MUNCHIES - Sweet & Spicy Peanuts (2012) Review

  NOTE: Frito has apparently discontinued these, however, this review still stands in the case you find some somewhere or they re-continue this snack unchanged from this recipe. If they release a new product with the same name I will review that separately.

  Since I'm reviewing two snacks in the Frito's Munchies line of snackfoods in the same amount of days, so I thought I'd just quote my opening thoughts from yesterday:

  "I noticed these a few weeks ago and they got my attention, but I didn't want to try it right

away because I didn't want to be disappointed but I decided to bite the peanut (get it?) and try it anyway..."

   So what are these like anyway?

  Taste: Just like I said yesterday, "When you first put a few in your mouth they actually taste a little fizzy, like weak pop-rocks, but after a few you realize that it's just a trick your brain is playing on you". The biggest taste is the peanut and the second biggest is the bland multipurpose starchy mixture that they coat the peanuts with. I kinda liked the flavoring they add, but it's like the BBQ one, it's biggest difference is that it's just a little less sweet and mostly spicy instead. Besides that the peanuts are actually really good (and the biggest flavor) but again, I have to deduct 2 points for the bland coating they use. 5 out of 10.

  Edibility: Peanuts don't get jammed anywhere and the coating is super brittle. So edibility isn't an issue. 10 out of 10.

  Packaging: Same issue as yesterday, colors are good, text is clear and it's just nicely done except for (again) the name. As I said yesterday: "Unless you've been living under a rock your whole life, you know what the word munchies usually implies, stoners (usually people that smoke marijuana) getting hungary after getting high (though it actually generally refers to being hungry after taking any drug, illegal or not), and I think that it was a really poor marketing decision to insinuate something like that." -1 Point.

  Summary: Pretty much the same as yesterday, taste needs a little work, good edibility, bad choice of name. 14 out of 21 overall.

MUNCHIES - BBQ Peanuts (2012) Review

NOTE: Frito has apparently discontinued these, however, this review still stands in the case you find some somewhere or they re-continue this snack unchanged from this recipe. If they release a new product with the same name I will review that separately.

  Okay, I know I haven't reviewed any actual MEAT snacks in a while and I will post one next week, but first, this week I have a special double-header. Both today and tomorrow I will be posting a new review from the Frito's Munchies line of snacks. Anyway, on to the review.

  I noticed these a few weeks ago and they got my attention, but I didn't want to try it right away
because I didn't want to be disappointed but I decided to bite the peanut (get it?) and try it anyway and for at least one I wasn't disappointed (I can't give too much away). So how does it stack up?

  Taste: When you first put a few in your mouth they actually taste a little fizzy, like weak pop-rocks, but after a few you realize that it's just a trick your brain is playing on you. Well, what does it taste like once you get over that? It's slightly sweet and a tad smokey because of the BBQ flavoring, the peanut is the overwhelming taste and besides that the biggest taste is the bland multipurpose starchy mixture that they coat the peanuts with. I actually like the taste they add and the peanuts are actually really good but I have to deduct 2 points for the bland coating they use. 6 out of 10.

  Edibility: Peanuts don't get stuck anywhere and the coating is really brittle (think really old paper). So edibility isn't an issue. 10 out of 10.

  Packaging: I am actually not a fan of the packaging, the colors are really good, the text is clear and it's just overall nicely done EXCEPT for the name. Unless you've been living under a rock your whole life (no offense to people who actually live in rock-like structures), you know what the word munchies usually implies, stoners (usually people that smoke marijuana) getting hungary after getting high (though it actually generally refers to being hungry after taking any drug, illegal or not), and I think that it was a really poor marketing decision to insinuate something like that. -1 Point.

  Summary: Taste is okay, coating needs flavor and eats well enough but that name is a deal-breaker in my book but I'm only going to deduct a point for that because the food is pretty good. 15 out of 21 overall.

Yorkie Bar Review

  I'm beginning to think that a weekly format for this site is a bit unreasonable given how busy I am, I'm going to try this for about two more months and then decide if I'm going to switch to bi-weekly reviews. Now, on to the review.


  This week I am reviewing something different again, it's actually a candy bar made by Nestlé for the UK (there's an international section at my local grocery store) and it caught my eye a while ago because of it's tagline "It's Not For Girls", which obviously means it's targeted toward men. After researching the bar I actually found its history quite interesting, the following info is from Wikipedia:

  History:  The Yorkie bar, a chunkier alternative to Cadbury's Dairy Milk, was aimed at men. In the 1980s for example, toy lorries with the Yorkie bar logo were manufactured by Corgi, and television advertisements for the Yorkie bar featured truck drivers. In 2001, the advertisement campaign made this more explicit with the slogan and wrapper tagline It's not for girls, which caused controversy. Nestlé also received complaints about this campaign from Norwegian and UK people, who found it sexist and distasteful. Special versions for use in Ministry of Defense ration packs read It's not for civvies. In 2006 a special edition that was for girls was sold, wrapped in pink. Aside from the original milk chocolate bar, several variants are available, such as "raisin and biscuit" flavour, "honeycomb" flavour, and Yorkie Ice Cream. 

  In 1976, Eric Nicoli spotted a gap in the confectionery market and used the cheap cocoa from Rowntree's favourable futures market position to launch Yorkie. Production was at York and Norwich (until 1994). 

  For a time, trains arriving at York railway station would pass a billboard which read "Welcome to" and then a picture of a Yorkie bar, with the end bitten off, so it read "Welcome to York" (and beneath it, the slogan "Where the men are hunky and the chocolate's chunky"). 

  Yorkie was originally composed of seven chunks of chocolate, which was reduced in the 1990s to six with each chunk featuring one letter from the Yorkie name. At the same time, the packaging was changed from the original foil wrapping with paper surround to the current style, which projects at the ends giving it the appearance of being the same length as the original on the shelf. More recently, in an effort to further reduce cost, the number of chunks has been reduced to five, with "Yorkie" written in full on each chunk.In 2002, Yorkie bars were 70 grammes. This had been reduced to 64.5 grammes by 2010, and was reduced further to 61 grammes in 2011 and then 55 grammes later that year. Yorkie King size bars have also reduced in size. In 2011, standard Yorkie bars became available in 3 packs.

  So obviously the Yorkie is supposedly a more "manly" version of a regular chocolate bar. But, how does it stack against other manly snacks? Let's find out...

  Taste: Well, the original idea of using cheap cocoa is still in effect here, not the best chocolate I've ever had but definitely not the worst either and considering that it's just chocolate I think it's still pretty good. 7.5 out of 10 Points.

  Edibility: Pretty good, a little hard to chew each chunk at first but if you let it melt in your mouth a little it's perfectly fine. 7 out of 10.

  Packaging: Straightforward candy bar wrapper, love the design and tagline. (Update: According to Wikipedia they have removed the tagline, however I'm leaving that info in but crossed out to reflect the fact that it was reviewed with it on the wrapper and I thought it was cool.) +1 Point.

  Summary: Tastes pretty good, easy to eat and nice wrapper. Plus it has an interesting backstory. 15.5 out of 21 points overall.

Jack Link's Sweet & HOT Jerky Review

  This week I am reviewing Jack Link's Sweet & HOT Beef Jerky, and I want to start by saying I am not a wimpy person. I will attempt to eat something if I know I like no matter how much hot sauce has been dumped on it (within reason). I've willingly drank Tabasco multiple time because "I felt like it" and I thought it'd clear out my stuffed-up nose. Why am I telling you this? Because when I tell you this is HOT jerky, I want you to know that this is not just "a little" hot, it's "turn your face red and make you sweat" hot (ok, not that hot, but close). But how is it otherwise? Read on.

  Taste Spiciness: Let's be honest, you don't eat something like this for taste. About the sweet part, I could only find a few hints of sweetness after searching for it specifically. Now the spiciness, on the other hand, I didn't need to search for, after two small bites I was already getting a little hot and after two more I needed a couple of pieces of plain jerky to cool off. Fantastic spiciness, but not really sweet. 8 out of 10 Points.

  Edibility: Not too chewy, not too tough, just a few inedible bits. Very good edibility. +8 Points.

  Packaging: Standard Jack Link's fare, not amazing enough to get a point but above average nonetheless. +/- 0 Points.

  Summary: Like I said "Fantastic spiciness, but not really sweet" and edibility isn't really a issue. 16 out of 21 Overall.

Jack Link's "Jack Pack" (Original) Review

  This week I am reviewing Jack Link's "Jack Pack"- Original Flavor . So far I've only tried one meatstick by Jack Link's and I wasn't impressed (to put it nicely, check out what I had to say here). Let's see how the Jack Pack does.

  Taste: Seeing as this is a snack pack I can start with what's in it, 2 of each of the following: cheese, pretzel and beef sticks. The pretzel sticks were stale and just okay, the cheese was Velveeta-like and the meat was almost like the other JL's meat stick I reviewed, just with flavor. However, the flavor doesn't help as it actually tastes really, really bad anyway, I can't even describe the flavor. The pretzels would have been really good if they weren't stale, as it is the cheese and pretzels do help save the score a little bit. 4 out of 10 Points.

  Edibility: Actually eats really well, aside from some of the meat getting stuck in-between my teeth. +5 Points.

  Packaging: Really simple Lunchables style peel-to-eat pack, straightforward package design. +/- 0 Points.

  Summary: Everything but the meat tastes good, just don't do this to yourself, Jack Link's is 0 for 2 on meatsticks so far. 9 out of 21 Points Overall.