Day 356

Nongshim Kikiri Drumstix: I've eaten a whole lot of Asian snacks during the course of this blog, and it looks like this could be the last one I cover before the year is up. Some have been really good, others just plain strange, but this one was a pleasant surprise. When I saw these "drumstix" at the Buford Highway Farmers Market during my last trip, I really wanted to try them. I love snack foods that visually resemble what the manufacturer wants them to taste like (think Funyuns), and these definitely fit that category.

Even though they were supposed to be "fried chicken flavored," they were also apparently given a dose of chili and lime flavoring. I bet those flavors would be a good addition to real fried chicken - can someone maybe get on that soon? Anyway, when I opened the box today, the contents looked just like the picture on the box, minus the cute little tablecloth-lined basket. That's a rarity for most foods, even the ones I find in American grocery stores.

Once I tried these, I was impressed. The wheat flour base provided a nice crunch (I'm guessing these were fried), and the inside of the "drumstick" was hollow. The flavoring really did taste like fried chicken, and the chili powder brought some heat that was subtle but good. I didn't really detect much lime, but that's OK - the rest was tasty. If the Lay's company developed an American version of these, they'd be an instant party hit. Highly recommended if you like salty, chicken-y, crunchy snacks.

If you want to try these, you'd best be OK with preservatives. The ingredient list was a mile long.