy bar. It's actually from Saudi Arabia, and has Arabic writing on it which made me feel all sophisticated. It tastes a tiny bit like a Baby Ruth but doesn't have as much nougat-ness. It's actually pretty light and tasty -- sort of like a handful of Rice Krispies covered in chocolate. I guess you wanna keep things light when you're on a candy safari.
PEPPY TOMATO DISCS
Before I even opened the bag I was in love with Peppy. I mean, hello? Any packaging that features the word "peppy" is an instant sell for me. There's also a goofy cowboy flexing his bicep on the bag, which was also a big draw. These little tomato discs have a texture similar to Funyuns -- sort of like deep-fried Styrofoam -- but these were light and tasty. Also, they're shaped like wagon wheels. What's not to love?
TREAT-O CHOCOLATE CREAM COOKIES
PARLE HIDE & SEEK CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These are billed as 'the
world's best moulded chocolate chip cookies.' Perhaps the word moulded doesn't
seem so unappealing outside the U.S., but it makes me think of fungus. The fonts on the package are very fancy, however, which is always appealing to me. Ultimately, these were just OK and a bit processed
tasting.
BINGO MAD ANGLES CHILLI DHAMAKA FLAVOR
These are sort of
Doritos-like, but they're baked, not fried, so the texture is actually a bit more like a saltine. The chilli dhamaka flavor is spicy and burns the taste buds of Western whimps like Mr. Mickey! Nonetheless, they taste pretty good.
PARLE KRACKJACK
Aren't you in love with the
name? It's billed as 'the original sweet and salty cracker.' Basically it's a
Ritz, which isn't my favorite, but with a squirt of Cheese Whiz you'd be set.
KURKURE SOLID MASTI
These snacks look like corkscrews and they certainly weren't stingy with the spices when they cooked up this batch! Whoaaaaaa, nelly. It's not exactly a 'hot' spiciness, but these babies have a multi-layered heat profile that really delivers. If you like a kick in the face with your snacks these are for you.
I can't decide if Nice Time
is a sweet cracker or a cousin to the digestive biscuit -- either way, I'm not complaining. These have a vague coconut
taste and are sprinkled with bits of sugar on top. They're a bit nuanced in terms
of taste and would appeal to a more experienced snacker.
The foundation of the GoFresh is wafer with little pockets of cream, and then the whole thing is dipped in chocolate. It's surprisingly light, unlike most American candies that are dense and gooey. Even the cream is whipped and sweet. Pretty yummy.
TIFFANY GOTCHA! BARS
This is the closest thing to
an American candy bar I've tried. It's got wafers, covered in nougat, a layer of
caramel and puffed rice sprinkled on top. The whole thing is dipped in
chocolate. I could
definitely dig into a Gotcha! next time I'm in Bombay.