More Asian Snacks

On a recent trip to C-Mart in Chinatown, I found some Asian snack cakes that I don't usually see at the Hong Kong Supermarket in Brighton. The first two snacks pictured below are from C-Mart and the last one (actually 2 different cookies but the same brand) is from Hong Kong Supermarket. These snacks are also from 3 different countries (Taiwan, Thailand, and Japan).

Green Tea Cakes

These cakes from Taiwan are actually quite small in volume but they are dense. They're not heavy but they're dense enough that you don't need a huge portion. This type of cake comes in different flavors and I think there are other brands too. I chose this one just because I hadn't had a green tea flavored cake in a long time. For $2.29, you get 8 cakes. The size of the box is misleading because a lot of it is filled with the plastic tray. Nice presentation though. It's worth a try but probably not something you'd load up the shopping cart with on a regular basis.

Green Tea Cakes from Taiwan

EURO Custard Cake

For $2.18, you get 6 individually-wrapped cakes. Actually most Asian snack cakes come packaged that way, for some reason. These are from Thailand. I chose these because I got hooked on those Korean Orion cakes and knew that they were about to sell out of those at Hong Kong supermarket! So, I wondered if these might be a good substitute. Honestly, the custard tastes more like custard in these EURO cakes. The Orion custard cakes have a filling that tastes more like cream, which is also good but not really custard. I really liked these and would get them if I can't find the Orion cakes. However, these are a bit pricier per cake than the Orion cakes, but not by a lot. 

EURO Custard Cake from Thailand

Japanese Cookies

The last snack selections are Japanese cookies, in Chocolate Cream and Tiramisu flavors. These were $1.99 a package of 8 cookies each, I think. The package is also misleading because there is a plastic tray inside that prevents the cookies from breaking. These are very easy to gobble up quickly because each cookie is actually quite small and very tasty. As the pictures on the packages would suggest, they go well with coffee or tea. However, the fillings are not runny, as the pictures might suggest. They're still tasty though. As with most Japanese sweets, they're very well made but very small. So, it's not the biggest bang for the buck but a tasty snack nonetheless.

Even more awesome Trader Joe Products (under $5)

Peanut butter goodies
This is my new favorite cookie! The bottom is a crunchy cookie with some creamy peanut butter on top. That's all dunked in milk chocolate and sprinkled with peanut bits. Sorry, girl scouts, but these are better and cheaper than your expensive badge-earning cookies. For only $2.99, you get 16 goodies. I didn't get these on my last shopping trip because I'm trying to lose a few pounds. If you get these, get 2 because you'll want one for yourself and the other one, well, you can decide whether you'd like to share it.

Watch out, girl scouts - these Goodies will give you all a run for your money!

Dark chocolate covered peanut butter wafer cookies
These cookies are about the size of a large chocolate caramel candy. The thing that makes them tasty is the combination of the crunchiness of the wafers, the creaminess of the peanut bitter and chocolate, and there is a slight saltiness from the peanut butter. As good as these cookies are, I think the dark chocolate gives the cookie a slight waxy texture. I'm not the only blogger who thinks that these snacks are not a hit - others have been a little more critical. Milk chocolate would make these a bit more melty and perhaps make them just as good as the Peanut butter goodies. Having said that, these wafer cookies are less messy than the goodies because you can pop a whole cookie into your mouth. The nuts on top of the goodies will fall all over the place if you're not careful. For $2.99, these are worth a try, especially if you prefer dark chocolate over milk chocolate.

Dark chocolate covered peanut butter wafer cookies

Dried unsweetened dark cherries
Even though I have a food dehydrator, there are some dried fruits that I would rather just buy from Trader Joe's. Cherries and strawberries are two fruits that take a long time to dry properly and are not always in season. Additionally, cherries require that you pit them one by one before putting them in the dehydrator. So, $4.29 is actually a great price for a bag of dried dark cherries. The strawberries are great too but they're only available during the summer months.

Dark cherries are a great snack either by themselves or dipped in chocolate. I also use them in brownies or other baked goods. Give these a try!

A tasty and healthy snack - imagine that!

Vegetable root chips
These are basically Terra chips but cheaper. For $2.99, you get a bag of taro, beet, sweet potato, and yucca chips. Another snack that I have to hide from myself or else I'll eat them in one sitting.

like Terra chips but only $2.99 a bag

More Awesome Trader Joe Products (under $5)

 Every now and then, I like to stop by Trader Joe's to pick out some new products to try. They're not very expensive and sometimes the products don't come back after one season. I think the reason they don't mind if people return stuff they don't like is because that's how they know which products suck. It's just fun to try some new things there. Here are a few recent products (that cost less than $5) that were pretty cool.

1. Gluten-Free Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies

The fact that they're gluten-free makes them unique already.

Gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookies

They're definitely crunchier than other chocolate chip cookies. I really don't miss the gluten. They contain rice flour.

The Mideast Feast - only 600 calories!

2. The Mideast Feast is one of my favorite prepared meals from Trader Joe's. Ok, it's not new but I wanted to let you all know about it, in case you've never tried it. It's very filling, healthy, and tasty. The box includes hummus, tahini, falafel, pita bread, and tabbouleh. It's meat-free but there's enough protein. I'm not vegetarian but I still like this meal very much. At $4.99, it's very affordable too.

Nutrition Info for Falafel Chips

3. Falafel Chips - This is a new product. They are made with corn and garbanzo beans so the texture is a little different from regular tortilla chips. The spices are very tasty but they are a little harder than corn or tortilla chips. Try these with a dip or something to put on them because they are really almost like a cracker. If you look at the nutrition info, they have a healthy amount of fibre and protein, which make them a little healthier than regular chips. For $3.49 a bag, it's worth a try. The chips are packaged in a sealed plastic bag inside the paper bag.

Falafel Chips