Chocolate Fingers by Garden Co. Review

Yet another snack from the good people of Garden Co., these finger cookies are chocolate covered cookies that can be described as less sweet versions of 'Finger' by Cadbury

• Texture: Very crispy and light cookie center which snaps and breaks cleanly. Rating: 10 out of 10.


• Flavor: A slightly sweet vanilla shortbread cookies covered in chocolate.  Not too creamy, nor is it sweet enough to make your mouth ache. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Packaging: These come in little plastic gift bags and each cookie is wrapped up like old fashioned candies. Rating: 10 out of 10.
  
  
• Availability: I rarely see Cadbury Fingers in the US much less Garden Fingers.  Good luck on finding these (tell me if you do!). Rating: 0 out of 10.
  
  
• Origins: Garden is a very famous and well established baked goods company (like Hostess or Wonderbread) in Hong Kong.  They are best known for their white bread, cookies, and crackers.  Anybody who's been in the general vacinity of the bakery has smelled the welcoming aroma of fresh baked bread.  Their manufacturing practices are pretty open and public tours through their bakery are often given. Rating: 10 out of 10.

Technorati Tags: garden, cookies, chocolate, asian, snacks, junk food, hong kong, chinese

Tohato Caramel Corn

Tohato Caramel Corn Snacks are basically cheese puffs that aren't cheese flavored.  These corn snacks come in a variety of flavors with the original being Caramel Corn.  Just imagine corn puff shaped caramel covered popcorn...mmm...

• Texture: If you get your hands on a fresh bag, then the corn puffs are always light, airy, and crispy.  The outside is coated with a crunchy caramelized coating of sugar which provides a nice contrasting crunch to the softer corn grit insides. Afterwards, the snack quickly disintegrates and melts in your mouth.  A perfect light afternoon snack. Rating: 10 out of 10.


• Flavor: Very yummy flavors including Caramel Corn, Chocolate, Matcha (green tea), Mango Pudding, Strawberry, Vanilla Ice, Chestnut, Honey Roasted Nuts, Almond, and other flavors. Surprisingly, all of the flavors are quite pleasing and none of them taste like disgusting artificial flavors.  Also there's no funky corn grits aftertaste. Rating: 10 out of 10.


• Packaging: Tohato Caramel Corn come in short brightly colored bags with a cute face in the middle.  There are also special  bags designed for holidays like boy's festival and christmas. For some reason I can't explain, the packages remind me of an owl... Rating: 10 out of 10.


• Availability: This is a very common snack and can be found at almost all Asian grocery stores. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Origins: 100% made in Japan! Rating: 10 out of 10.

Technorati Tags: snacks, tohato, japanese, caramel corn, junk food, asian

Haw Flakes

Haw flakes are a kind of candy made from dried berries of the Hawthorne flower. They come in various sizes depending on the compnay that produces them. My favorite kind look like little packets of firecrackers. They come in ten packs of cylindrical stacks wrapped with pink, green, and yellow paper. However, they're always shaped into thin round wafers. They're brownish/redish colored and taste like dry non gummy versions of fruit rollups or fruit leather. That is if fruit rollups were made from real fruit...

• Texture: They start out dry and kind of crunchy. This is really hard to explain, haw flakes aren't really crunchy like a potato chip, but more like crunchy with a bit of chew. The plastic wrapped kind of haw flakes tend to be sticky and moist, these aren't really crunchy. Warning: this snack does tend to stick to teeth. Do not eat more than one at a time. They also leave your mouth with a rough feeling. There's really no aftertaste. Rating: 5 out of 10.


• Flavor: Even though haw flakes are made by several companies, they all taste the same, though some may be sweeter. Rating: 7 out of 10.


• Packaging: Depending on the brand of haw flakes, they may be wrapped in plastic or paper. I personally think the paper kind is pretty nifty. They look like little firecrackers, they're ultra portable, and they're stackable. The plastic wrapped kind come in long rolls of discs and they have to be sealed up or put into a ziploc bag after they're opened. Rating: 10 out of 10 for the firecracker haw flakes.


• Availability: This is a very common candy and can be found at all Asian grocery stores. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Origins: Most likely made in China or Taiwan. Though I've eaten these for more than a decade and haven't gotten sick from them, eat at your own risk. Rating: 5 out of 10.

Technorati: Sweet, Fruit, Junk food, Candy, Dried Fruit, Snacks, Haw Flakes, Chinese