One of the things i most enjoy on the internet is finding a review page comparing snack foods or beverages. It appeals to my obsession with other peoples collections, and my nostalgia for obscure treats. While catching up on Nenslopalooza today, i noticed Nenslo updated his Revista de Galletas Maria, a review of Maria cookies. Marias are a flat, round cookies originally produced in Europe in the late 1870's and quickly gained worldwide popularity. Today, at least in North America, we think of them as Mexican or Spanish cookies, but as this page shows, they are produced around the globe, with the Asian varieties usually called "Maries". Think animal crackers or arrowroot biscuits, sometimes with a little more sugar or vanilla in the mix. If that sounds good, they can be found in many places, you just haven't noticed them before - at K-Mart, Target or Meijer, at discount food stores, and at most dollar stores, sometimes two packs for a buck. Maybe it's an ethnic thing, but i'd agree with Nenslo that Mexico and particularly Spain make the best Marias, and he warns against the ones from Belarus!
While on the subject, let's point out a few other shiny snack sites on the web. Although Giant Robot printed the funniest and most comprehensive Asian beverage reviews, Jack Energy's site is one of the best drink rundowns i've seen. 8 Bit Joystick covers several of the most popular types of Pocky in a review of the sublime Men's Pocky. Unfortunately, he neglects my favorite green tea pocky.
At McSweeney's you can find Reviews of New Food, and Eric Silver describes one of my pleasures, Ojingaa Dang Kong, amazing peanut and squid balls. There are many dare foods in McSweeney's random sampling, and it's scary how many i have tried.
sweetnostalgia.com is actually a cyber shop specializing in old fashioned and regional candy. There are other such sites on the web, but at Sweet Nostalgia you can buy a bar at a time. If you want to try a Valomilk or an Idaho Spud, they're your go-to guys.
The best site i've found for mundane comfort snacks is taquitos.net. Homer Simpson is their culinary hero. They say they have 2875 snacks reviewed, so i'm a ways away from seeing it all! Mmmm... white cheddar fries!
Oh, god...
I'll be busy for a week checking these sites!
Posted by: J.R. | January 27, 2006 at 01:20 AM