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