Day 283

"Kurkure" Snack: Today's new food is another find from yesterday's visit to Patel Brothers Market in Decatur. I managed to find several great items there that I'd never seen anywhere else, and the only thing that kept me from buying more was the high price of some of the imported goods. I've noticed that while some imported foods are affordable (Japan, China, Eastern Europe), others can be fairly exorbitant (Britain, India, Jamaica). Luckily, I managed to keep my costs low at Patel Brothers, and these interesting "Kurkure" snacks were a great example of that.

I've found that every culture has their own version of the ubiquitous corn-based snack chip. Some are fairly unusual compared to their American counterparts, so when I saw these Kurkure chips (strangely, made by PepsiCo of India), described as "green chutney rajasthani style," I knew I had to try them. There were several other flavors available, but these sounded the most interesting to me.

When I opened the bag today, I was immediately reminded again of Cheetos - not the puffed ones, but the skinny regular variety. That's where the comparisons ended, though. According to the ingredients, they were flavored with chili, garlic, and onion powders, as well as coriander, ginger, and tamarind. The texture was crunchy and Cheeto-y, but I was immediately hit with a decent dose of heat that made me sweat a little. There was also a lemony tang that I couldn't identify. Overall, I really enjoyed these. If you'd like your corn chip snack to have a serious kick, check these out.

The back of the bag also suggested recipes that could be made using these, which all reminded me of something a stoned college student might create. In the mood for an elaborate "ice cream cone" featuring boiled potatoes, coriander, chili powder, chaat masala, and these chips? Kurkure has you covered.