Day 158

Kim's "Magic Pop": I discovered this oddity on my last trip to the BHFM. I'd seen the stand that makes this snack set up on my past few visits there, but I'd never seen it in action until last weekend. As I was doing some browsing near the produce section, I kept hearing a loud, frequent popping sound that sounded like compressed air. As I tried to figure out what it was, I stumbled upon the source of the strange noise: the Kim's Magic Pop stand (www.kimsmagicpop.com). It consisted of a tall machine surrounded by a Plexiglas shield, and the lower half of the machine was shooting out these Frisbee-sized discs of what appeared to be some sort of rice cake. I feared for the safety of the employee running the machine behind the glass - one false move, and she was taking a high-speed rice cake to the groin. They were coming out super quick, almost like the clay "ducks" at a skeet shooting range. Based on what I saw, I couldn't resist buying a small bag of these to take home.

Once I decided to try one today, I did some research on the company's website beforehand. The "magic pop" is actually a grain snack, and it's made from a blend of wheat, brown rice and corn. I bought the strawberry flavor, but they apparently make several flavors, including onion, pumpkin, shrimp and yam. The strawberry version appeared to have little pink spots throughout, which I assumed was where the strawberry flavor was contained.

OK, on to the eating. Not too much to report on this one - it basically tasted just like a rice cake, but with a much lighter, airy texture. It was really crunchy, much like a rice cake, and the flavor of the strawberry flecks reminded me of Crunch Berries cereal (which I happen to love). As I was eating, I wished I had some cream cheese to spread on it, and I imagined these would be really good with various toppings - maybe fruit and cream cheese together? It wasn't bad on it's own, but not that much flavor going on. I guess I couldn't expect much from anything that only had 15 calories per serving.

Next time you're in the BHFM, follow the popping sound and check out the Magic Pop booth. Even if you don't buy them, the machine is pretty cool to watch in action.