Athenos Baked Pita Chips

Kraft Foods recently added a line of Baked Pita Chips to its Athenos brand.

They're described as the "ultimate dipping chip" made from fresh pita bread, baked and seasoned to perfection. The chips have 50% less fat than leading brands of potato chips.

Varieties include, "Original", "Roasted Garlic & Herb", and "Whole Wheat".

Athenos Baked Pita Chips are presented in 6 oz. bags with a suggested retail price of $2.99.

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Hot Pure Energy

New from Nor-Cal Beverage Co. is "Hot Pure Energy", a sugar-free energy drink.

Calling all consumers to "Release your inner heat", it claims to offer increased mental acuity, increased thermogenic response, while burning calories. It also claims to be the only drink of its kind that produce any "jitters" or "downfall".

In fact, the company goes on to claim Hot Pure Energy as having the longest energy effect, using safe stimulants such as vitamins and taurine.

Sold in a 10.5 fl. oz. can priced at $1.79, and $41.99 per case.

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Jump Coffee Cola Energy Drink

Jump Coffee Cola Energy Drink is a new drink manufactured by Nor-Cal Beverage Co. Inc.

It's a sugar-free drink that's marketed as offering "caffeine like you've never had before!". The company says the drink contains all natural pure caffeine, and is packed with essential vitamins. It contains no calories, carbohydrates, fat, or bitterness.

It's sold in a 10.5 fl. oz. can priced at $1.79, and $41.99 per case.

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Ginger People Ginger Chews

From Royal Pacific Foods is a product called, "Ginger Chews" under their Ginger People brand.

I received a package of this stuff from my mom, who just happened to send this to me. She sends me stuff every now and then from her visits to the asian food markets.

It's described as having a sweet & hot flavor, and that's it's the ultimate delicacy for ginger lovers. They even claim you can drop a few of these pieces into a cup of hot water and make tea.

The company offers three different flavors of these things, Original, Spicy Apple, and Peanut Ginger. I'm reviewing the Original.

Taste

The first thing you notice when chewing into one of these is a sweet taste. There's also a clear ginger taste upon first hitting your mouth. Eventually, the ginger taste wears off and you're mostly tasting sweet.

As far as ginger goes, there is indeed a ginger flavor, though slight. It's just enough to let you know it's ginger, but with no pungency. There is indeed a spiciness that comes after several chews of this stuff and makes itself apparent in the back of your mouth. But I wouldn't classify it as "hot" as the package states. Keep in mind I grew up on spicy foods, and this is quite tame for me.

Quality

Each piece is individually wrapped, and are very easy to open. Each piece is also covered in powdered sugar to keep your fingers from becoming sticky.

The chew is soft, like a tootsie-roll that's been warmed up. It's clearly chewy, with a consistency very much like a jelly bean, but more gooey. But it's not overly sticky or gooey that it won't pull a tooth out.

Overall

These are great to enjoy as a candy, eating one or two. This isn't something you'd snack on; you wouldn't get a craving to eat the whole bag. They might be great as an after-meal delight.

I did enjoy them, but I probably won't be buying them. I'd certainly take one if offered to me though.

Particulars

Where purchased: given to me as a gift
Price: $2.00 per bag, 16 count

Buy it online from the company's website.

Check out our other announcements of ginger candies:

• Green Dragon Stress Relieving Soda - May 7, 2006


• Ginger People, Ginger Candy - Feb 10, 2006


• Reed's Ginger Candy - Dec 8, 2005

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Canned Sardines as a Health Food

Canned sardines play an important role in maintaining a healthy, balanced diet.

That's what RAB Food Group, LLC says on their website, about their line of canned sardines. The company recently launched a new form, sardine fillets, designed to appeal to folks who can't stand seeing fish heads and fins.

But perhaps my biggest reason for blogging this is the health statement printed on the box:

Natural Source of Omega-3's and Protein

Perhaps it's a sign of the times that canned sardines are now good for your heart. Also, the mention of protein is obviously there to appeal to carb-conscious dieters.

So is the canned sardine industry now on the brink of financial success in the health food market? Well, the fact that this company is putting out fillets instead of whole sardines, shows their committment to broaden public appeal.

I can just see Oprah Winfrey with her head tilted back, slurping down a six-inch long sardine and saying, "Wow, I just lost another 5 pounds!"

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Rejuvenative Foods Organic Kim Chi

Kim Chi falls into the category of pickle, which we haven't covered too much here at JFB. We hope to start changing that.

A company called Rejuvenative Foods, based out of Santa Cruz, CA has come out with a line of "organic Kim Chi", which seems like a oxymoron.

Kim Chi is an old Korean delicacy, usually eaten as a relish, or as a side dish. These days, Kim Chi is frequently enjoyed as a snack, like sucking a dill pickle. The Japanese are so much in love with Kim Chi that's it's often mistaken as one of their own.

It's just cabbage, of any variety, pickled in brine and chili peppers. Modern Kim Chi typically adds some amount of fish sauce (or paste), made from the pickler's own unique recipe. It's put into a steel bowl, and weighted down with a large, flat river rock (these days they don't use rocks). Then it's stored in a cool dark place for a week.

If you've never experienced Kim Chi, your first impression is that it stinks. One small jar of it will stink up an entire house pretty quickly. If you love Kim Chi, the smell alone will make your mouth water and your scalp itch. Truthfully, my mouth is watering just writing about it!

No one that I know of can eat an entire jar of Kim Chi in one sitting. It's usually too hot. Good Kim Chi has an intense flavor. The hotter and more intense, the better. These days, everything can become Kim Chi, from cucumbers, to tofu, to baby squid.

Anyways, this company's line of "organic Kim Chi" is oxymoronic because Kim Chi is by definition, organic. It's not full of chemicals and preservatives.

Interestingly, two of their five Kim Chi varieties are salt-free. I just can't imagine Kim Chi without salt. It would be like making Tequila without the agave. In fact, I question the appropriateness of calling it Kim Chi.

The other varieties are interesting, combining a wide variety of vegetables, and incorporating Sea Salt.

The company goes on to say that Kim Chi contains lactobacilli, a probiotic microflora, that promotes a healthy human digestive tract. I'll tell you what, you eat enough Kim Chi in one sitting, and I guarantee you'll find yourself on the toilet soon.

Order from Rejuvenative Foods directly, or find it in natural food stores.

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Lost Trail Sugar Cane Cola

Louisburg Cider Mill, Inc. recently added a new variety called, "Sugar Cane Cola" to its line of Lost Trail sodas.

The entire Lost Trail line of sodas is themed after flavors popular in the days of the Old West. It started with the Lost Trail Root Beer, made from the original formula encountered by Joe Marshall, the great-great-grandfather of Shelly Schierman, the company's founder.

Sugar Cane Cola is the newest variety, said to be microbrewed for authentic flavor, and is now available in the USA at a suggested retail price of $3.49 per four-pack.

While not yet mentioned on the company's website, it's now shipping. Hey imagine that, we beat BevNet to the story on this one!

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Wawona Fruit Singles Frozen Fruit Pops

Wawona Frozen Foods, Inc. recently launched a new line of frozen fruit pops, called "Fruit Singles Frozen Fruit Pops".

They're kinda like Otter Pops, except made with real fruit puree and containing chunks of real fruit.

Flavors include Strawberry, and Peach.

Fruit Singles Frozen Fruit Pops are targeted towards kids, are kosher, are low in sugar, fat and calories, high vitamins A and C, and free of artificial colors or flavors.

The new frozen confection is shipping out to grocery stores, convenience stores, club stores, and schools all across the USA.

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Skeet & Ike's Natural Snack Mix

Canadian-based Ike Enterprises Inc., the makers of the Skeet & Ike brand of natural snack foods, introduced a new line of trail mixes.

Like a lot of other trail mixes these days, the Skeet & Ike brand is touted as being free of artificial colors, flavors, hydrogenated oils, fat, MSG, adn GMO ingredients.

Varieties include...

• Asian Mix - Oriental Rice Crackers, Sesame Seed, Seaweed, Soynuts, Wasabi Peas, Pumpkin Seeds, and Ginger.



• Chocolate Nut Mix - Almonds, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Chips, Soynuts, Dried Cranberries, and Natural Sundrops (a concoction of chewy, gooey, sweet gunk)



• Fruit & Nut Mix - Almonds, Cashews, Dried Cranberries, Thompson Raisins, Chopped Dates, Ginger, Pumpkin Seeds, and Dried Papaya.

Visit the company's store locator.

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Botan Rice Candy

While at Cost Plus World Market the other day, I picked up a box of Botan Rice Candy.

Everytime I see a box of this stuff, I have to buy it. It's an old favorite of mine that goes back to when I was a wee little lad. It only costs a buck.

It's made from rice, and in some respects, it's kinda like omochi, but sweetened with sugar. At its best, Botan Rice Candy is soft, like fudge brownies fresh out of the oven.

I don't know when Botan Rice Candy first came out, but I can remember back to 1970, living in Japan, and eating this stuff. When we moved to San Diego a year later, my mother would buy me this at the asian food markets. They only cost a nickle back then. To this day, the box and the design is largely unchanged.

Once you take off the plastic wrapper, you'll find another wrapper, opaque in color. It's a rice wrapper that you can eat. I remember giving these to my friends and watching them trying to remove it in frustration.

Once in awhile you'd get a box where the candies were hard, like cold tootsie-rolls. You'd have to suck and chew on them for awhile until they softened up.

Inside every box there is a sticker, or temporary tattoo. In the old days, there'd actually be a toy inside, usually a small plastic car or bus. We're talking early 1970's. I don't know when they made the change to stickers, but I suppose they're cheaper.

It's always the nostalgic things like this you keep coming back to. I'll be eating this stuff for the rest of my life.

Check out Brian's review of Botan Rice Candy.

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Solea Olive Oil Potato Chips - Cracked Pepper & Salt

I saw this bag of Solea Olive Oil Potato Chips at Cost Plus World Market the other day and bought them.

BTW, this is perhaps my first foray into the world of junk food review. Actually, it's my second, the World Kitchens Beef Jerky was my first. But, this is my first review of many as a regular feature of Junk Food Blog. I rigged up a crude photo studio, kinda like Cybele's, but not as good. But that's ok, here at JFB we're more concerned about instant gratification than anything else.

The Solea Olive Oil line of potato chips are made in the USA, and distributed by Good Health Natural Foods Inc., which makes a variety of healthy snack alternatives. These chips are touted as having 40% less fat than regular chips, and have 0 grams of trans fat. They claim the olive oil used in the cooking provides these chips with Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils.

These are made from russet potatoes from the Columbia River Basin in the State of Washington. They cook them at a low temperature to preserve the quality of olive oil and bring out the natural flavors.

Taste

I'm reviewing the Cracked Pepper & Salt variety. To sum it up, they're great!

You can definitely taste the pepper, that's probably the first taste you notice when it hits your tongue. There is a salty taste as well, but not overly saltly. It's more of slight salty taste.

Potato-wise, there is a slight "potatoey" taste, but then again, potatoes don't have much taste anyways.

The aftertaste on these things is peppery, but not burning.

Quality

These chips are extra crunchy, and thicker than regular potato chips. I actually opened this bag yesterday, and left it open overnight to see how stale they'd get. Right now, they're only slightly stale, still very crunchy, and still very enjoyable.

Most brands of potato chips will leave thick gobs of potato stuck in your molars. These are not as bad. I'm still getting some stuck chunks, but I'm not having to use my fingernails.

Overall

I can easily woof down a bag of these chips. They are not overly peppery, and not overly salty, so that after a bag, your mouth doesn't feel like it's been abused.

They have a very high instant gratification factor. The first chip entering your mouth yields great potato chip flavor, with a clear pepper taste, and a thick rigid consistency. It'll easily take your attention away from that boyfriend who just dumped you, and keep you craving for more.

Particulars

Where purchased: Cost Plus World Market
Price: $2.79
Size: 5oz bag (lunch size)

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Wyoming Salers Natural Beef Jerky

Wyoming Salers Ranch Co., which specializes in selling natural beef steaks, offers a line of "natural" beef jerky.

The line is touted as being free from growth hormones, steroids, implants, antibiotics and drugs. It's made from farm & ranch raised beef free of insecticides, pesticides & chemicals.

All of their jerkys are made from the Salers breed of cattle, which the company claims has smaller fat cells, and therefore, is lower in fat, lower in saturated fat, and lower in cholesterol, compared to other breeds of cattle.

Each 2oz vacuum pack is priced at $4.99. Varieties include Original, Spicy Original, Hickory, Spicy Hickory, Cajun, Mesquite, Teriyaki and Black Pepper.

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Cocoa Nuts Bar Epices

Cocoa Designs of Burlingame, CA is now offering "Cocoa Nuts Bar Epices".

It combines praline almonds with pepper, cloves, all spice and nutmeg in 61 percent Venezuelan chocolate.

The bar has a suggested retail price of $6.00.

Buy them online, or visit the company's store locator.

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Borba Chocolate Clarifying Bar

Woodland Hills, CA-based Borba announced recently it's new chocolate bar that's said to clear up acne.

The cosmetics and skin care manufacturer extended its line of ingestible skin care products with chocolate bar.

The zit-zapping confection contains Borba's "Skin Balance Clarifying Aqua-Less Crystalline Powder" to remove toxins and improve skin clarity. The powder contains a cultivated bio-vitamin complex which helps the skin regenerate its natural support system.

Among its ingredients are walnut husk, pomegranate and green tea extracts.

After all those years of thinking your acne was caused by eating junk food, you can now thank junk food for giving you healthy beautiful skin!

Nordstrom is the only retailer thus far that has it online. You can also visit Borba's retail locator for more outlets.

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Sea's Gift Seaweed Snacks

Jayone Foods, Inc. recently launched a new brand of snacks under the "Sea's Gift" brand.

These are pieces of seaweed leaves, roasted in sesame oil, and flavored.

The product is available in three varieties...

• Authentic Korean Seaweed - roasted in sesame oil, and lightly salted



• Korean Sweet Seaweed - roasted in sesame oil, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and lightly sweetened with organic sugar



• Korean Crispy Kelp Snack - lightly sweetened with malt syrup and organic sugar



• Korean Chewy Kelp Snack - a jelly type kelp snack with an "amusing texture", lightly sweetened with malt syrup and organic sugar

Available at Whole Foods Markets in Southern California, Nevada, and Arizona. Visit their store locator.

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