Snack Overload!

Daim Chocolate!

2009-11-14T05:33:00.000-08:00

While perusing our local Ikea the other day, we came across these tiny treats. The bright, fire engine red bag with blue lettering had caught our eye. Daim originated in Sweden and Norway in the 1950's, and was made to be a treat similar to a product produced by the American company, Heath. Daim is now owned by Kraft Foods.

The large bag contained the bited sized, individually wrapped pieces. As I sampled a piece, I noticed the outer milk chocolate coating is super smooth. It melted off of the crunchy center really easily, perhaps maybe a little too easily (it left a bit of chocolate on my fingers). It's sweet, but not overly so. The crunchy center is said to be an almond caramel bar, but I must admit I didn't really taste the almond., just a toffee/caramel. Flavorwise, it is rich and decadent.

It is described as crunchy, and man, they weren't joking! It also has a bit a sticky characteristic to it. For example, while biting into it, you definitely get a crunch, but then it starts to stick to your teeth a bit. But the pleasing taste makes up for the stuck-in-your-teeth texture, even for someone with a big aversion to such foods, like myself. These treats can be hard to come by, so if you happen to be at your local Ikea sometime, keep on the lookout for these! :)

-Rachael

Buy this snack! :)

Cheetos GIANT Blue Color Changers!

2009-11-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

This snack specimen was procured through a rare trip to a far off Wal-Mart, and though at first glance it appears to be a regular bag of Cheetos chips, closer inspection reveals that this is something a little different.

What makes these Cheetos special? As the package claims, not only are they GIANT, but they are also engineered to turn your tongue blue upon consumption. Looking over the package more, you will also learn these are available only for a limited time, and this snack appears to tied into Halloween, as there are bats flying into the picture on the front, as well as what appears to be a fence similar to what you would find around a graveyard or perhaps a haunted mansion at the bottom. There is also a sign in the bottom left proclaiming the curious and slightly baffling phrase “Saturday Night Come Alive”. Chester Cheetah is seen in the middle, over-excitedly licking a GIANT Cheeto ball.

So, how about the snack inside? Well, upon tearing into the bag, you are greeted with unassuming, albeit large (think big marshmallow sized) Cheeto balls. Popping one between my mighty jaws, I found the texture to be a little coarse, almost threatening to scrape my mouth as I ate…The taste is about what you would expect from a puffy type Cheeto snack, though I found the flavor to be a little subdued, and the texture is what I would notice the most while eating these. As for the color changing properties, they do indeed change your tongue blue, though more of a pale hue, rather then the deep dark blue as modeled by Chester on the front of the package.

Overall, well, these are cheetos. Of all the cheeto brand snacks, these are probably my least favorite. The rough texture, weaker taste, and tongue tinting additives did little to win my favor. I would suggest sticking with the superior Natural Cheetos, or any of the other cheeto branded snacks for that matter. Still, if you want something novel, these are to my knowledge the only cheese flavored, cheetah endorsed snacks that can turn your tongue blue available.

-John AKA 'Mystery Snacker'

These are limited edition, so look for them in your grocery store!

Uncle Jerry's Handmade Pretzels!

2009-11-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

Its been a long quest for me to find the perfect packaged pretzel, and I've been looking far and wide for a delicious alternative to the standard grocery store pretzel. What comes after the factory made pretzel? Handmade pretzels, each twisted by hand. Uncle Jerry's is a good example of this process, and its truly levels above the competition.

So how are these pretzels made? Without oil, shortening, preservatives and any of that artificial nonsense. This results in a really authentic, homey quality to these pretzels. They are baked on a stone hearth and are made the same way they have been for the last 100 years, since the recipe first originated. They are also quite big, halfway between an Auntie Anne's pretzel and grocery type pretzels.

Uncle Jerry's was nice enough to send us three varieties of pretzels, their Extra Dark, Whole Weat Low Salt Sesame Seed, and Special(their flagship offering). We gave all the pretzels a try and each had different opinions on our faves, but heres the basic rundown:

Extra Dark

Offered a slightly more deep flavor, with a smokier taste and finish. This was way crunchier than the others, and anyone who likes a slightly burnt flavor to their snacks will love these!

Whole Wheat Sesame Low Salt

Delicious and light and with a subtle salty flavor and slightly earthy hints. It was fun getting the hints of sesame in between bites. Less crunch than the others! This was my all out fave. I love my pretzels to not be too salty and these delivered.

Special

Smooth, crunchy, salty and absolutely delicious. Their classic offering did everything, with their delicious Dark finish. Wonderful with mustard, and if you're old enough..A frosty glass of beer.

Overall, these were just fantastic. The handmade quality of these really shines through(no two pretzels are the same) and they deliver a really homey taste, as if our own grandma baked these up for you. If you love pretzels, these are absolutely worth a shot! We commend Jerry's Pretzels for sticking to the traditional way of making pretzels, you'll notice the difference the first time you bite into one of their delicious pretzels. :)

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

Gamer Grub: PB&J!

2009-11-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

Biosilo Foods was kind enough to send along a couple of their products to us, part of a line called “Gamer Grub”. These are trail mix like snacks that come in resealable pouches, intended to alleviate greasy fingers, as well as keep the snack fresh. The snacks came in two different flavors; here I am reviewing the PB&J.

First, I will just start by saying one thing: this snack is delicious! It is a mix of peanut butter chips, peanuts, strawberries, jelly nuggets and “sweet bread” chips. The combination is very pleasing, and really does taste like eating a PB&J sandwich, albeit a little sweeter (but not too sweet). The mix of textures is also great, providing a good combination of crunchy and chewy.

The package works well, allowing you to pour the snack into your mouth, and thus, as is claimed, helps avoid greasy fingers and thus greasy game controllers. I found myself constantly eating this snack, and was worried I would run out before I had a chance to test it out whilst gaming, as this seems to be its recommended use. I went ahead and consumed the final tasty morsels while finishing up Halo 3: ODST. The snack performed well, and certainly kept my taste buds happy while the covenant aliens felt my wrath. Everything went well; and I like to think the yummy snack contributed to my reaching the end credits. Sadly, I received no achievement for finishing the game under the influence of Gamer Grub.

Don’t resist, try this snack out now!

John T. aka Mystery Snacker

Buy this snack! :)

Vosges Haute Chocolate: Mo's Bacon Bar!

2009-11-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

One of my friends recently told me about this bacon chocolate bar she had tried. Huh? Bacon and chocolate? I am a big fan of the sweet and salty (or savory) combo, but even this sounded a little out there. So naturally, I had to try it for myself. Vosges Haut Chocolate was nice enough to send us some samples of their Mo's Bacon Bar, in both the milk and dark chocolate varieties. The founder of the company, Katrina Markoff, came up with the idea of integrating bacon and chocolate while eating chocolate chip pancakes and bacon one morning. She found that the sweetness of the chocolate chips and syrup were perfect in complementing the saltiness of the bacon.

The 3 oz gourmet bars come in a durable, paper container. Sealed in an aluminum wrapper, the bar is portioned out into smaller pieces, that break off easily. At first glance, it looked like a regular ole' chocolate bar. There were no bits of bacon on the outside, but after I took a bite, there it was. I found that while the bits of bacon were pretty small, they nonetheless packed a good punch. The applewood smoked bacon is heightened in flavor by alderwood smoked salt. It's not overpowering, but just right.

I'm happy to find myself really liking this snack. It takes a lot of will power to not eat the entire bar in one sitting, it's that good. The milk chocolate is 45% cacao, while the dark is a good 62%. Both are equally delicious. I personally prefer dark chocolate in general anyways, but if you prefer milk, then go for it. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this gourmet treat for everyone, but especially for the bacon fanatics.

~Rachael

Buy this snack :)

Reorganizing!

2009-11-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

We're currently doing some revamping behind the scenes, reviews will be back soon as we sort and organize for the next batch of reviews! :D Expect alot of cool gourmet, artisan, snack reviews and news starting again tommorow!

-SnackOverload Team!

Apple Ginger Game Juice!

2009-11-02T11:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was skeptical when I first saw this. It appeared to be some sort of nuclear substance at some kind, due to its incredibly bright green hue and dangerous packaging. I approached with caution, and after confirming the bottle was indeed safe to touch with my bare hands, I proceeded to investigate.

The flavor piqued my curiosity, as I had never tried any sort of apple soda type drink, let alone one spiked with ginger. This bottle of self proclaimed gamer drink is also infused with caffeine and mind enhancing vitamins.

So, I prepared my palate, unscrewed the top, and took a nice big swig. Now, I must pause to point out that I am not much of a fan of the typical energy drinks out there, I stay well away from them actually, and this looked like it was going to fall into that category. But, to my delight, it was quite pleasing. It is indeed an apple soda, but with a unique kick to it. Though it has quite a bit of sugar in it, I did not find it too sweet, but rather exhilarating. I would not reach for a drink like this if I were parched after a long crawl through the desert, but it is great to chug along with a snack.

At this point, I figured I should go ahead and apply the drink as it seems to be intended, so I fired up my Xbox 360 and played a bit of John Woo Presents: Stranglehold. Before I knew it, I was dodging bullets and dancing through the air in slow motion, a seemingly invincible harbinger of doom to my foes. I cannot say for certain how much of this could be directly contributed to the Game Juice I had just ingested, but I do believe it helped in some way…

All told, whether the intention is to boost your game skills or not, I would not hesitate to try this drink out!

John T. aka ‘Mystery Snacker’

Coming soon to a Spencers(Mid November) and online stores near you!

www.gamejuice.com

Nana's Cookies!

2009-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We found out about Nana's cookies through our Twitter channel and they were kind enough to send us a few of their special snacks for us to sample.

Special in what way? They're vegan, have no dairy products, no cholesterol, refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, GMO's, trans fat, and more! I'm not a vegan but I was fascinated to see how these compared to normal cookies. We recieved three cookies: Chocolate Chip, Sunflower, and Double Chocolate.

So flavor wise? I went in with an open mind and came out pleasantly surprised. I would seriously consider eating Nana's offerings over normal store bought cookies. Why? We'll go into that in just a moment. I just want to point out It was the first time in at least a year I'd pulled out a glass of milk to enjoy cookies with(Not being much of a sweet tooth).

So here's the breakdown of what we thought of each cookie:

Sunflower Cookie: Wonderfully soft and crumbly, with the flavor of maple and sunflower seeds that complemented each other perfectly. These reminded me of oatmeal raisin cookies, but I preferred these due to the pleasant texture and natural sweetness(They sweeten the cookies with real fruit juice instead of refined sugar).

Chocolate Chip: Very soft, wonderfully chewy and full of straight cocoa chocolate chips with a hint of fruity sweetness. The texture is awesome on this one, and it goes incredibly well with a glass of milk(Soy milk or otherwise). It was rich, satisfying and not too sweet.

Double Chocolate: Probably the most acquired taste for a cookie lover, it was incredibly rich having chocolate chips on a chocolate base cookie. The walnuts added a really pleasant crunch.

So in summary, these offerings were all very good. If I were to be offered these cookies in a blind taste taste I would have a hard time distinguishing between these cookies and standard grocery offerings. For vegans or non-vegans, we highly recommend these. We were all blown away by how delicious these cookies are. We commend you Nana's Cookies, for offering a fantastic cookie that people with or without special dietary needs will be able to enjoy. They truly set the bar for how much you can do with a large amount of restrictions.

-Sirio

Buy this snack! :)

Izze Sparkling Blackberry Juice!

2009-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

We picked up this drink in the 'Organic' section of our local grocery store. Why? The slick look, and the Blackberry flavor(A rarity in the carbonated drink market). That's all it took to get our attention and pick a can up. They're sharply designed 8.5oz cans and look great.

This fizzy beverage contains 70% fruit juice, no preservatives and some vitamins added in to boot. I'm happy to report it tastes great. It stays true to what it says, delivering rich blackberry flavor with some fizz. Its surprisingly smooth and not too sugary, offering a nice tickle to the back of the throat as it goes down. Definitely worth a try if you're a fan of juice or are looking for a healthier alternative to Soda. There are quite a few other flavors as well including Clementine, Grapefruit, Apple and Pomegranate. If you get a few cans they'll make your fridge look like a rainbow!

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

The BIGS: Buffalo Wing and Bacon Salt Seeds!

2009-10-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

What do I like about the BIGS seeds? A) They're sunflower seeds, which I love. B) The variety of flavors that they offer and C) I'm having trouble writing this review because I keep reaching in to have a few more seeds.

They went with a simple idea, to infuse jumbo sunflower seeds with different flavors from different companies. Place said seeds in resealable, bright red bags and you have a formula for success. I've always enjoyed plain Sunflower seeds but the idea of having spicy, or smoky bacon flavored ones just hit home. We contacted the Bigs after finding out about them on Twitter and they sent us a few bags, today we're covering the Franks RedHot flavored seeds(Known as Buffalo Wing) and the Bacon Salt infused ones.

So off the bat, love the packaging: Bold fonts, logos for the different flavor infusions(The Franks one has a hot sauce bottle, the bacon one has the Bacon Salt logo). A warm color scheme makes these pop out, and the extra large logo definitely lets you know these seeds are large and in charge.

Flavor wise: The Red Hot ones offer a spicy bite to the seeds that I loved. The kick builds up as you eat more and more and it rocks. The hot sauce flavor isn't too strong, instead being more of a mild spicy tang that complements the seeds really well. The Bacon Salt ones have a really pleasant saltier, smoky flavor reminiscent of a slice of bacon. I'm glad they didn't go overboard with the seasoning! The amount of seasoning on each of these seeds is perfect and doesn't overwhelm the seed flavor..It complements it.

We commend the BIGS for offering this unique twist on Sunflower seeds. Stay tuned for our upcoming reviews about other flavors, including Zesty Ranch and Dill Pickle! Recommended for any seed lover out there. These are fantastic!

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

News: Twix Java Announced!

2009-10-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

After very successful run in 2008, MarsFood just announced that they're bringing back Twix Java! I had a chance to try these during that run a few years back, and its a treat I'll call: Twix for adults. The flavor of coffee adds a really grown up vibe to this offering. This product will be premiering as a full time treat in April 2010!

Another thing to note is the pause sign on the 'I' of Twix, which from what I can tell will coincide with their 'need a moment?' advertising campaign that has been running a few months now. I'm personally not the biggest fan of that ad campaign, but the new packaging makes up for it. The redesign of the Twix text really makes it pop out! This should be an eye catcher on store shelves come 2010.

Here's a sample ad..What do you guys think of this campaign?

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

News: New M&M's Flavors Announced!

2009-10-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

At the National Trade Show(NACS) held in Las Vegas today, the company behind Mars, Twix and other great chocolate bars announced two new flavors for their M&M line: Wild Cherry and Coconut M&M's!

The coconut flavored M&M's make their triumphant return after a limited run last summer. The Cherry flavor will be more of a festive offering for the holiday season, premiering in December. I'm personally a little more excited about the Coconut flavored ones, as theres been a painful lack of coconut themed treats in the market IMO.

The new packaging is awesome too, featuring some nutritional info(the snacks are around 190-210calories a pack).

The only ones available right now are the Coconut Ones, so pick em up if you want something to spice up your Halloween selection. :) We'll review them once we get our hands on a few bags.

-Sirio

Buy this snack! :)

Oh Boy Oberto Original and Hickory Jerky!

2009-10-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

The folks over at the Kent based Oh Boy! Oberto Jerky company were nice enough to send us a ton of Jerky products to review, and we are happy to announce we'll be covering plenty of Jerky in the next few weeks. We're going to work our way up the ladder from their basic Jerky producs to some of their newer offerings in the next few weeks. :)

To start with we're going to cover Original and Hickory, two staples of any Jerky line. Made out of lean beef, smoked, and seasoned this is a snack I immediately get whenever we're going to be on the road for a while. These treats come in really eye catching packaging, with a nice warm color scheme of reds and oranges and a see through section in the center so you can look at the tasty strips of jerky. The resealable nature of these bags is awesome too, I could immagine eating these throughout the day on a hike. The smoky, semi sweet aroma that greets you when you open a bag is seriously mouth watering on these.

The Original variety of Oh Boy Oberto! Jerky is simple in flavor with a mildly salty and smoky theme. They have a bold meaty flavor with mild sweet accents in between bites and aren't too chewy. The strips are decently sized and the texture of these is pleasant. Its their flagship and its solid. I let my sister try these(being uninitiated to the jerky world) and to my surprise she kept poking into the office to get another strip. :) That was a good sign, if any.

The Hickory variety offers a subtle variation on the Original, using a different smoke using Hickory wood. The difference is quite noticeable, with the strips having a meaty start with a sweet (and delicious) aftertaste after each bite. I loved the little salty to sweet adventure that I had every time I took a bite of the hickory strips. The difference is subtle but delicious nonetheless.

We think these initial two flavors were delicious, and recommend you give these a try if you're gaming, on the road, or need a portable snack for any occasion. Full body flavor with portable resealable packaging, and packed full of protein. What more could you ask for? :)

Buy this snack! :)

Halloween Twilight Candies?

2009-10-21T02:19:00.000-07:00

We just noticed these popping up in local grocery stores as of late and color us puzzled by this odd Twilight merchandising cash in. Going under the Sweethearts: Forbidden Fruits line these candies are supposed to appeal to the 'Twi-hards' with weirder inscriptions on the hearts. Among some of these Twilight revised messages are:

Bite Me
Bad Guy
Always
My Love
U R My Life
True Love
I Trust You
Lamb
Live 4 Ever Secret

This is probably the laziest attempt at cashing in on this Twilight madness that we've seen yet(the amount of junk with Twilight on it popping up as Halloween approaches has been mind numbing). Guys, give it a few minutes and try to do something with y'know, some originality rather than slapping some actor faces on a box of Valentine treats and calling them Halloween candy. And the slogan? "The Forbidden Fruit Tastes the Sweetest." Innuendo much? Sheesh.

-Sirio

News: Blood Energy Potion !

2009-10-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

This new beverage by Harcos, based in Santa Monica California is intended to treat people with 'bloodlust' and probably will please plenty of Twilight and True Blood fans. :)

This beverage is from the same guys that brought you Mana Energy Potion and Health Energy (The videogame based beverages). This shot of bloodlust quelling red fluid is fruit punch flavored and comes packaged in a really fun pouch that looks like a transfusion bag. This beverage will be available soon from various retailers, including Hot Topic, Fry's, Think Geek and a few other websites.

I think the packaging is awesome and will definitely be an eye catcher on store shelves, we'll see about the flavor. You can order them now from their tongue in cheek website to get your fix right before Halloween! :) No prescription required.

-Sirio

Living With Bloodlust

Swedish Fish!

2009-10-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

Swedish Fish, while not being the hardest snack to find has over time become one of my favorite candies to eat every once in a while. These Swedish snacks, originally by Malaco of Sweden are now manufactured by the Canadian based Cadbury Adams Co.

These Swedish fish shaped gummies have a nice semi firm texture with a solid berry flavor. That is, they're not way too chewy and don't get as stuck in your teeth as other offerings might(like gummi bears). personally really enjoyed the firm outside texture with the soft interior and always mix these with popcorn during movies to allow for a nice mix of a sweet and salty.

Its a classic treat thats been around since the early 70's, and now enjoys a cult following. :) If you haven't had the chance to try these just yet, please..Do yourself a favor! These can be found in just about any grocery store, IKEA, movie theatres, and any Swedish themed store. :) Lets not forget about all the other flavors as well, from Licorice to mixed fruit! I love 'em all. Recommended.

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

San Pellegrino Limonata!

2009-10-17T23:58:00.000-07:00

Once again we cover a San Pellegrino drink, the last being the delicious Aranciata(Orange flavored) soda. So what is a Limonata? Its Italian for Lemonade, but this version will taste much different than your typical lemonade.

As usual the packaging on these is excellent, featuring their trademark peel off lid protector. Its an excellent feature that keeps the tops clean, and I wish more companies here would follow suit. The Limonata has a delicious mix of tart and sweet flavor, with very mild carbonation that you'll notice as you take a swig. The nice thing about this drink is that it also contains no artificial color and uses real sugar, and the difference is quite noticeable. San Pellegrino Limonata has a much better taste also thanks to the usage of real Lemon juice(around 16-20% of the beverage is from juice).

These are easy to find and are as excellent as the Aranciata, although definitely more on the tart side. If you'd like to try a mix between Lemonade and soda, you'll love this.

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

Kozy Shack Flan : Creme Caramel!

2009-10-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today I cover Kozy Shack Creme Caramel Flan, a new offering in their line of quality refrigerated products. Their other delicious offerings include rice, chocolate, and other styles of puddings. What distinguishes the Kozy Shack brand from the competition? In my opinion its the flavor, quality of ingredients(no artificial stuff or preservatives), and the homey quality of these foods. I also just learned that all their snacks are gluten free, so it also appeals to special dietary needs.

This offering just showed up on shelves recently and having not seen this dessert alot in the US, I decided to give it a shot. The packaging is nice and eye catching, featuring a black box with hints of red, orange and other warm colors. They really paid attention to making it appealing, and it shows.

In terms of the cups themselves the interesting thing is the way they can be eaten. You can either eat them straight out of the cup like any other pudding, or flip it over and serve it like a proper creme caramel on a plate(it comes out of the pack very easily). The attention to this detail definitely impressed us.

Flavor wise? It tasted like a mix between a Creme Brulee and a good custard, with hints of caramel. The texture was very pleasant and it was the type of snack you didn't want to eat too fast. Savory, sweet and velvety, its definitely worth trying if you like any type of pudding treat. Two thumbs up! Find it at your local grocery store.

-Sirio

Kathy Kaye Peanut Caramel Cob!

2009-10-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

Novelty foods can be a fun experience. You never really know if the fun food your looking at will have a good taste to match. I liked the idea of the Peanut Caramel Cob. It's popcorn, peanuts, and caramel fashioned into the shape of a corn cob. The green corn husks on the plastic wrapper add to it's clever packaging.

I opened the top of the plastic wrapper, and slid the cob up, kind of like a popsicle. The first thing I notice is the smell, it's a very sweet caramel. I went for it, and took a decent sized bite. The text on the wrapper did say this was soft and chewy, but... Wow. This was unbelievably soft, and chewy. I was expecting something just a bit more crunchy, just based on my past caramel corn experience. Lots of maneuvering was required for me to get this out of my teeth. Texture-wise, I wasn't the biggest fan, but the flavor made up for it. A nice, sweet caramel melted in between crunchy peanuts, and super-soft popcorn.

Basically, the flavor of this snack is pretty good. But it's the sticky, way-too-chewy texture that was the only con I could notice. Give this a shot! I nearly wish they served it at the movies, just don't expect a very crunchy texture. :)

~Rachael

Buy this snack :)

White Chocolate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!

2009-10-15T02:06:00.000-07:00

With Halloween not too far away, I thought it would be a good time to try out a favorite candy treat. White Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are a twist on an old favorite. It made it's debut in 2003 as a limited edition treat, and came back in 2004 as permanent product.

The rectangular packaging is familiar, except instead it has a mostly white wrapper, as opposed to the traditional orange. This edition is also similar in that it includes two peanut butter cups. Instead of milk chocolate, these cups are covered in white chocolate. As far as white chocolate goes, I myself can be rather picky when it comes to quality. I have found that only high quality, premium white chocolate makes the cut. (Whereas with milk chocolate, I can be more forgiving.)

This might possibly be the only exception. While not the absolute best white chocolate, it is still not all that bad. It's smooth, and fairly sweet, yet doesn't really have the distinct white chocolate taste. I think this may be partly because the peanut butter taste overpowers it. It seems the white chocolate's purpose is mainly visual. So even though I wasn't particularly wowed by White Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, I would still have to say that it wasn't all that bad. I definitely don't regret giving it a go, and I would suggest that you do the same.

~Rachael

Buy this snack! :)

Venom Energy Drink : Killer Taipan and Black Mamba Flavor!

2009-10-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

We managed to get our hands on these energy drinks late night in Seattle while wandering around one evening, and ran into some Venom crew handing these out on the street. This relaunched brand of energy drink decided to focus on a theme to distinguish itself and I think it works. Venom energy is Dr. Pepper's attempt to elbow its way into the the energy drink market. These snake themed energy drinks go off the whole idea of 'Choose your poison," which we found kind of clever.

The two varieties we scored were the Killer Taipan, featuring a really refreshing infusion of mango flavor and the Black Mamba which had a very classic energy drink flavor, sort of like their flagship drink. Packaging wise these drinks had eye catching colors and the snake eye motif, and were delivered in a really satisfying to hold sturdy aluminum bottle with a screw top. I really loved the flavor and scent of the Killer Taipan, with its very distinguishable fruity mango flavor. The Black Mamba was nothing remarkable, tasting similar to the standard Monster Energy beverage. They delivered a good buzz courtesy of the Taurine, Guarana, vitamins and other ingredients.

I didn't experience any crash later which really surprised me, but heck..props to Venom for creating this line. I'll be sure to pick one up next time we're up late working. Recommended for any energy head, the Killer Taipan especially is a must try!

These are really hard to find online, but can be found at most grocery stores and some gas stations. We'll let you know when these drinks are more widely distributed.

-Sirio

What Were They Thinking? Awful Tabasco Ad!

2009-10-14T01:01:00.000-07:00

We just had the chance to see this ad as of late. I've always been a fan of Tabasco and all the different things it could be paired with, including pizza of course. To add that little bit of tang, spice or kick to any snack.

This recent ad is currently running on US networks and is unfortunate enough to feature a really disgusting treatment of one of our favorite snacks: pizza. We stand up and say no thanks to shrill, singing Pepperoni infused with chubby human heads. It's terrifying on Youtube, and even more disturbing on an HD TV. Please Tabasco, never again. It'll take days to unsee (and unhear) this awful, retina searing ad. We had issues with the gross out tactics of some of the recent 'What would you do for a Klondike' ads, but this takes the cake.

Nonetheless, we have space in our hearts to forgive you guys. Your hot sauce is still good, but your ad just came close to ruining pepperoni pizza.

Gamer Grub: Pizza Flavor!

2009-10-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

I first ran into these snacks at E3 and was quite intrigued by the concept, a yummy snack specifically formulated for Gamers. What exactly are these supposed to offer that make these appealing to gamers? The addition of vitamins, 'neurotransmitters' and easy to serve, non greasy nature. The slogans on the packaging are "Boost your game, no keyboard crumbs!" If you take the time to read the near infinite ingredient list you'll realize that a lot of work was put into making these a one stop snack for gamers.

The current ones we're reviewing is the pizza flavor(One out of 4 flavors offered). The mix includes a zesty blend of Cheese Curls, Tomato Almonds, Sesame Sticks, Pita Chips, Fried Onions and Pizza Cashews. The packaging is colorful and eye catching, featuring a foil style packaging.

From what I could tell you pour a handful of these in your hand and eat them all at once, combining all the elements of the mix in your mouth to form a pizza flavor. You could also pour them directly into your mouth as the package recommends. Taste wise it was very good and tangy, and the mix of different flavors and textures were pleasant. They were a little messier due to the sheer amount of seasoning but had a decent pizza flavor. The only thing I can say is kind of lost in translation is the individual seasoning of each snack element in the mix, all the different seasonings kind of mix together. Overall a really tasty snack to try, whether you're a gamer or not. Nice packaging, portable, and real easy to eat.

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

Snickers Fudge! (Limited Edition)

2009-10-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

I can remember being a kid, and eating a classic Snickers bar. I can even remember my mom breaking it up into tiny, bite sized pieces for me when I was really young. Whenever food companies come out with a new variation of a a classic product, I initially meet it with the slightest bit of hesitation. Will this be as good as the original? One the other hand, why constantly stick with the same old thing? Be adventurous! So I decided to try the limited edition Snickers Fudge bar.

The long, familiarly shaped chocolate bar is wrapped in a tan, and brown plastic wrapper. I opened the wrapper, and noticed that the chocolate bar looks just like the original. The outer chocolate coating is the same smooth, decadent milk chocolate. As I took a bite, I found out that the fudge is inside the bar. The top layer is velvety smooth, rich fudge. The next delicious layer have the crunchy Snickers peanuts. And last, and definitely not least, is the creamy, light peanut butter nougat. These three ingredients come together ever so exquisitely!

This new treat is just as good as the original. Is it better? I don't know if I'd go that far. But it's a delicious departure from the everyday treat. Highly recommended! Remember this is a limited edition, so get it while it lasts!

~Rachael

Buy this snack :)

Dorito's Late Night: Tacos at Midnight!

2009-10-12T12:04:00.000-07:00

So, we were browsing the grocery store the other day, and this caught our attention right away. Dorito's Late Night: Tacos at Midnight. What? Late Night? How does that work? What does that mean? Totally intrigued, we picked this up. These special edition Dorito's come in a matte black bag, with neon signs as it's text, just to drive home the fact that these are "late night".

The familiar corn tortilla chip is coated in a dark colored seasoning, which makes it look like it's going to be kind of spicy. As I took a bite, I noticed that while not super spicy at all, it has a fairly small kick to it. It tasted a bit like cumin, and also had a peppery, tangy quality to it. It definitely had taco seasoning. I found it to be quite yummy. The texture was crunchy like the traditional Dorito's tortilla chips. Though I can't seem to figure out the point of dubbing these "Tacos at Midnight". Tacos: Yes. Midnight: I guess? Tacos are tacos, no matter the time of day. Maybe it was more of a reference to night clubbers, as an attempt to appeal to a different demographic. Labeling these as "late night" is simply a clever marketing move. Hey, it obviously worked on us!

Another interesting marketing feature is on the back of the bag. A white outlined square icon with a white triangle inside the square, and some instructions above the icon. The instructions say to go to their website, activate our webcam, and place the icon in front of the webcam. We had a bit of difficulty getting this to work. Webcam and chip bag difficulties aside, I'd recommend this Special edition snack! Can be enjoyed anytime. :)

~Rachael

Buy this snack :)

Ferrero Nutella!

2009-10-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Nutella. Whenever I hear any mention of that wonderful product, what does it bring to mind? A happy childhood, sunny days and my sweet tooth sister. :) This classic Italian confection mixes hazelnuts and high quality chocolate into an absolutely mind blowing chocolate spread. Many imitators have tried, and failed to reproduce what Nutella achieves. Perfection, that is.

What is Nutella good with? Spread on a nice thick piece of toast, in a delicious crepe..It goes with just about anything. Its decadent, with the delicious hazelnut accent it delivers with its rich chocolate flavor. Its creamy, velvety and perfect for spreading.

There isn't much I have to say about Nutella, other than that if you haven't tried it, you are really missing out. If you like chocolate this is the thing for you, true chocolate perfection in a jar.

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

365 Brand Rosemary Crostini!

2009-10-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of simple flavors in snacks, which is a quality that makes it easy to pair with other foods, as well as stand alone by themselves. 365 brand is the Whole Foods Market 'Every day value' line which features grocery style items at a decent price.

These Crostini really stand out because they offer a really delicious olive oil and rosemary flavor in a rustic, Italian style cracker. The flavor of the olive oil and rosemary go perfectly well together, while not being overpowering on your palette. They're also not too salty thankfully so we didn't find ourselves reaching for a beverage every few minutes. Another brand I tried in the past, known as 'Bella Rustica' crostini were so heavily salted that they couldn't be paired with anything else, kind of defeating the purpose.

These are perfect by themselves, or paired with cheese, tapenades, dips, pates, salumi, Nutella, and more. They bring out the flavor of other items while not competing with them. Excellent and simple, with full bodied flavor for any rosemary lover out there.

Buy these at your local Whole Foods Market! :)

-Sirio

Snack Overload News!

2009-10-12T00:54:00.000-07:00

Today we picked up our first, pretty giant shipment of snacks from different companies . From Oh boy! Oberto Jerky, to Nana's Cookies, to the BIGs sunflower seeds, to Mary Jane's relaxing soda. All over the spectrum! We're excited to have received plenty of snacks to review, along with many others still on the way. Hope you guys have been enjoying the blog so far!

We're looking forward to even more contributors in the near future. We thank all the snack companies for sending us delicious treats to cover for our readers! :)

-SnackOverload! Staff

Not so good: Pringles Restaurant Cravers: Onion Blossom!

2009-10-11T02:24:00.000-07:00

This is our third review of Pringles, our second of the Restaurant Cravers line. After the first review of the Pringles Restaurant Cravers (which was unfortunate enough to earn a Not so good tag as well), we were a bit reluctant to pick up this new flavor. Would it meet our expectation of tasting like a real onion blossom? Or would we just be let down again? I'm sad to report that it's the latter.

Packaged in the familiar black tube, this one with small teal green detailing. I decide to take a whiff before tasting, and it did smell slightly sweet, like an onion might smell like. So I can safely say that at first I was just ever so hopeful. But upon eating the first chip, my hopes were quickly dashed. The sweetness I was smelling tasted more like honey mustard, rather than onion. I ate another chip just to be sure, but alas, there was no onion flavor to be found.

Honey mustard could be used as a dipping sauce for onion blossoms, so I suppose therein lies the link between a real onion blossom, and Pringles Restaurant Cravers: Onion Blossom. But that is a poor link, at best. If what you seek in a chip is a slightly sweet flavor with a bit of a bite, then give it a shot. Just be aware that you will not be savoring any onion blossom goodness at all.

~Rachael

Buy this snack :)

News: Nitrous Monster Energy Drink

2009-10-10T04:43:00.000-07:00

Having been around for less than 2 months now, it seems that the net has been abuzz about this new, off the wall variety of the popular Monster Energy drinks. Touting a Nitrous Oxide infusion, this variety of Monster is supposed to have a creamy texture and delicious flavor. Some people have noted that this drink has 'head,' as in the creamy foam that appears when you pour certain types of beers. Sounds pretty intriguing, and a first in the energy drink industry.

There are three varieties of Nitrous Monster. Nitrous Monster: Killer B (With the flavor of tea sweetened with honey), Nitrous Monster: Anti-Gravity(With fruitier, citrus tones and pineapple hints), and Nitrous Monster: Super Dry (Featuring a lime sweet and sour flavor). This new variety of monster drinks all come in 12 oz sleek cans with resealable caps, perfect for people looking to take their buzz on the go. We're definitely going to try to get our hands on some of these for review. Supposedly the Super Dry variety is the hardest to find so far. Stay tuned for more about this energy drink line by Monster!

Update: 10/12/2009
We just learned that Monster Nitrous: Killer-B flavor was recalled by Monster due to them feeling the flavor was not up to notch. It will return in the near future after Monster attempts to address this issue.

Buy this snack! :)

Chex Mix: Jalapeno Cheddar Flavor!

2009-10-09T14:02:00.000-07:00

I don't recall ever seeing this variety of Chex. I stumbled into it recently while doing our weekly grocery run, and being a fan of spicy snacks decided to give this a try. The packaging screamed spicy with its flames and green stripes, reminiscent of that typical burning sensation from biting into a nice Jalapeno!

The recipe for this mix?: Chex cereal, cheese crackers, mini breadsticks and salty pretzels all imbued with a nice kick. All the elements were well coated with a spicy, cheesy powder that provided a decent kick with very distinct cheddar flavor. If you have a handful of these the spice kicks in towards the end every time, providing you with a nice mix of salty and spicy. As a note, the spicy element of this mix genuinely conveys a jalapeno like flavor. Only thing is that these snacks will stain your fingers pretty easily, so keep the napkins nearby if you're playing a videogame.

Overall a nice new offering to the Chex Mix line, they're definitely solid and offer everything they set out to: A nice variety in the mix, a good cheddar flavor and a really solid jalapeno finish! If you liked the Chex Mix Hot & Spicy variant, you'll definitely want to check these out. Reccomended!

-Sirio

Buy this snack! :)

Calbee Snapea Crisps: Caesar Flavor!

2009-10-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Though this particular snack was originally intended to be a salad topping, we decided to pick this up after being informed by "That Girl" from The Something Awful forums. Baked snap peas? What's that like? Having no preconception of what this might possibly be like, we decided to give it a go.

I ripped open the white and pea-green aluminum bag, and took a peek inside. What I found kind of surprised me: the naturally green snap peas were so light, so fluffy. In terms of texture, they kind of reminded me of a much fluffier Cheeto. Since they're baked, there is no greasy residue. The snap pea flavor is very, very mild. What stands out is the Caesar dressing flavor. It's a bit salty, a bit savory, and a bit tangy. And all tasty!

Snap peas in general are a yummy, and of course healthy snack. With Calbee Snapea Crisps Caesar Flavor, you can still munch on a tasty snack, without the high calorie and fat content. This is a recommended, guilt-free pleasure!

-Rachael

Buy this snack :)

News: Perky Jerky!

2009-10-08T01:53:00.000-07:00

Definitely an upcoming product for any caffeine head to keep a track of, this new hybrid delivers the standard meat jerky product infused with the equivalent of two energy drinks worth of caffeine buzz.

Quite a few years in the making, the goal when developing this jerky was to develop a mix of the two elements without compromising the jerky flavor. We're excited about this new variety of snack, and we'll let you guys know if these just might be dangerously addictive. These might also be quite a recipe for disaster in the wrong snacker hands!

So is it good? We don't know. Will we try and get our hands on some samples to review? Absolutely. :)

-Sirio

Perky Jerky

Kit Kat Extra Crispy Chocolate!

2009-10-08T01:29:00.000-07:00

Kit Kat is a classic british confection that's been around since 1935. Originally introduced by Rowntree's of York, England back in the day it is now widely distributed by Nestle. The American variety of the KitKat however is produced under license by Hershey's. The classic version of this KitKat bar consists of 4 fingers made up of cream filled wafers covered in milk chocolate. The extra crispy variety of this product takes one of these fingers and basically supersizes it with 6 layers of wafer.

Its sort of a bummer that they chose to only put one of these super fingers in each of the packages. Part of what made standard KitKat's special was snapping each chocolate finger off. This jumbo one nearly feels kind of selfish, if we can say so. Flavor wise its chocolatey and very crispy as it claims to be, but not reinventing the wheel in any way. Its a new take on the classic bar, and if you don't mind there not being much of a difference you'll be sure to enjoy this. I personally prefer the European and Japanese varieties thanks to the use of real sugar, its definitely noticeable with the quality of the milk chocolate covering. However, that aside its worth a try. :)

-Sirio

Buy this snack :)

Pan's Mushroom Jerky!

2009-10-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

We first heard about Pan's Jerky via one of our readers that pointed us to their twitter account. The whole idea of this jerky really called out to us thanks to its definitely plausible concept.

I mean, mushrooms in general have been used to make plenty of very good meat substitute products (As a non vegetarian, I can attest to the yumminess): Portobello burgers, Chik'n products and more. They were nice enough to send us
some samples to review.

For some back-story about this product, this Mushroom Jerky recipe is a family recipe from the island of Borneo, Malaysia that's been prepared for 15 years by the Pan family. The recipe was recently brought over to the US, and we can happily say that it impressed all of us. There was some skepticism about how close to a beef jerky experience this variety would come, but we were pleased by the result.

If presented out of bag, you really cannot tell that this is a vegetarian product. The color, texture and general look are really reminiscent of any other beef jerky. This can probably be attributed to the usage of the mushroom stems to make this jerky. Their fibrous, meat like texture lends itself really well to making it fit in as a Jerky.

This jerky is damn good, with a tough consistency that is very easily chewed. There are a few things I noticed about this flavor wise off the bat: It’s more sweet than salty, and it has quite a pleasant aftertaste. The jerky also has a mildly moist quality to it, unlike most other dry jerkies. This could be thanks to the palm oil used in its preparation. I really enjoyed that aspect, because unlike other jerky products I wasn't reaching for a glass of water every few minutes.

The oddly appealing mix of mildly salty and sweet flavors kept us reaching into the bag until there was none left. We give this jerky a resounding awesome for pulling off a delicious vegetarian jerky that has the right mix of elements to appeal to any meat lover(Myself included!). Two thundering thumbs up for waaaaaay exceeding our expectations. Link below for purchasing a bag of this goodness($3.99!)

-Sirio & Rachael

Buy this snack! :)

Hershey Brand Rolo : Chewy Caramels in Milk Chocolate!

2009-10-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm a true believer that some of most delectable foods are the simplest ones. With Rolo Chewy Caramels in Milk Chocolate, we have two simple yet yummy ingredients involved: caramel, and milk chocolate. Rolos were introduced by Hershey's almost 40 years ago, and have maintained a steady following ever since.

Rolo's are packaged in a tubular roll, allowing me to pop each piece out. This makes snacking super easy. The roll is covered in smooth gold foil, giving it a rich, fancy feel. It makes me wonder if this is because the treat inside is so good, that it warrants a more luxurious wrap. Maybe? I can see myself eating these while watching a movie, or taking it on the go.

The smooth milk chocolate forms the bitesize cup, the inside is filled with a gooey, chewy caramel. I find the flavor to be very rich, yet not overwhelming. The texture is very smooth, with a melt-in-my-mouth goodness. It also definetly lives up to it's name, it's very, VERY chewy. Though not necessarily the worst food trait possible, but... Some effort will be required to get this treat out of your teeth. That's okay though, the exquisite flavor makes it worth it. A must buy!

~Rachael

Buy this snack! :)

News: Doritos October Flavors and Asylum 626!

2009-10-06T11:55:00.001-07:00

Frito Lay recently announced on their Snack Blog that they are bringing back two flavors to celebrate Halloween! :) These discontinued flavors getting the resurrection treatment are : Doritos Black Pepper Jack and Doritos Smokin' Hot Cheddar BBQ! They'll be back on shelves throughout October for a limited time only, and will feature cross functionality with the immersive Halloween themed Asylum 626 website. You'll be able to scan a marker image on the back(with a webcam) to unlock new content on the website.

The idea is really interesting, and the cross functionality adds a really unique experience for anyone looking to get immersed in the sequel to last years online offering, Hotel 626. Check it out! We're going to see if we can get our hands on these flavors to review for you guys. Props to the Doritos team for keeping their October lineup relevant and interesting. :) The slogan also makes these Doritos nice and eye catching: "They're back...Enter the UNKNOWN!"

-Sirio

Frito Lay Snack Blog

Asylum 626

Kettle Brand Spicy Thai Chips!

2009-10-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

This week we review another Kettle brand chip, the Spicy Thai flavor. Its an exciting concept, as from what we could tell there's never been any such flavor. However I kept a clamp on my excitement due to previous dissapointments we experienced with some other chips that promised bold flavor but underwhelmed in every way.

What made us pick this up from the grocery aisle? The packaging on this one screamed out to us, with a bright reddish orange bag that stood out from everything around it. Its funny how little this color is used in the chip aisle, but it worked. The Kettle bags are nice as always, with their pleasant matte finish. I don't really know why I enjoy such a simple aspect of the packaging so much, but I guess it comes down to simply doing things differently.

I opened the bag expecting really reddish chips but they looked quite normal! But man, flavor wise these blew me away. Fantastic. They have the typical very handmade look of other Kettle Chips, but the spice on this one was very surprising. After biting down on one of these chips you get a very sweet flavor, that climaxes into a spicy and tangy finish. That spicy flavor though was so distinctly Thai that we had to discuss exactly what it reminded us of. After having a few it just popped into my head, ginger! It had the exact same flavor profile of eating ginger, a sweet start that builds up into a very distinct and spicy flavor. Kettle, you nailed it on the head! These are probably my new favorite chips.

The mix of delicious, crunchy chip and fantastic seasoning amount to an exotic and delicious experience. Once we have a hall of fame I'll be sure to indict this as one of our top faves! :D

-Sirio

Buy this snack! :)

San Pellegrino Aranciata(Orange Soda)!

2009-10-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

From Italian company San Pellegrino, purveyors of plenty of drinks comes this classic that has become pretty mainstream stateside in the last few years. The Aranciata(Orange drink in Italian) has been a drink I've enjoyed plenty over the last few years. For some reason I've felt that orange soda over the last few years has on the most part been neglected by the drink industry, and this beverage has come along to fill that void.

Its a superb orange drink, mildly fizzy and not too sweet with sharp citrusy flavors. Its refreshing, tangy, and could be considered a gourmet soda thanks to aspects like the excellent packaging and the Italian spring water base.In terms of packaging, this soda does an excellent job of really making every can feel special. The tops of these cans are covered with an aluminum slip that prevents any dirt from collecting on the tops. The can itself features a nice mix of colors that make it really eye catching in a grocery aisle. San Pellegrino definitely put alot of effort into making the packaging appealing and it shows!

In this overly sugared age of orange sodas, this one definitely stands out from the crowd for being really well balanced flavor wise and its excellent packaging. A must try for anyone looking for a good, refreshing orange flavored soda! :)

-Sirio

Buy this snack! :)

Loacker Quadratini Hazelnut Bite Size Wafer Cookies!

2009-10-05T01:08:00.000-07:00

We just can't seem to get away from hazelnut. There is just something so delicious, so satisfying about it. Today we are checking out Loacker Hazelnut Quadratini Bite Size Wafer Cookies. Originating in Italy, it is now sold in 80 countries, including the US. It features all natural ingredients: no artificial colors, no artificial flavors, and no preservatives.

These wafers come in a shiny, fire engine red bag. The bag is resealable by folding the bag down, and securing with reusuable sticky tape. Though perhaps not quite as efficient as a zip-lock seal, it is still useful in keeping our treats decently secured. The Quadratini name is right on (Quadratini meaning small, squares in Italian), they are the perfect bite size, roughly a square inch each.

As I grabbed a piece, I immediately noticed how light they were. The air-light wafers are layered with an equally light hazelnut cream filling. I was kind of expecting a super sugary taste, but I was surprised to find the sweetness subdued. There is just enough sweetness to satisfy, without overdoing it. This snack was just begging to be enjoyed with a glass of nice cold milk, or if you wanted to kick that up a notch, you could make that chocolate milk. Awesome snack! Be on the lookout for these!

~Rachael

Buy this snack! :)

Pringles: Loaded Baked Potato!

2009-10-04T05:09:00.000-07:00

After our last review of the Pringles brand Mozzarella Stick & Marinara chips I felt a little uneasy trying a new flavor, the Loaded Baked Potato Pringle. However I'm happy to say this flavor, both in concept and execution worked much better.

The packaging was the usual, classic and tubular Pringles shape with a more brown, spud like color reminiscent of the outside of a fresh baked potato. :) The Super Stack feature was still there, with a nice stack of 100 chips. Upon opening this I was treated with the same potato smell, but no surprise there! Flavor wise I set out to see how many ingredients of an actual loaded baked potato I could detect: Butter, sour cream, bacon bits, chives, and possibly cheese. I tried the first one and was met with a nice smoky flavor with a very bacon-y finish, followed by a tinge of sour cream. I still haven't been disappointed by any bacon flavored snack, and this is no exception.

It definitely succeeded in delivering a baked potato like flavor, but not so much every component of a completely loaded spud. Its pretty good, and worth a try. If you liked the Sour Cream and Onion flavor this is pretty reminiscent, but with a bacon twist. Maybe one of you guys will find that elusive chive flavor in your tube! Recommended.

Buy this snack :)

Snack News: Bubble Chocolate!

2009-10-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

We just got word about 'Bubble Chocolate,' a new chocolate product that promises to deliver a unique taste experience. Their aerated chocolate is supposed to deliver a light and airy melt in mouth chocolate experience! The concept seems quite unique and we've never seen such a thing stateside. The bars will be delivered in two varieties: Bubble Dark featuring 60% cocoa and Bubble Milk, featuring a creamier melt in your mouth flavor.

The idea seems novel and exciting, and thanks to the aerated concept these bars tend to be a little healthier without any compromise of chocolatey flavor. It seems this process involves filling the chocolate bars with lots of tiny air bubbles to provide a very light yet decadent chocolate experience. We've already contacted the Massachusetts based Bubble Chocolate to see if we can get some samples for review! :) The product premiered in US markets on September 15.

Bubble Chocolate

Twix PB!

2009-10-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

Twix has been a snack that’s never disappointed with its great mix of caramel, crunchy cookie and milk chocolate exterior taking you through a gamut of flavors and textures. This one offers a different experience for peanut butter lovers with some of the familiarity of eating a standard Twix. The Peanut Butter variety of Twix was first introduced in 1983 till 1997, and then reintroduced in 2000. In terms of what it does different from the last generation of PB Twix, it replaces the standard cookie with a chocolate one. We can see why they chose to revisit this aspect of the snack to make it a little more different from normal Twix.

PB Twix comes in red packaging and contains two thin bars. First thing I noticed after opening this package was the pleasant peanut butter smell I was greeted with. It was somewhat reminiscent of a Reese's cup smell, but with a minor hint of milk chocolate. After biting into one of these I experienced the really yummy milk chocolate exterior, followed by the crunch of the chocolate cookie and a really strong peanut butter finish. :) Thanks to the peanut butter it has a lightly salty finish, which is kind of different in a good way.

While trying this I imagined this is the result of what would happen if a Twix and a Peanut Butter cup were cross bred. Its a really delicious mix of a cookie, chocolate and good old peanut butter. If you like peanut buttery snacks, you'll definitely want to check this out!

Buy this snack :)

Mexican Coca Cola(Real Sugar)!

2009-10-02T02:41:00.001-07:00

Mexican Coca Cola reminds me of everything that makes a Coca Cola product good: A classic glass bottle, real cane sugar, and a good old does of nostalgia. Flavor wise the difference is quite noticeable, with a much cleaner flavor and with much less of a bad aftertaste.

The bottle as well is a nice throwback, and it makes for a very satisfying drinking experience to have one of these after letting them chill in the freezer for a few minutes. :) They're not that hard to find, we've found them in 7-11's, World Markets and other places. But to be honest its kind of ironic that Coca Cola hasn't considered a product in the style of the cane sugar Pepsi Throwback. Oh well, we'll make do with Mexican coke in the meanwhile! Highly recommended.

Buy this snack :)

Baked Ruffles: Cheddar and Sour Cream!

2009-10-02T02:33:00.001-07:00

The baked line by Frito-Lay has made me a much happier camper in general. The flavor on every Baked snack they have offered has been consistently solid, and this one is no different. Actually, this one might be my new favorite. I always preferred Ruffles over Lays in the original line thanks to the ridged nature of the chip that made it a great textural pairing with say, a turkey sandwich. This version of Ruffles maintains the same texture while still delivering bold flavor and a much crunchier bite. There's something I enjoy about matte finished bags in general and the packaging on this one delivers as well with appealing colors and layout.

Flavor wise it has a nice and tangy sour bite followed by a nearly buttery, cheddar flavor. The baked nature makes these great to snack on while multitasking thanks to literally no form of greasy residue. These are really a great example of making a product healthier without sacrificing flavor. My mind was blown after looking at the nutritional label, yours will be too! (In a good way). These are fantastic by themselves or with a sandwich and I really loved the textural quality, flavor and crunch of this solid offering. Its been great to see this line expand and introduce even more delicious baked varieties of the classics. A must have!

Buy this snack :)

Twizzlers Nibs!

2009-10-01T01:49:00.000-07:00

Today we review a simple reimagining of a classic candy, Twizzlers Nibs! Seems like someone at Hershey’s decided to make Twizzlers much easier to eat on the go, and we commend them for that! For anyone not familiar, Twizzlers are licorice based snacks that come in various flavors. These nibs were the classic Cherry flavor and came in a simple pocket sized package.

They are small yet deliver the same experience flavor and texture wise as a full size Twizzler: Soft and chewy with a really delicious cherry flavor. The flavor packed in these little bites make them quite addictive and the size was just right for grabbing a handful. We enjoyed every nib, and the unnaturally red tongues we developed after eating a few of these.

Buy this snack :)

LU Petit Ecolier Dark Chocolate Cookies!

2009-10-01T00:18:00.001-07:00

Ah, how I love snacks that go well with a glass of milk or tea. These gourmet European treats take a simple butter cookie and add a new dimension of flavor that brought me to a happy place. A nice dark chocolate coating on top featuring an embossing of the ecolier(french for schoolboy).

There were a few varieties of this product including milk chocolate, 45% dark and 75% dark. We went with the happy middle, so we could enjoy a very pleasant mild bitterness after each bite. These cookies are really pretty to look at, each featuring the intricate and pretty detailed schoolboy on the chocolate part. Upon taking a bite you experience the crunchiness of the cookie mixed with the melt in your mouth chocolate, and I loved every moment of it. After you dip a few of these in some milk you end up with a nice glass of chocolate milk(we loved that added bonus). These cookies are a rich, decadent treat that really made our day. Only con is the price, they're not cheap but the quality speaks for itself. Two thumbs way up!

Buy this snack :)

Snack News: Mentos reveals Aqua Kiss gum!

2009-10-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands based Perfetti van Melle company(Behind Mentos and Chupa Chups, among a few others) has just announced that it will be premiering a new and stylish gum line known as Aqua Kiss. Two flavors have been announced, Pacific and Hawaiian. The idea behind the redesign is to increase product visibility and make the brand more eye catching.

The idea is interesting yet from a first glance this new direction seems to share a lot with stylish Five gum that Wrigley introduced in the summer of 2007. It'll be interesting to see how this new twist on the Mentos gum line will be marketed and received by the public.

Kettle Brand Potato Chips: Yogurt & Green Onion!

2009-09-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

We are all familiar with potato chips. A lot of us had them packed in our lunch boxes, or served at parties and BBQ's. The standard potato chip is one of the most common snack foods around. Now kick that up a notch, and add a twist. Make 'em gourmet! That's where Kettle Brand Potato Chips come in. First made in 1982, the Kettle Brand has sought out to produce a natural, tasty snack. There is no trans fat, no preservatives, nothing artificial. Only pure, savory flavor. For our first review of the Kettle Brand Potato Chips, I decided to start with the Yogurt & Green Onion flavor.

The chips are packaged in a eye-catching jade green, matte finished bag. After grabbing a chip, one of the first things I notice is how homemade they appear. Unlike standard potato chips, I can easily tell that what I'm looking at is a slice of a real potato. Not something overly processed. They are deliciously crunchy, with varying levels of texture and toast. I felt like it indicated that the makers took great care and pride in producing a quality product.

The taste was basically a stronger version of the sour cream & onion flavor. It was the sour cream, or in this case the yogurt, flavor that really stood out to me. I initially felt it to be perhaps a little too strong, but I can happily say it quickly grew on me. This is one delicious chip! We can't wait to try all of the varieties offered by the Kettle Brand. Very highly recommended!

Buy this snack :)

Yan Yan Choco Cream Snack!

2009-09-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

For some reason, there seems to be this draw to snacks that we can dip. From chips and salsa, to soft pretzels and warmed cheese, people love their dipping snacks. Sweet dipping snacks, however, seem to be a bit overlooked in the US. Luckily, Yan Yan Choco Cream Snack is one of those finds that satisfies a sweet tooth, and the want to dip.

Packaged in a red, plastic cylinder, this sweet treat features two compartments: One contains the long, very mildy sweet "cripsy cracker sticks". The other contains the very smooth, milk chocolate cream. The cripsy cracker sticks alone are rather bland, but that's ok, because it's not meant to be eaten alone. The chocolate cream is what delivers the flavor. The cracker sticks are essentially a means to a decadent end. There is, however, an interesting bonus to the cracker sticks: each one features an embossing of a different animal, and an appropriate message. Examples include "Horse: Gallop Away", and "Mouse: Do Not Be Timid". Though I don't really understand the reason or purpose to these messages, they are nonetheless fun.Not only is this snack a satisfying sweet dipping snack, but it is a yummy snack in general. Perfect for watching a movie, or hanging out and relaxing. Though not necessarily recommended while multitasking with your hands, as this snack can be ever so slightly messy, if one is dipping haphazardly. These are much easier to find nowadays, so be on the lookout. Two thumbs up!

Buy this snack :)

Not so good: Pringles Mozzarella Sticks & Marinara Flavor!

2009-09-29T23:46:00.001-07:00

I've always been a fan of Pringles and its large variety of flavors, but today we ran into an odd new line known as Restaurant Cravers. I decided to pick it up out of the sheer niche quality of this offering, Mozzarella Sticks & Marinara. What wierded me out is how they would translate the concept of a mozzarella stick, with its very memorable crispy outside and gooey interior into a chip format. I was skeptical and had every right to be.

The packaging is nice enough, featuring a darker colored tube with red labels exclaiming its 'Restaurant Cravers' line as well as the 'Super Stack' feature(meaning there are 100 chips in each tube). Opening it though I was faced with what looked like any Pringle, except with tiny red flecks after a closer inspection. They also smelled like any other Pringle, with no noticeable hints of zesty marinara, or mozzarella stick or appetizer flavors.

I popped the first one in and proceeded to notice that it had an incredibly mild tomato flavor, but was missing just about everything else. Baffled that the mozzarella stick flavor was completely absent, I kept trying one after the other to make sure it wasn't just the first chip or two that lacked what it said it would have. The result was disappointing and the concept itself in my opinion, was flawed to begin with. The idea of translating a gooey, yummy appetizer, which in itself is mostly a textural experience just doesn't translate into potato chip format. If you're considering trying these, just get ready for Pringles: Marinara because there's no cheesy flavor to be found in this sad tube of chips.

Snack News: Breyers Introducing Cinnamon Bun Yogurt Snack!

2009-09-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

We just learned that the Colorado based Breyers Yogurt Co. is adding a very yummy sounding flavor, Cinnamon Bun to its yogurt line this month (combining the flavor of rich cinnamon and sweet icing). From reading on their website, it’s 100 percent fat-free, fortified with extra helpings of vitamins A and D and calcium, has 70 percent less sugar (only 7g of sugar per serving) and 50 percent fewer calories than the leading low-fat sweetened yogurt.

We're excited to hear about this flavor, and hope that the fat free tag doesn't completely sacrifice flavor. It seems to be a completely new flavor for yogurt products, the closest being the Apple Turnover flavor from Yoplait. We hope to snag one of these soon at the local grocery store to review for you guys! Be on the lookout for these.

Kinder Bueno Chocolate Bites!

2009-09-28T23:11:00.001-07:00

From Ferrero, the same company that brought you Ferrero Rocherand Nutella, also brings you Kinder Bueno Chocolate bites. Purchased from a local Italian grocery store here in Seattle, we bought this with high hopes. Having been lifelong fans of both Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, we were very excited to try this product. And we weren't disappointed.

Kinder Bueno comes in a candy bar sized package, each containing about eight pieces of chocolate hazelnut goodness. Pieces are connected, and easily broken off from each other. Smooth, rich chocolate covers thin wafers and the unbelievably light hazelnut cream. Popping each one in our mouth, we quickly recognized that heavenly flavor, while savoring a new sort of texture. Before we knew it, the bag was empty, and we were left with only a chocolate memory.
This snack is essentially a lighter, softer version of Ferrero Rocher, in terms of flavor. The small, bitesize pieces makes snacking on this treat all too easy. Which can be a good thing or a bad thing, dependng on your perspective. Regardless, this snack was beyond delicious. It is almost pillowy soft, and quickly melts in your mouth. The only con? It also melts in your hand just as quickly. Highly recommended!

Buy this snack :)

Kasugai Mixed Nuts!

2009-09-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

While perusing our local Japanese grocery store here in Seattle, we came across Kasugai Mixed Nuts. What drew us to the this particular package was the colorful variety of nuts pictured on the front. Not to mention the introduction "A Happy Present from The Earth". Who doesn't like presents, especially happy ones? We were happy to give this one a go.

We opened the yellow, square bag, and surveyed the snack inside. Before us was a selection of nuts, in both different textures and colors. Choices varied from the large sesame and nori seaweed covered nuts, to the small sweetly coated nuts. The crunchy wasabi peas added a green pop of color to the assortment, though the taste a bit subdued. As a whole, the taste of this snack was mild and even. It's something we could find ourselves enjoying with a cold beer or any other cold, crisp beverage.While we were perhaps expecting to experience some stronger, specifically spicier flavors, we were nonetheless pleased with this snack. If you are a fan of the sweet and salty combination, this snack is definetly a winner. It is easily one of those snacks that you could find yourself finishing with little effort. Good for any time, whether it be at your desk at work, or during a movie at home.

Buy this snack :)

Snack News: Kraft Announces Toblerone Tobelle!

2009-09-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

Kraft just announced today that they would be premiering a new concept for the Toblerone line called 'Toblerone Tobelle' at the Cannes TFWA event (Tax and duty free retail expo basiscally). The 'Tobelle' take on Toblerone will feature thin triangular pieces of Toblerone chocolate while maintaining the same delicious flavor of milk chocolate, honey and almond nougat.

I'm honestly pleased to hear about this because Toblerone hasn't really done much new with their product in quite a few years now aside from their Toblerone Fruit and Nut, which is also quite delicious. We've always loved the strong honey/milk chocolate flavor of Toblerone. This new format should also make it much easier to share with friends and snack on, which we find quite appealing. The new format also includes a triangular box with red and gold packaging which will definitely be an eye catcher once it launches. We'll be sure to try and get our hands on one of these for a review. :)

Soy Joy Gluten Free Bars!

2009-09-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

What happens when you take the goodness of soy and mix it with delicious fruits, nuts and chocolate? You get SoyJoy, our first gluten free review on Snack Overload! We're going to talk about two of their yummy baked bars, SoyJoy Peanut Chocolate Chip and SoyJoy Almond Raisin from their All Natural Fruit and Soy line. I'm honestly not much of a soy consumer but I found these to be pretty darn good and healthy too. They come in bars like Snickers would, with specks of fruit and nuts in them. The whole time I was eating these I kept thinking of cutting these up into small pieces and enjoying them with a glass of milk, because they reminded me of cookies in a good way.

The texture of these bars was a little chewy, a little mealy but it overall tasted great. The peanut chocolate chip bar had specks of nuts and other goodies in it with a yummy peanut flavor residing through the whole experience. The raisin almond bar had an immediate fruity smell before you even bit into it with a nice fruit flavor, with a subtle touch of almonds. Really reminded me of an oatmeal raisin cookie in terms of consistency and flavor, we think it might have had something to do with the baked nature of these bars(We're not complaining though). I preferred the peanut chocolate chip simply because of my love for any snack with a strong peanut taste. :)
In conclusion these SoyJoy bars are a definite must try even if you are new to the soy scene. It’s an interesting alternative to a chocolate bar and accommodates people's special dietary needs. They're also available in many other flavors to cater to everyones taste buds, like the more exotic Mango Coconut Bar. :) Recommended!

Buy this snack :)

Reese's Fast Break!

2009-09-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Do you like Reese's Peanut Butter cups? Do you like peanut butter in general? Well Reese's Fast Break bar might be the thing for you. It seems Hershey decided to take the classic peanut butter cup and turn into a bar format, allowing you to eat this on the go.

Packaging wise it's the typical orange format we're all used to with the addition of a nice blue stripe that caught our attention to begin with in the checkout aisle. This version of a Reese's product also adds nougat to the mix aside from the standard milk chocolate and peanut butter, adding a little bit of a twist to the typical flavor we're used to. In terms of flavor the bar tastes just like their peanut butter cup with a really rich chocolate and peanut butter flavor, but I could barely taste the nougat. After cutting open the bar it became obvious why, there was a small sliver of nougat under a mound of peanut butter which drowned out most of that flavor. I didn't mind as much, you could detect the subtle flavor of it in between bites.

What I've always liked about these Reese's products is the slightly salty aftertaste that comes after the sweet, and this bar features the same flavor profile. So in a nutshell, Reeses Fast Break Candy Bar is a really awesome choice if you don't like fiddling with the cups and prefer a much easier to eat version of a classic. It doesn't do much new, but at the same time why fix something that's not broken? Delicious and peanut buttery, just the way I've always liked it.

Buy this Snack :)

Glico Pocky Men's!

2009-09-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

Pocky has had a very successful run in the US and abroad with its simple, yet delicious formula: A crunchy pretzel stick dipped in delicious chocolate. While browsing the local Asian mart here in Seattle, we ran into an unusual new variety of the Pocky line, known as Pocky Men’s.

Having a female staff member here at Snack Overload(Our awesome contributor Rachael), we had to wonder; What was it that made this Pocky so masculine? We picked up the turquoise colored box and set out to unravel this mystery. This Pocky snack comes in the standard sized Pocky box, but with some minor aesthetic differences. It features a different color as mentioned before, as well as an odd blurb: “This combination of crispy pretzel and smooth dark chocolate brings a whole new flavor to fun.” Fun?

Flavor wise this version of Pocky has a much less milk chocolatey vibe than standard Pocky, instead featuring a sharp cocoa bite that while being quite pleasant, didn’t exactly come off as masculine. What exactly was the message being conveyed here? All men are bitter? I didn’t know how to feel about that. We let our female staff member try it out to see if she felt more masculine, unfortunately she felt quite the same.

Anyways masculine issues aside, Pocky Men’s is a nice change of pace from the sweet standard Pocky. If you’re a dark chocolate fan, you’ll definitely want to give these a shot.

Buy this snack :)

Boylan's Sugar Cane Cola!

2009-09-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

Boylan’s Sugar Cane Cola has a lot of things going on that we like: Its been around for 109 years, is free of any preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, has no sodium and features good ol’ fashioned cane sugar, a rarity in this day and age.

We picked up this bottle due to its distinctive yet classic glass bottle featuring an embossed ‘vintage soda’ blurb on the outside surface. There’s something really nice and nostalgic about having a frosty glass bottle in your hand compared to the typical plastic bottles we come across on a daily basis.

Upon taking our first swig the first thing we noticed was how clean the flavor was, lacking that typical odd aftertaste that high fructose drinks feature. It wasn’t overly sweet but it had that distinctive Cola taste that we all love. In terms of ingredients, Boylan’s understands that a little goes a long way. Staying away from artificial ingredients helps Boylan’s version of cola stand out in a big way from its grocery store counterparts. We commend them for sticking to their tried and true recipe and delivering a superior cola product. If you want a step up from high fructose, this is the drink to beat.

Buy this snack :)

Umaiwa Puffed Wheat Cheese Rings!

2009-09-25T01:10:00.000-07:00

We were unsure what to think of these snacks when they arrived to us, yet were nonetheless intrigued by the bizarre packaging. The chips featured what appeared to be a ‘Doraemon’ like character singing his heart out about these chips, and an odd tube spitting out more cheese rings onto a pile. The bag also featured an ad on the bottom left boasting about the size of some of their other products, which really made us fear that this rather large bag of chips might be an exercise in quantity over quality.

I cautiously opened the bag only to be treated by a very strange aroma. It definitely smelled cheesy but had a tang of something else to it. It took us a few minutes to determine what the smell reminded us of...Mushrooms. To be precise, it had the smell of Porcini mushrooms which really caught us off guard. An odd combination, but after tasting these wheat rings covered in tangy goodness, I can consider myself sold. The texture of these golden rings was nice too, featuring a nice crunchy bite.

We don’t think the bag was labeled with anything resembling a mushroom, but after we spent a few minutes trying out these tasty snacks we all agreed that it had a cheesy mushroom flavor. Definitely out there, but quite pleasant! Wacky packaging aside, these were solid cheese snacks with an interesting twist to their flavor. Worth a try for sure! Find these at your local Asian mart!

Buy this snack :)

Guylian Chocolate Seashell Pralines!

2009-09-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

Belgian companyGuylian have made quite a name for themselves for their incredibly decadent Seashell Praline line over the years, a delicious meld featuring a blend of Belgian white, milk and dark chocolate filled with roasted hazelnut praline. Each seashell is meticulously crafted to represent various shells and sea creatures, including seahorses and clamshells.

This pack is the perfect snack size, holding 3 yummy confections of these shells which are easy to pop into your mouth one at a time. They melt instantly in your hand and even faster in your mouth, the flavor transitioning from a really wonderful chocolate flavor to an intense, sweet hazelnut cream. This is the type of snack to savor as long as you can before letting it go, and will fill you with all kinds of warm and fuzzy feelings. :)

A personal favorite of mine since being in Europe, I’m happy to see these offered in most mid to high end grocery stores. Pricier, but worth every penny!

Buy this snack :)

Snack Overload Flu Edition: Ricola Cough Drops!

2009-09-24T03:32:00.000-07:00

Alright! So we’re approaching October, and getting ever so closer to the dreaded flu season. As a result we’ve decided to focus on one of the better cough drops on the US market, the Swiss made Ricola cough drops. Having had the flu recently thanks to a friend, I thought I’d mention in case any reader of this blog is unfortunate enough to catch the bug this season.

Though not considered a snack of course, if sick you’ll be literally snacking on these for a quick fix to relieve any annoying cough and sinuses. In terms of flavors we had our hands on menthol and mixed berry, with Vitamin C. Menthol offers a really nice strong kick and minty flavor that really clears out your sinuses, like having some horse radish. Starts out light then hits you hard, which is actually nice and refreshing. The mixed berry flavor is much milder and definitely for people not in the mood for getting their butts kicked by a cough drop. Fruitier and much smoother, the mixed berry Ricola is also quite soothing drop for anyone experiencing cough symptoms, providing relief when it’s most needed.These babies can be found relatively cheap at most common grocery stores/pharmacies! We wish everyone a flu free season!

Buy this snack :)

Loud Truck Energy Gummies!

2009-09-24T01:47:00.001-07:00

We’re really surprised we never heard of these snacks before, but I can already tell any gamer out there who spends long hours playing that these will make your day! We picked these up at a specialty store and they really caught our eye with their clean design and appealing colors on the packaging.

The basic gist of these gummies is that each pack contains plenty of energy via various boosting vitamins such as B12 and C. There are two types, a milder Citrus Blast Gummy and the ‘one pack is one energy drink’ Red Blast Maximum. They look like gummy bears but in terms of similarities they end right about there. Upon opening one of these bad boys I was greeted by an incredibly strong energy drink smell that really resembled a Monster Energy beverage. In terms of flavor, imagine what would happen if someone solidified your favorite liquid drink into a chewy gummy. Good stuff!
I enjoyed the flavor and they definitely do their job, providing a nice boost with no crash just as they claim. It’s up to you to choose what you need though. Citrus Blast for a lighter jump start to your day, or the energy drink stuffed into a cute gummy Red Blast! You can get these direct from their website in boxes of 12 or 24 at a reasonable price. For such a fun idea being pulled off so well, definitely recommended!

Buy this snack :)

Not so good: Baby Star Crispy Chicken Noodle Snack!

2009-09-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen, and it’s bound to happen again due to the nature of this blog. We’re going to run into that occasional bad apple here at Snack Overload! And so, we will begin our ‘Not so good’ section with dried chow-mein like snacks.

There are so many red flags on this bag, yet we decided to try them anyhow. The brand name itself doesn’t help. The jaundiced child on the front seemed to claim that these were chicken flavored yet upon opening and trying one of these crispy noodles all that was left was an aftertaste of sadness and disappointment. Due to their small size and consistency of broken dried spaghetti, you’re bound to make a mess trying to get these out of the bag to begin with. They also tasted like burnt bread, which didn’t remind us of chicken at all.
The only thing I could think of after choking down my first and last handful of baby star snacks was the flavor betrayal I was experiencing. Avoid at all costs.

Snack Overload! on Twitter

2009-09-23T23:27:00.000-07:00

Have an account on Twitter? Looking to be kept up to date with our latest blog updates and news? Follow us on our Twitter page or RSS feed! We'll do our best to keep it really entertaining. :)

Suntory Gokuri Graperfuit Drink!

2009-09-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

This beverage definitely proved to me that you should always expect a surprise when randomly choosing between Japanese drinks. This Gokuri drink caught my eye with its nice blue metallic bottle and pleasant grapefruit pic on the front. It was classified as a 'non carbonated soft drink,' so I thought I'd give it a try. The nice thing about these aluminum bottles is how well they chilled. I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes before consuming it to get it really nice and frosty.

Upon opening the bottle I was treated to a really pleasant grapefruit aroma, a fruit that I've really enjoyed drinking in the past in juice form. However, upon drinking I was caught off guard by the texture which was anything but smooth. I stopped drinking and looked down only to realize that it contained pieces of actual grapefruit. The weird thing is hows its labeled as 'fruit fiber' on the back, which led me to question if it was actual fruit or some bizarro facsimile. After realizing that I kept drinking and was able to enjoy it.

This version of Gokuri had a really natural grapefruit flavor minus the overly bitter finish typically associated with the fruit. The pieces of fruit might not be for everyone, but it was interesting to experience mild chewing and drinking at the same time. I can see people who don't like grapefruits bitterness enjoying this happy middle of a beverage.

The packaging and flavors make this a pretty good exotic beverage to seek out. Enjoy the party in your mouth! Come in different flavors too!

Buy this snack :)

Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips!

2009-09-23T02:19:00.000-07:00

I found these chips in various smoothie/health stores and decided to finally pick them up. I've always been a big fan of simple snacks, so these really called out to me.

They're a humble, yet flavorful snack. These chips involve cut pita strips which are baked with a dash of sea salt. These chips offered a simple, but bold flavor that was very memorable. They're crunchy with specks of sea salt on each chip, and I found myself wondering how many different things these would go amazing with. At the same time, they stood amazingly well on their own.

I tried these chips with tuna salad, hummus, smoked salmon and various dips and was pleased every single time. These chips will make you appreciate how good a snack with so few ingredients can be. :) I found that what their website said is quite true, "perfect with anything, perfect without anything." Two thumbs up!

Buy this snack :)

Nongshim Chicken Snack! (Korean!)

2009-09-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

These were contributed by a local asian market and were quite curious. Never had the chance to try Korean snack foods, so this is a first on Snack Overload! Our first non drink foreign snack review. What got me about these is the packaging, featuring a pretty angry looking stylized chicken. The way the box opened puzzled me for a few minutes until I realized what it was trying to do, resemble a fried chicken take out box.

When you open the box flap it featured a small comic about a chicken involved in some hijinks with a chef and some sort of explorer(You can guess who won at the end). I'm guessing this was a snack designed for kids. The idea is that you open the small bag inside and dump it into the faux takeout box. Its a pretty fun idea and makes it easier to snack on these drumstick shaped snacks, rather than picking them out of a bag one by one.

The flavor and texture of these chicken snacks was a little unusual, the only thing I could relate them to are mild Funyuns, with a really mild chicken flavor. These snacks are small and hollow with a nice golden brown color, each one resembling a yummy drumstick. They were crunchy, mild and kept reminding me of Funyuns! Its the first thing you'll taste after biting into these, followed by that chicken-y flavor. I enjoyed them but was expecting a much stronger, spicy chicken flavor from judging the box(it featured flaming drumsticks..LIES!). Worth a try nonetheless. Find them at your local Asian mart!

Ostrim Natural Beef & Ostrich Stick!

2009-09-22T13:53:00.001-07:00

These ostrim snack sticks are a product I ran into at a smoothie store a few weeks back. Not knowing what to expect I picked one up simply out of the label saying it contained ostrich. They're decently sized, perfectly snack sized for a mid day craving for something a little meatier. They resemble a pepperoni stick and come in an eye catching gold wrapper.

In terms of flavor I had no idea what to expect, but upon first bite the first thing I noticed is the lack of that typically greasy, gristly flavor that alot of beef/snack sticks tend to possess. It has more of a nice, firm texture with a spicy bite and really nice hints of garlic and seasoning that make it quite delicious. It has a nice, strong meaty taste, and the ostrich contributes an interesting albeit different and more beefy flavor. Another thing thats great is that these are 96% fat free and have no preservatives/nitrates, and actually taste waay better than most grocery/convenience store offerings. I'd definitely reccomend these for any snack stick/jerky lover out there. Amazing flavor, the exotic meat flavor and great seasoning make this a must try.

They're a little harder to find in stores, but are readily found online. Theres lots of other Ostrim flavors too! Teriyaki, Pepper and BBQ varieties are also available.

Buy this snack :)

Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk!

2009-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite breakfast, or late night snack drinks. Horizon has done us a service by offering a superior version of boxed chocolate milk, free of bizzaro preservatives and color while also maintaing a rich, sweet cocoa taste! I've enjoyed these as a breakfast drink on multiple occasions and have always come out refreshed. The juice box like nature of the drink adds a certain nostalgic appeal to it, but it holds its own ground with its really delicious chocolatey taste.

Due to their organic nature you can find these in any organic section of your supermarket. They've become a bit more mainstream since the word got out about them, when they were mostly found at Whole Foods Markets. Give this drink a shot if you want to enjoy a yummier, easily portable chocolate milk. The only downfall to these cartons is that I wish they were bigger! (There are full milk carton sizes) :)

Buy this snack :)

Kukuruza Gourmet Popcorn!

2009-09-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Kukuruza Popcorn is a local Seattle based gourmet popcorn maker thats been around for a few years now, creating all kinds of amazingly flavored popcorn to cater to every taste bud there might be! Having personally gone to their store regularly to pick up their amazing caramel corn for our office on various occasions, I've learned the difference between store bought and truly gourmet popcorn.

Offering 25 flavors ranging from naturally air popped, to the classic butter or caramel corn(my absolute favorite), to the very decadent cookies n' cream or rocky road popcorn varieties. If you ever have a chance to drop by Seattle and visit the store, an amazingly sweet aroma hits you the second you step in the store, only to be greeted to a grand spread of all colors and varieties of popcorn. Kukuruza takes great care into using only the best ingredients for their popcorn: The finest caramel made by hand, top of the line cashews, pecans and almonds, and fine chocolate to be drizzled on the flavor of your choice. They have also introduced a new line recently called "After 5," possibly the first alcohol popcorn line for adults!

The caramel corn I mentioned earlier is my favorite because it is hands down the best I've ever had the chance to try. The caramel is light and sugary with a mild smoky flavor, and once you start its hard to stop. Every time I've shared these at our office the bag disappears by the end of the day. Let that quality speak for how good this popcorn is.

I've had the chance to take home their lovely bags and tins for various occasions and this popcorn really stands heads above the competition. They also deliver internationally! Go check out their website and see what the fuss is about.

Buy this snack :)

Bagel Bites: Three Cheese!

2009-09-22T00:42:00.001-07:00

This might be a no brainer to most of you readers, but this is truly the king of grocery store frozen aisle snacks. I avoided these for years thinking they were just another one of those typically not so good pizza rolls till a friend got me to try these. I've since changed my mind in a drastic manner.

These bagel bites possess possibly the best, and most authentic pizza flavor of anything I've tried from a frozen aisle section. As an Italian I'll tell you, if you need a pizza snack this is as good as it gets. Top these with a little bit of oregano and you're in flavor heaven. The idea behind these is simple enough, just 9 bite sized half bagels topped with tomato sauce and 3 cheeses that can be microwaved in 3 minutes to bubbling cheese goodness.

What really separates bagel bites from the pack though is how good the ingredients are. The tomato sauce tastes genuinely tomato-y, and you can distinguish the individual three cheeses (A nice combo of mozzarella, monterey jack and cheddar). You couldn't ask for more! This is one of the few snacks I'd even consider buying frozen, and considering that they are very affordable and easy to prepare..A real winner for any snacker out there. They also come in different flavors aside from the three cheese: Cheese & Pepperoni, Cheese, Sausage and Pepperoni, Mozzarella, and the Supreme!

If you haven't tried these or been reluctant..Seriously, reconsider after hearing this: A tray of bagel bites is reported to have less fat, calories and sugar than a PB&J. Enjoy. :)

Alice's Stick Cookies!

2009-09-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

For our first artisan snack review, I wanted to cover Alice's Stick Cookies, a truly amazing biscotti like cookie which really blew our minds here at SnackOverload. I got a chance to try the vanilla flavored version of these cookie with some tea and instantly fell in love.

These cookies are rich, buttery and complex. Its an amazing transition from vanilla to a toffee finish, and the cookie, despite its semi firm exterior just melts in your mouth instantly. Absolutely not what I expected from a cookie that looked like a rigid biscotti on first glance. Dipped in tea, milk, or just alone..These cookies left a very positive impression on everyone who had a chance to try them. They're delicate and delicious, moist and pure awesome!

These are a little harder to find and little pricier, but worth every penny. There's other flavors we haven't had the chance to try, like Orange Chocolate, Lemon and other delicious flavors. These cookies are handmade with a lot of love, and it shows! A must try.

Buy this snack :)

Post Vanilla Almond Cereal!

2009-09-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

You ever had a handful of cereal as a quick snack? Theres just a few varieties of cereal that have always fit that role so well for me, when needing something quick on the go. This most recent offering by Post(Its not even listed on their website just yet) offers a very appealing combination of flavors that really goes well together.

Vanilla and Almond is a new flavor combination that works incredibly well with the shredded wheat format and really makes for an easy snacking solution. I found myself nibbling on these during random points of the day and taking them to work as well for a quick snack. The things I really liked about this cereal especially was that the flavor was just right, not too sugary as is common with some other cereals and the pleasant crunchy texture. The vanilla adds an amazing mildly ice-creamy flavor with a great nutty finish courtesy of those almonds. The size is also just right, making it very satisfying to pop one of these in your mouth and enjoy.

Now lets not forget these also go great with milk. :) Any cereal snacker will definitely get a kick out of these. Lets not forget that these are delicious, nutritious and full of fibery goodness!

Ferrero Rocher Chocolates!

2009-09-21T10:11:00.001-07:00

Being originally from Italy, the company Ferrero has been a daily part of my staple with their various delicious products. Mainly Nutella and Ferrero Rocher. Its been great to finally see Ferrero Rocher introduced to the US market in a more mainstream manner. These little morsels have a creamy chocolate filling around a whole hazelnut neatly lodged in the center surrounded by a crisp wafter, enveloped in milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts! Thats quite a mouthful. Now immagine eating one of these. :)

The progression of flavors on these yummy bitefuls is really wonderful, from the crunchy outside texture to the delicious creamy hazelnut texture inside. Its a chocolate thats been perfected over the years. As to how they're presented, theres definitely alot of care take to make them look great. Each chocolate comes individually wrapped in a gold wrapper with a small sticker that says 'Ferrero Rocher.' Every time you're eating one of these it feels special, and you don't want to rush the experience. Rather, its the type of small chocolate where you'd rather take small bites and make it last as long as possible.

So in terms of finding these, its much easier these days. I was able to find these in small packs of 3 at the checkout lane for under $2. If you're feeling decadent, these are the perfect Italian chocolates to try.

Flat Earth Tangy Tomato Ranch Chips!

2009-09-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

I first had a chance to try the Flat Earth offerings at a friends house when they were first released in stores a few years back. I have to say that these are my current favorite chips to mix with a box lunch, just thanks to the really good flavor. If you're a fan of tomato and the mild tang of ranch in your chips, these will really surprise you. They have a pleasant ridged texture and the flavor doesn't overwhelm. I remember being skeptical about these chips until I tried my first one and experienced an explosively pleasant tomato flavor. They're pretty easy to find as most grocery stores now carry them, compared to a few years back where they were most available at higher end stores.

Another awesome thing about these chips is that eating them is supposed to translate nutritionally to eating a serving of veggies. These chips have a nice perky serving of Vitamin C and are baked as well, which I wouldn't have guessed from when I tried them. The only thing I'd say is that these pair better with water rather than soda. Thumbs up to Flat Earth for making these awesome veggie crisps. I look forward to trying their other flavors.

UCC Coffee with Milk!

2009-09-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

UCC Coffee is a staple of quite a few Japanese people looking for a quick buzz in the morning. This drink is a nice mix of sweet milk and coffee in a very solid can that is best served chilled after giving it a good shake. From researching the drink it had a large surge in popularity upon being featured as the drink of choice in the now famous Evangelion series. They are readily sold in vending machines and local snack shops(Like 7-11, Sun Kus, AMPM) in Japan. There are a total of two can sizes, basically a fat and a slim version, one more like a Coke can whereas the other being more Red Bull sized, as in the limited EVA Coffee cans they had in 2007.

In terms of an anytime fix, it really helped during college during those late nights wrapping up projects. The flavor is pretty good, with a strong coffee taste but with enough milk that it won't overwhelm your taste buds or anything you might be snacking on. If you can find some at your local Asian import store, they're really good if paired with cookies or just about anything sweet. However, do not attempt to drink this with chips because it seems to react really horribly with anything salty. The one thing we found disappointing is the awful aftertaste that follows upon finishing a can. Upon finishing my first can I started to get a really bitter aftertaste which I had to promptly flush away with a good mouthwash rinse.

So UCC Coffee is a decent Japanese iced coffee, definitely the friendliest option for people who don't like the taste of straight coffee. Give it a shot, the price isn't too bad from looking around at online sources($1.50 a can was the minimum).

Sahale Sing Buri Cashews!

2009-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

So lets see here, these were given to me by a coworker on a day that I didn't have enough time to get lunch due to a crunchy schedule that we were on. I had never heard of Sahale snacks but was enticed enough to give these a go.

The packaging in itself was enticing enough to check these out. I was surprised I'd never heard of such a thing but I guess these are also a little hard to find in stores(Whole Foods and Amazon carry them). The mix was called Sing Buri, or looking at the blurb on the back:

Sing Buri - Lemongrass, soy glazed cashews, pineapple, peanuts, and sesame seeds lightly dusted with mild chinese chili make up this exceptional, aromatic blend reminiscent of a great Thai dish.

Now that is enticing enough for a go! The bag itself is really upscale and appealing so I opened them up and gave them a shot. Now the thing with cashews is that they are already pretty rich in themselves, so I wasn't sure what to expect with a whole new slathering of toppings on every cashew. I tried them and found them to be pretty good, exceptionally sweet with a mild spiciness to them. The sweet, spicy and salty flavors were all in pretty good harmony. They smelled really good and have an interesting and exotic nature to them, however I could only eat a few every time I picked up the bag due to how incredibly rich the cashews were with all the extra toppings.

I'd recommend these for very light snacking needs, but there's no way I could see anyone eating a bag of these in one sitting. However, these are definitely a great option if you want to upscale from the typical Planters brand blandness.

Pom Iced Coffee!

2009-09-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

In general I've had a bit of a mixed relationship with the POM drinks yet in this case I've found a lot to love with their most recent offering, the iced coffee variety. The first time I ran into these was while I was attending E3 earlier this year and these were being handed out quite liberally on the street. I was really surprised that they had decided to go the way of coffee after the pretty successful Pomegranate line they've offered.

Anyways, the flavor of these drinks was incredibly decadent and deep while being promoted as a health drink. The whole idea is that these drinks contain the same amount of antioxidants that their pomegranate drinks hold while having a delicious chocolatey coffee flavor(Promoted as POMx). The shape of the bottle too was really appealing to me as well and was comfy to hold and drink out of. Its the type of drink I'd really appreciate having rows of in my fridge simply due to their sleek design. The flavor on the one I tried(Chocolate) was really rich and satisfying, with a dark chocolate vibe that really gave me a good buzz and a full bodied coffee flavor. I fell in love with the drink at E3 and have been drinking it regularly on late nights, when the urge for a yummy chilled coffee drink comes in. There are three flavors: Chocolate, Cafe Au Lait and Vanilla.

Despite the slightly pricier tag(as with other Pom products), this is really worth a try. They're a little harder to find in stores but can be easily tracked down online. If you're a fan of canned or bottled iced coffees(Like Starbucks or UCC coffee), this definitely could be considered a solid contender. Two thumbs up from me.

Cheetos White Cheddar All Natural Puffs!

2009-09-20T03:12:00.000-07:00

When you think of Cheetos the first thing that pops into your head is the whole notion of 'Dangerously Cheesy.' Cheetos has set out to reach to a new crowd with the slightly more guilt free White Cheddar flavored Cheetos, preservative free and artificial color free among other things.

In terms of look and flavor they definitely have a different shape and texture, more airy and puffy than a typical cheeto. Upon opening the nicely designed bag(kudos to keeping Chester in there) they emit a really pleasant, natural cheddar aroma thats not too strong. Flavor wise its a real winner, after having a few of these tangy puffs I kept coming back for more. The flavor never grew overpowering as with some other cheese flavored chips I've tried. I had my doubts after picking these up for around $3.90 as to whether the difference would be noticeable.

However, I'm really happy to say that these Cheetos seriously kick butt. They're the perfect accompaniment with a good soda or sandwich while kicking back watching a movie or even some Xbox. Have to say that the amount of cheeto dust on these is significantly reduced, which really keeps the old habit of pant wiping out of the equation. Definitely a good substitute for standard Cheetos if you're looking for a healthier option while maintaining the trademark dangerously cheesy flavor.

Welcome to Snack Overload!

2009-09-20T03:02:00.000-07:00

I set out to start this blog in order to write about something I really enjoy, snacks. Snacks of any kind, be they salty, sweet, spicy or whatever other flavor. I've always set out to find that good quick fix that would take care of those hunger pangs. A few weeks ago I realized that there were no dedicated blogs to covering all those yummy snacks that us gamers, avid movie watchers and in general college/high schoolers gravitate towards.

This blog will cover whatever we can get our hands on, and I'll also be more than happy to review or talk about any reader recommendations. My hope is to eventually be able to tell you guys about up and coming snacks and promote this blog to the one stop for people craving reviews or news related to your favorite snacks. I hope you guys enjoy the blog and share your feedback to help make this blog the one stop shop for snack related news and articles.

Cheers,
Sirio (Snack Overlord)