|
Post by Fritz on Dec 15, 2017 14:29:57 GMT
Binggrae Melon Flavored Milk (빙그게 메론맛우유)Most Hallyu fans have probably heard of "Banana Milk". Well, this is its close cousin "Melon Milk", in a handy single-serving sippy box. I wasn't really sure what to expect from this drink, but it's really quite delicious. I'd definitely buy this again. My rating: ★★★★★
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Dec 16, 2017 15:25:49 GMT
Haitai Larva Cookies (해태 먹보 라바 쿠키)No, this isn't an episode of Fear Factor; I'm not eating any insect grubs. These little cookies are shaped and named after characters from a popular Korean children's cartoon, Larva ( 라바). These cookies are slightly sweet and taste very much like classic American "Animal Crackers", but have a mild cheese flavor added to them. It's kind of funny; in America we don't generally think of cheese as a flavor to add to sweets, but apparently Koreans don't seem to think it's an odd pairing. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Dec 23, 2017 18:38:23 GMT
Pulmuone Yakisoba Noodles (풀무원 야끼소바)Today I've got yet another ramen variety - this time Japanese-style Yakisoba stir-fry. Like the curry ramen I had a while back, you boil the noodles, together with the packet of dried veggies , drain the water, then add the liquid sauce pack, and stir-fry. You can jazz it up with the addition of fresh cabbage, onions, carrots, bacon, and mayonnaise, but for today I'm sticking to the package contents and just adding a fried egg on top, along with the fish flakes (included). This variety was a refreshing change from some of the burn-your-mouth spicy dishes I've tried recently. This one was not at all spicy, but still flavorful. I liked it. My rating: ★★★★☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Dec 24, 2017 18:01:03 GMT
Orion King Goraebap Stir-Fry Seasoned Flavor (오리온 왕고래밥 볶음양념맛)Goraebap ( 고래밥) means "whale food" in Korean. These curiously-shaped chips have are flavored with a variety of seafood and stir-fry seasonings. Normally at this point, I would try to describe what these taste like, but quite honestly, I'm at a bit of loss for words. They don't really taste "like" anything I've ever had before. They obviously have a bit of seafood flavor and are seasoned with a blend of unidentifiable spices. They are very light and airy. Not bad and definitely different. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Dec 30, 2017 18:22:50 GMT
Haitai Honey Butter Chips - Canada Maple Syrup (해태 허니버터칩 - 캐나다 메이플시럽)For today snack I've got a very special treat - a holiday "Special Edition" of the wildly popular honey butter potato chips, but with Canadian maple syrup flavor added. They look just like regular potato chips, but like most similar Korean snacks, they are far less salty or greasy than their American counterparts. As for the honey / butter / maple flavor, it's very tasty. This bag won't last long. My rating: ★★★★★
|
|
|
Post by montana on Dec 31, 2017 17:24:03 GMT
Maple syrup is what I add mostly when a recipe calls for a sweetener (sugar) so much more healthier and a richer taste.
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Dec 31, 2017 18:49:06 GMT
Nongshim Shin Ramyun (농심 신라면)Today's ramen variety is the best-selling instant noodle brand in Korea and is sold in 100 countries around the world, including the USA. Heck, you can even buy this at Walmart. It's flavor is based on sogogijangguk ( 소고기장국), a popular traditional South Korean spicy cabbage and beef stew. Preparation is pretty typical - boil the noodles, dried veggies, and soup base in 550ml of water for 4-5 minutes and serve. In Korea the marketing tagline for this product is, "Shin Ramyun can make a man cry." So you can imagine my poor, delicate taste buds were in for some serious trauma. ㅋㅋㅋThis soup has a pretty decent flavor, but is quite spicy. It's not the hottest one I've tried so far, but it certainly ranks pretty high. I definitely worked up a sweat. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Jan 1, 2018 15:50:57 GMT
Dadam Jujube Tea (다담 대추차)A cup of hot tea is definitely nice on a frigid New Years Day. Like the little single-serving packet of ginger tea I had a while back, today I've got jujube tea. Called daechu ( 대추) in Korean, jujubes are a fruit in the date family, sometimes referred to as red dates (or Chinese, Korean, or Indian dates). Well, I have to say, this really hit the spot. It was pleasantly sweet and fruity and had an aroma that reminded me of a bit of incense. Quite refreshing. My rating: ★★★★★
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Jan 6, 2018 17:03:45 GMT
Nongshim Kimchi Bowl Noodle Soup (농심 김치라변)Today, I've got another popular ramen variety that's readily available Stateside, Nongshim Kimichi Bowl Noodles Soup. It comes in a handy microwavable cup. You simply added the contents of the separate soup base packet, fill to the line with water, and microwave for 3-4 minutes. I jazzed it up a bit by topping it with some "fresh" stir-fried radish kimchi ( 볶음김치). The taste of this one is pretty similar to some of the other varieties I had. It's pretty spicy, but not extraordinarily so. It's nothing really special, but still, not bad considering you can often buy it for as little as a buck at your local grocer. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Jan 7, 2018 17:14:46 GMT
Cheong Woo Original Rice Cake Cookie (청우 오리지널 찰떡 쿠키)I had the chestnut-flavored variety of these little cookies a while back. Today, I've got the originals. These cookies are soft and crumbly on the outside with a sweet, slightly chewy inside filling. They were very similar to the chestnut-flavored ones. Not bad, but nothing special. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by montana on Jan 15, 2018 12:33:49 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Jan 20, 2018 17:41:07 GMT
Nongshim Soldier Charcoal Barbecue Flavor (농심 쫄병 숯불 바베큐맛)These very curious-looking snack chips have a beef barbecue flavor. This snack is quite crunchy and has a smokey beef flavor which reminded me a lot of the Bulgogi Cheetos I had a while back. Not bad. My rating: ★★★☆☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Feb 3, 2018 20:03:03 GMT
Ottogi Real Cheese Ramen (오뚜기 리얼 치즈 라면)
Although cheese is certainly not a traditional Korean food, Koreans love cheese - who doesn't? In another East meets West fusion, they've naturally combined that love of cheese with their love of ramen noodles in this cheese-flavored noodle soup. The package comes with the usual dried block of ramen, together with a vegetable packet that even includes some elbow macaroni, and both a pouch of powdered cheese and one of "liquid" cheese. Cheese aficionados will no doubt sneer at the "Real Cheese" claim, but hey, Koreans are clearly not cheese snobs. ㅋㅋㅋ As a big fan of Mac & Cheese, I had a feeling this combo would work and it did, though I found the cheese rather bland. If I were making this from scratch, I would use a much more flavorful cheese, like cheddar. My rating: ★★★★☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Feb 11, 2018 14:31:18 GMT
Binggrae Banana Flavored Milk (빙그게 바나나맛 우유)Most hallyu fans have probably heard of banana milk, but how does it taste? Well, it tastes pretty much like you would expect - banana flavored milk. Not bad at all, though I think I actually preferred the "melon milk" I had before. My rating: ★★★★☆
|
|
|
Post by Fritz on Feb 17, 2018 17:11:06 GMT
Ottogi Rice Cake Soup (오뚜기 쌀떡국)Rice cake soup is a traditional Korean dish associated with Lunar New Year's celebrations, though with this instant variety, you can always enjoy it anytime. It is thinly-sliced rice cake, tteok ( 떡), in a creamy broth made from a variety of protein sources (beef, chicken, or seafood). Inside there is a sealed package of rice cake, a pouch of liquid soup stock, and one for the dried veggies. You put the contents of these in the bucket and add water to the marked fill line and microwave for 2 minutes. I garnished it with stir-fried hard boiled egg, a traditional topping. The broth is flavorful, but not overly spicy and the rice cake, of course, is very filling. I quite liked it. My rating: ★★★★☆
|
|