Confessions of an International Junk Food Fiend

[Laksa]

Of course, I have to say Malaysian fish and shrimp keropok (crackers).

My favorite Indonesian snack is emping melinjo crackers (melinjo nut? padi oat?), both the spicy and sweet flavored ones and the plain salted ones. Emping has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

My favorite Indian snack is muruku which I think is made from lentil flour.

My favorite Chinese snack is sweet rice crackers with sesame seeds, sometimes peanuts （the Malaysian version also includes fried shallots). These are crunchy bricks of puffed rice, stuck together with some sweet syrup. Also like fried dough twists, and flaky peanut sweets (can't find pictures).

I used to eat tons of these Want Want Senbei rice crackers a few years ago, but grew sick of it.

[tryska]

i love fish and shrimp crackers, but only if made with potato and rice flour i think?

don't liek the wheat flour ones as much.

and i LOVE muruku.

[hathor]

Those little Indonesian ginger sticky candies with the powerdery stuff that gets all over so you so everyone knows you've been eating them.

Pretzl salad sticks. tomato flavor is ok in a pinch, but the salad flavor is the best.

[FunJohnny]

It's Malaysian bar snacks -- dried small fish called Ikan bili w/chilis and peanuts. Its salty, slightly fishy and spicy and will drive you to the beer without fail. Beats hell out of pretzels. Every time someone in my family goes to Malaysia I beg them to bring me back a kilo or two. Don't know why someone hasn't thought to import them unless they are a victim of our crazed food importation regs.

[Laksa]

It's Malaysian bar snacks -- dried small fish called Ikan bili w/chilis and peanuts.  Its salty, slightly fishy and spicy and will drive you to the beer without fail.  Beats hell out of pretzels.  Every time someone in my family goes to Malaysia I beg them to bring me back a kilo or two.  Don't know why someone hasn't thought to import them unless they are a victim of our crazed food importation regs.

If you live in any big city in the Western world, (I assume you're not in Asia, rightly or wrongly), I think you can find "raw" dried ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in the bigger Asian grocery stores. Deep fry these until golden brown and mix them with roasted beernuts and voila!

Edited to add: oh, you have family from Malaysia? So I guess you probably already know how to go about making your own ikan bilis.

Edited August 11, 2004 by Laksa (log)

[FunJohnny]

It's Malaysian bar snacks -- dried small fish called Ikan bili w/chilis and peanuts.  Its salty, slightly fishy and spicy and will drive you to the beer without fail.  Beats hell out of pretzels.  Every time someone in my family goes to Malaysia I beg them to bring me back a kilo or two.  Don't know why someone hasn't thought to import them unless they are a victim of our crazed food importation regs.

If you live in any big city in the Western world, (I assume you're not in Asia, rightly or wrongly), I think you can find "raw" dried ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in the bigger Asian grocery stores. Deep fry these until golden brown and mix them with roasted beernuts and voila!

Thanks Laksa. I guess the chili pop could be provided with either chili powder or with some small dried chilis. I'll look for the Ikan bilis at one of our Asian grocery stores here in Northern Virginia/DC.

Edited August 11, 2004 by FunJohnny (log)

[Laksa]

Thanks Laksa.  I guess the chili pop could be provided with either chili powder or with some small dried chilis.  I'll look for the Ikan bilis at one of our Asian grocery stores here in Northern Virginia/DC.

You're welcome. My mum only ever makes them without the chilli, but I think you could sprinkle chili powder on them while they're still hot out of the oil.

Fried ikan bilis and peanuts is an important component of Nasi Lemak, so you if there's a Malaysian restaurant in your town, you could well ask the owner/chef to supply your needs as they probably make it regularly.

Edited August 11, 2004 by Laksa (log)

[Jason Perlow]

It's Malaysian bar snacks -- dried small fish called Ikan bili w/chilis and peanuts.  Its salty, slightly fishy and spicy and will drive you to the beer without fail.  Beats hell out of pretzels.  Every time someone in my family goes to Malaysia I beg them to bring me back a kilo or two.  Don't know why someone hasn't thought to import them unless they are a victim of our crazed food importation regs.

Apparently its rather difficult to import stuff from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines now. The lady at the Filipino/Pan-Asian grocery told me that the inspection process is a major pain in the ass now, there are huge delays in shipments, they are having trouble getting certain items such as Sarsi, which is a popular Filipino root beer.

[Laksa]

Apparently its rather difficult to import stuff from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines now. The lady at the Filipino/Pan-Asian grocery told me that the inspection process is a major pain in the ass now, there are huge delays in shipments, they are having trouble getting certain items such as Sarsi, which is a popular Filipino root beer.

Add Thailand to that list too. My local Thai grocer tells me that the mangoes and guavas she gets that are labeled "Produce of Mexico" are really from Asia. They are shipped first to Mexico to be (re-)labeled. Apparently they're not as strict about stuff coming from Mexico.

[cakewalk]

can anyone explain the significance of the first chocolate wrapper under israel in

this collection?

Damn that is weird, isn't it. At first I thought maybe it was pareve chocolate that contains no milk products and can be eaten after meat. (Still a silly picture, but at least it would be somewhat of an explanation.) But it specifically says in Hebrew at the bottom, "milk chocolate." I'm not familiar with that brand at all, whereas the other two are very popular in Israel. Very weird.

[hillvalley]

I love mango jellies. I just finished a huge container I got at the Asian Market.

On my first trip to England I fell in love with their junk food. Bounty bars, wine gums and mini Polo mints (which apparently they don't make any more ) are my favorite. And those crisps. I loved them all. I made a point of trying a different junk food every day.

[bloviatrix]

can anyone explain the significance of the first chocolate wrapper under israel in

this collection?

At the top of the bar it says Chocolate M'Sapear which would be roughly translated to Chocolate Tales/Stories. Therefore, I assume there is either a story included on the inside of the wrapper or maybe there are a series of wrappers that, if you collect them all, tell a story.

Needless to say, I found it odd.

Edited August 11, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[gingerly]

aha!i think..

[NulloModo]

Hmm, not really international, but availible in only select areas of the US:

Pork fat back cracklins. Far tastier than pork rinds, and with far more cruch. I grab up multiple bags every time I pass through VA or the Southeast, which I could get them here...

[spaghetttti]

My favorite Indonesian snack is emping melinjo crackers (melinjo nut? padi oat?), both the spicy and sweet flavored ones and the plain salted ones.  Emping has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Yes, I quite like these too! The sweet ones are great for snacking, but I can't eat too many of them.

I've just discovered these pineapple chips, they're sweet & tart and so crunchy. Banana, durian and jackfruit chips are available, too. But I prefer the pineapple.

Another favorite is cassava chips. "Betcha can't eat just one".

Though I don't generally like tempe, these tempe chips are quite addictive.

However, I do still miss my old favorites from home: Cape Cod Salt & Vinegar Potato Chips, Nacho Cheese Doritos and Charles Chips (do they still make them?).

Wish I could have a New York Style brand garlic bagel chip right about now.

Edited August 12, 2004 by spaghetttti (log)

[Laksa]

Yetty, I am willing to trade Doritos, Cape Cod chips and bagel chips for some of your emping and keropok.

I know Indonesia has about a zillion different keropok, right? My Indonesian friend from college view keropok crackers as a must-have at every meal. That and sambal oelek.

[spaghetttti]

Yetty, I am willing to trade Doritos, Cape Cod chips and bagel chips for some of your emping and keropok.

I know Indonesia has about a zillion different keropok, right? My Indonesian friend from college view keropok crackers as a must-have at every meal. That and sambal oelek.

That's absolutely fine with me, Laksa! I was planning to be in DC/NYC this summer, but had to postpone the trip until later this year. What would you like me to bring you?

My husband's family is like that too, they must have krupuk and sambal with their meals.

[fifi]

I count wasabi peas as a vegetable in my personal food pyramid.

This isn't exactly foreign but every time I am in Hawaii, there is a bag of those taro chips at my side. They aren't actually flavored (at least the ones I have had) but it is the texture that I crave.

[Laksa]

Yetty, I am willing to trade Doritos, Cape Cod chips and bagel chips for some of your emping and keropok. 

I know Indonesia has about a zillion different keropok, right?  My Indonesian friend from college view keropok crackers as a must-have at every meal.  That and sambal oelek.

That's absolutely fine with me, Laksa! I was planning to be in DC/NYC this summer, but had to postpone the trip until later this year. What would you like me to bring you?

That would be so coooool! But let me try to see if I can find some here first before imposing on your kindness.

I think the Indonesian philosophy is that if you can eat it, you can eat it as a chip. Another friend once brought back mushroom chips. Not mushroom flavoured chips, but slices of mushrooms deep fried like potato chips. Incredibly delicious!

[Knicke]

Wow, those mushroom chips sound GREAT! I'm going to have to experiment and see if I can make my own...can't be that complicated...

[bloviatrix]

I was at the market the other day and decided to sacrifice my tastebuds for the purposes egullet, by sampling Strawberry-flavored Bamba. Oh man, it was vile. It tasted like overly sweetened breakfast cereal.

Maybe if you're 7 or 8 you'll think this is great, but adult tastebuds won't get it.

[Jason Perlow]

I was at the market the other day and decided to sacrifice my tastebuds for the purposes egullet, by sampling Strawberry-flavored Bamba. Oh man, it was vile. It tasted like overly sweetened breakfast cereal.

Maybe if you're 7 or 8 you'll think this is great, but adult tastebuds won't get it.

I'm not a Bamba person. Bissli all the way.

[cakewalk]

I was at the market the other day and decided to sacrifice my tastebuds for the purposes  egullet, by sampling Strawberry-flavored Bamba.  Oh man, it was vile.  It tasted like overly sweetened breakfast cereal.

Maybe if you're 7 or 8 you'll think this is great, but adult tastebuds won't get it.

I'm not a Bamba person. Bissli all the way.

YES! Bisli or Bust!!

[bloviatrix]

I was at the market the other day and decided to sacrifice my tastebuds for the purposes  egullet, by sampling Strawberry-flavored Bamba.  Oh man, it was vile.  It tasted like overly sweetened breakfast cereal.

Maybe if you're 7 or 8 you'll think this is great, but adult tastebuds won't get it.

I'm not a Bamba person. Bissli all the way.

YES! Bisli or Bust!!

I'm with you guys on this. But, someone's gotta sacrifice their tastebuds for the cause.

[Toliver]

I was at the market the other day and decided to sacrifice my tastebuds for the purposes  egullet, by sampling Strawberry-flavored Bamba.  Oh man, it was vile.  It tasted like overly sweetened breakfast cereal.

Maybe if you're 7 or 8 you'll think this is great, but adult tastebuds won't get it.

I'm not a Bamba person. Bissli all the way.

YES! Bisli or Bust!!

I'm with you guys on this. But, someone's gotta sacrifice their tastebuds for the cause.

Thank you for taking one for the team!