We love chocolate at World of Snacks and chances are if you are reading this blog post you do too. However, is chocolate loved by everyone in the world? We spent a little time digging up research to see just how popular chocolate is across the globe. Lucky for us, Nielsen led one of the studies we found. In 2014 they asked 30,000 consumers from around the world in 60 different countries what they snacked on in the last 30 days. Guess what the most common response was? Chocolate! A massive 64 percent of overall responses mentioned it was chocolate they were snacking on most recently. So which region loves chocolate the most? We are in North America and although chocolate weighed in at 59%, chips were actually the most snacked on category coming in at 63%. Even though chocolate was the most common answer across the board, only one region weighed in with chocolate in the first position. The Asian Pacific region reported a massive 69%! Chocolate was in first for both China and Japan. Our international snack store carries a large selection of Japanese Snacks and the amazing selection of chocolates correlates with this report. In all of the remaining regions chocolate ranked 2nd as the most consumed snack. What other items are people around the world snacking on? Bloomberg Business did a fantastic job highlighting the results on their Global Snack Survey article. A surprise for us is how popular popcorn is in the United States and Latin America. Currently World of Snacks does not offer any popcorn snacks. This is something we need to consider. So to recap- does everyone in the world love chocolate? Yes, it certainly appears so. Craving chocolate right now? Check out some of our favorites from around the world in our international snack store including British Chocolates, Japanese Kit Kats, and Ukrainian Snacks.
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Good news. We've just added several flavors of Lotte Pepero to our international snack store. They all look so yummy and it was a hard choice choosing just one flavor to review here on our blog. So how did we decide to review the Lotte Pepero Double Dip Milk & White Chocolate? Easy, we went with the Pepero with the most chocolate! Before we jump into our review, we should take a moment to talk about Pepero. If you've never heard of Pepero but think it looks oddly familiar you may be thinking of the Japanese Pocky. These tasty treats are nearly identical but are in no way related to each other. Pocky is the older of the two which was established in the 1960s. Pepero (owned by Korean Brand Lotte) didn't come along until the 1980s. They are both cookie sticks dipped in a variety of chocolate and toppings. We plan to do a direct comparison of the two in the near future here on our blog. Let's take a closer look at Lotte Pepero Milk & White Chocolate dipped cookies. We love the packaging. It looks very classy and extra tempting. The outside box is well done and features gold foil and tons of tasty chocolate. Inside we found two separate bags, each containing 5 cookie sticks. Again, well designed packaging and ideal since you may want to break up the portion and take your time devouring them. So do they taste as good as they look? Before we decided to do our review we did a little research. The following that Pepero has on social media and other outlets is strong. So we had high expectations. I think the faithful followers have led us to a slight disappointment. The Lotte Pepero Double Dip Milk & White Chocolate is enjoyable. They are good, but not phenomenal. This may be the charm of this snack though. A simple, straight-forward snack that's pleasant and tasty. So there you have it. Check out our current selection of Korean Cookies. We will ship them to you no matter where you live. As always, keep on snacking world!
We’ve been wildly successful over the holiday season and have spent most of our time fulfilling orders. Now that Christmas has passed, we have a little more time to dedicate to our international snack blog. Our sales have gone through the roof! Although all our foreign snacks have sold well, a few have done phenomenally well. One of our best sellers has been Kasugai Hard Candies from Japan. We are having a hard time keeping them in stock, as they sell out the same day we put them on our website. Currently we offer four different Kasugai Hard Candies. We sell Ame Matcha Green Tea, Kuro Ame, Lychee, and Ume Ame Plum. Let’s take a closer look at these yummy treats from Japan. Kasugai Matcha Ame Green Tea Candy This Japanese candy is spot on with it's Match green tea flavor. It's earthy, mild, and sweet. If you are not a fan of green tea, it might be shocking at first. However, it's absolutely a flavor that grows on you. Kasugai Kuro Ame Candy This candy is flavored with Japanese Black Sugar. It's sticky, unlike the other Kasugai Candies we sampled. It has a charged hint, it's bitter, with a rush rich sweet tinge. Overall it seems familiar, yet it's boldly foreign. Kasugai Lychee Candy My son and I have just recently been introduced to Lychee. It's a crazy looking fruit that we both quickly fell in love with. The Kasugai Lychee Candies are boldly fruity, rich, fragrant, and sweet. This rendition is very enjoyable and is bursting with spot on Lychee flavor. Kasugai Ume Ame Plum This candy was the only one of the Kasugai brand treats that we tried that wasn't spot on with the flavor. It's also the most unique. It's plum, but not like any plum we've tried. It's powerful and features a cinnamon-like burn. It's a flavor all of it's own. It's spicy, but in a timid sweet way. Well there you have it. We hope our review of these Japanese Kasugai Hard Candies will help you decide which you should try. Although we've already warned you, they sell out fast!
World of Snacks initially started solely as a blog. It was a fun place for our family to share photos and details on snacks that we discovered from around the world. Our goal was to learn more about a variety of foreign cultures through their junk food. Fast-forward nearly 3 years and our blog is still running strong. We’ve now sampled snacks from 40 countries. It’s been a ton of fun for our family and we’ve taken our blog and created a successful international snack store that currently offers the best snacks from 12 different countries.
While exploring with our blog and developing our snack store we created many valuable relationships with people from all over the world. Snack enthusiast from across the globe reached out to us with suggestions on which snacks to try - always including a list of their favorites. The world became a much smaller place as we connected with people from all walks of life. We now understand much more about different cultures and we continue to learn.
In my personal quest for increased international knowledge I ran across a TED Talk from writer and blogger Ann Morgan who lives in London, UK. TED is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design. They are a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas in the form of short inspirational videos. Ann created a blog called A Year of Reading the World. Here she highlights her exploration on the world through books. Her story is inspiring and although her experience with exploring cultures is more in-depth than ours, we felt our individual journeys venture down some similar paths.
Although you may have come here looking for a lighthearted review on random snacks from around the world, today you get to watch this inspiring video. Enjoy!
If we had to pick, hands down our favorite chocolates from around the world are the Japanese Kit Kats. Nearly every unique flavor we try has blown us a way. In fact, we've been trying to find a Kit Kat flavor from Japan that we don't like. So when we found the Matcha Green Tea and Azuki Bean Kit Kat, we hoped we had a winner. Can this possibly be the first Japanese Kit Kat that we don't like? Well, that's what we hope to find out tonight. For a little while now we've sold a Green Tea Kit Kat as well as a Red Bean Kit Kat. We really like them both. In fact, we have a hard time keeping the Green Tea Kit Kats in stock. The literally sell out with in a mater of days! For some reason, Nestle Japan thought it would be a good idea to basically combine the two. In another turn of events, they decided to offer them in their Big Little Kit Kat collection. Basically, they are bite size Kit Kat Pieces that are dipped into chocolate, creating a Kit Kat ball of sorts. They pack big flavor, in little pieces. In this scenario, the Matcha Green Tea flavor is infused with white chocolate and the Azuki bean is layer between the Kit Kat wafer. Sounds good? Well for the first time ever, we hope it's not! Now on with the taste test. Our testers tonight are among some of our most seasoned. For years now, they've been munching on the best (and worsts) snacks from around the world. We eagerly ripped open the bag and found 7 green Kit Kat balls. The smell from the package was very leafy. There is no mistaking the potent Matcha Green tea fragrance. First bite, almost all green tea. We actually didn't note the Azuki bean until the second and third bites. The chocolate is earthy with a hint of creaminess followed by a slight sweet sensation. When the bean flavor kicks in, you get a unique treat that is surprisingly pleasant and well rounded. So, as you may have guessed. Our search for a Japanese Kit Kat that we don't like continues. We actually liked the Matcha Green Tea and Azuki Bean Kit Kat, and we think you will too. However, we don't currently stock it yet! So you'll have to wait if it's the flavor you are searching for. Not to worry, click the button below and check out all the other great flavors we offer for sale here in the US with international shipping. As always, keep on snacking world!
I am going to let you in on a little secret. Even though we own what has become a pretty decent size international snack company, we don't really eat that many snacks. Don't get us wrong, we love candy, chocolates, chips, and everything else we sell. However, if we ate everything we'd be out of business. So I personally attempt to limit my snacking to when I write reviews like this one. However, recently I've been sneaking snacks here and there. I've noticed a trend forming. I've been grabbing Candies from Ukraine when no one is looking! Why? Well they are small, well priced, and overall pretty amazing. So tonight, instead of sneaking a piece of two I decided to randomly pull five piece of candy from Ukraine and highlight them here on our blog. Roshen is the biggest candy company in Ukraine. In fact, Roshen is the 18th largest confectionery manufacturer in the world. They make a ton of great snacks and pretty much everything we've sampled from them has been enjoyable. So far, all of our snacks from Ukraine are made by Roshen. So our random sampling comprises of 5 Roshen Candies. On with the show! Korvika Roshen Up first is fittingly the first candy from Ukraine I sampled ever. It's the Korivka Roshen. It's very sugary, with some how managing to not be too sweet. It's soft with a crunch that continues thorough out. There is a kick of vanilla that brings it all together. It's known as the Candy Cow and is comprised of a milk fondant center that is coated in sugar. Roshen Dessert Fresh This is one candy from Ukraine that I have yet to try. I've always wanted too, but they sell out faster than I can sneak one. This foreign treat is glazed cake, berry jelly, and marzipan. Sounds like a great combination - and it is too! The chocolate is thin but maintains it's integrity. The berry jelly is strong and sweet, but dies down as you progress through the snack. The marzipan acts a subtle base that really brings it all together. Roshen De Luxe Nut Cream Chocolate Now this is a real treat. It's the sweetest Ukrainian snack we've sampled tonight but it's truly decadent. There is a fudge like chocolate and nut filling encased in a rich chocolate shell. It's nice that instead of blending the chocolate and nut filling, Roshen layers it. So far this is our favorite, but there are two more candies to try. Nougat Roshen Vanilla This is different. Nougat is common in American snacks but never so prevalent. The center tastes a little bit like a stale, chewy marshmallow center. Which is good, but different. The chocolate is high quality like the rest. So far, the Nougat Roshen Vanilla is our least favorite candy from Ukraine, but we think you'll still enjoy it. So order like 100 or so? Montblanc With Chocolate & Sesame If you like flavors you haven't experience before then you'll want to give this Ukrainian chocolate a a try. From the outside, it looks like a high-end treat that can be found pretty much anywhere. However, the inside is filled with rich dark chocolate and sesame seeds. It as a slightly burnt taste that made me think of popcorn. It's enjoyable, but not normal. There you have it. We hope you enjoy are review of 5 Random Roshen Candies. Right now we have 24 different kinds for you to sample at home. Maybe you'll come back and let us know what you think? As always, keep on snacking world!
We know it's been too long since we've posted here on our international snack blog. What's been the hold up? Well we've added tons of new snacks from around the world, so much of our time has been spent on writing descriptions and other tasks that come with running a successful online store. So enough excuses, let's get on with our snack review. For those who have followed along over the years, you might be wondering why we are reviewing Lotte Happy Promise Custard Cakes again. Well, we've just added Orion Custard Soft Cup Cakes to our inventory of Korean snacks and we thought it would be fun to compare the two. Lotte and Orion are the two biggest brands out of South Korea so we genuinely want to know which custard cake is better. Our review panel tonight consists of myself (a 33 year old American-ish male) and our Director of Taste (my 13 year old American son). So our first comparison is the packaging. The Orion Custard Soft Cup Cakes have recently gone through a design update and that is what initially caught my attention. Personally I like the new package. It's fun, shows the product, and has a cool retro flair to it. My son however prefers the Happy Promise Custard Cake packaging. He said "it's simple and clean." I am more visual, so to me showing the actual product was a big bonus. However, with two reviewers - this one is a draw. Well these are custard cakes, so let's compare the custards first. Orion Custard Soft Cup Cake had less filling. It was however, creamier and better tasting. The Lotte Happy Promise Custard Cake had ample filling and we did appreciate that, however it was less flavorful. Both of us agree, round 2 goes to Orion. So now onto the cake portion of this Korean Snack. They are cakes after all! Like the last category, this one was unanimous as well. We both preferred the Lotte cake. Orion is correct by calling their version soft. It was soft, and moist considering it's a mass produced packaged cake. The Lotte version was airy and light. The cake was also sweeter and just overall more pleasant. So round 3 clearly goes to Lotte. So if you've been keeping up with the several sentences above you know at this point we are at a draw. Now saying they are equal is a cop out and we won't have it. So we decided to declare a winner even though it's pretty much a tie. What is our favorite Korean custard cake? We have to go with the Lotte Happy Promise Custard Cake. What do you think? We love to have other weight in below. Lucky for you, World of Snacks offers both of these yummy cakes for sale in our international snack store with shipping here in the US and around the globe. Keep in snacking world!
The Balconi Rollino Hazelnut comes in a green package, with of course the Balconi logo across the top. In the center there is a picture of a roll cake, with a side of hazelnuts, and a pitcher of milk. The packaging is pleasant, not over the top, and very fitting for the snack cake held within. On to the taste test! The cake is moist, like all Balconi cakes we’ve sampled. This one for some reason seems a little too moist. The overall treat is soft and sweet. The chocolate is pleasant, nothing to write home about, but enjoyable. The hazelnut cream is rich and creamy. I personally wish that the cake was a little more crumbly. The whole treat melds together well and for a pre-packaged cake its pretty enjoyable. Overall, it’s OK. Of course we want you to rush and buy the Balconi Rollino online here in our international snack store. However, some snacks are less epic than others. There are a ton of exciting snacks from Italy here on our site. Be sure to check out those too!
It’s been way too long since we’ve reviewed some delicious snacks. That’s because we travel in the summer and track down new and exciting items that we plan to offer here online in our snack store. More on that later in future posts. While traveling a rep from John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks was kind enough to send a large selection of their products for our taste testers to review. They sent us six different flavors, which have sat here in my office taunting me. Well, one night they got the best of me and I tore into a box prior to our review. So they are excluded from this post, but I personally really enjoyed the Madagascar Vanilla SweetSticks. How do the other flavors stack up? Before we dive into our official review, let’s learn a little about John Macy. Way back in 1975 John got his start catering clambakes on Martha’s Vineyard. Over the course of the next 10 years he spent his time in the catering business, all while perfecting his CheeseSticks recipes. He took his creations on the road and sold them at county fairs and carnivals in California. In 1985, Mr Macy opened a small corner shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Today, John Wm. Macy’s CheeseSticks produces over 40,000 pounds of CheeseSticks a week! Now onto the long anticipated taste test! All of the CheeseSticks are produced with premium quality, all natural-ingredients. Our Director of Taste (My 12 year old son) has been eager to rip into the John Wm. Original Cheddar CheeseSticks, so our group started there. We assume original means this is the flavor that started it all. The shape is fun, the crunch is serious, and the cheese is pleasant, but not overpowering. Our next sample was the John Wm. Macy’s Sesame Gruyere CheeseCrisps. All of our tasters preferred the shape of this version. The sticks are fun, but the crisps are made to consume! The flavor is very mild, and unfortunately this was the least popular among out testers. Several noted they enjoyed it, but wish it were a little stronger. The third sample was the John Wm. Macy’s Adagio & Cheddar CheeseCrisps. This was the most popular among our group including myself as well (excluding the Madagascar Vanilla SweetSticks). The flavor was bold, the crunch was divine, and the shape fun to eat. The fourth and final sample was the John Wm. Macy’s Melting Parmesan CheeseSticks. These were very enjoyable. The cheese was subtle, but not subdued. They begged to be dipped into marinara and although we didn’t have any with us, we know they would go well together. For those keeping track at home, you may have realized we are missing another box. Unfortunately earlier when I mentioned I ripped open a box, it actually happened twice! The missing flavor is the Dutch Chocolate SweetSticks. Both of the sweet flavors I selfishly enjoyed were phenomenal. They are boldly bread sticks, but the sweetness really creates something special. Will World of Snacks offer John Wm. CheeseSticks, CheeseCrisps, and SweetSticks in our international snack store? Not anytime soon. Although this is a great snack and we are absolutely recommending you try them for yourself, they are not foreign and don’t really fit with our product lineup. You can buy them from retailers all around the country including the Publix Grocery store here by our office. Well now we are home, for a little while anyway and you can expect more reviews in the near future. As always, keep on snacking world!
Sampling snacks from over 40 countries, we don’t get to spend enough time with each. One country we hope to get more involved with is France. We have only sampled a handful of French snacks and the last one we tried was over a year ago. It was the M&M Crispy Candies, so we are not sure that counts. So tonight, we are trying a candy from France and review here on our international snack blog. Our snack under review is Pierrot Gourmand Lollipops. Pierrot Gourmand is a brand that was founded by a Parisian confectioner way back in 1892. The brand peaked in popularity in the 1950s and eventually went bankrupt in the 1970s. The Andros group then purchased the company and continues manufacturing today. In addition to their own brand they also offer a private label service. Today the company produces over 140 million lollipops a year. The packaging of the Pierrot Gourmand Lollipops appears high-end. Our sample came with two lollipops in a diamond shaped blue box. Unfortunately we liked the presentation more so than the actual candy. This snack is comprised of caramel with fresh milk and is a classic flat top lollipop. At first it had an unfamiliar taste and led us to believe the product had expired. Eventually it went away and it tasted like you imagine a caramel lollipop should. However, very little wow factor. It is most notable as a classic French lollipop though, so with that factored in we can see why many love this candy. Will World of Snacks offer the Pierrot Gourmand Lollipops in our international snack store? Probably not. That being said, we’d love to sample more French snacks. If you have a favorite that you think we should try leave it in the comments below. As always, keep on snacking world!
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The Snack Blog
Follow along as we explore cookies, cakes, candies, chips, crackers, and nuts from all across the world. Many of the international snacks that we highlight will be offered in our store over the course of the next year. We currently offer British Snacks, American Snacks, German Snacks, Mexican Snacks, Filipino Snacks, Japanese Kit Kats, Pakistani Snacks, Italian Snacks, & Korean Snacks. Each month this year we will add a new country and their best snacks inventory. Shop
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May 2018
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