Taste Testing! (Asian Aisle)

I had a taste testing Friday night with my parents & three younger brothers. We tried all of the products I won in the Asian Aisle giveaway. (Thank you so much Cindy!) Some of the products, I’ve linked to the Asian Aisle blog where they were featured. (The products that have not been featured yet are linked to their manufacture website, etc.) I had a really fun evening trying all of these interesting and unique products and wanted to share my reviews.
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SOO Singapore Jerky: Pork Jerky & Hot Pork Jerky.



The jerky had a sauce like coating on it. It tore really easy into smaller pieces and was really yummy. It reminded me almost of boneless spare ribs from a Chinese takeout place. I actually liked the spicy one better.

Philippine Dried Mangoes



Ahhhh this is why I entered the giveaway in the first place! I love Philippine dried mangoes. There is no better mango then a Philippine mango. These are sweet and chewy and addictive! F.B. and I would buy them everytime we visited the grocery.

Kasugai’s Gummy Candy. (Flavors: Apple, Grape, Muscat, Pineapple, Orange.)



I love the packaging. Each one would say the flavor and, “Comes in a attractive small bag” Heehee! Apple was good, I love orange. Even the muscat flavor was good. Kind of a cross between an apple & grape flavor to me. Pineapple was not so good. My brothers agreed- it didn’t really taste like a pineapple.

Pocky: (Almond Crush & Strawberry Cream.)



I’ve seen pocky in the international aisles at the supermarket, but I’ve never tried it. I really liked it. The chocolate on the almond crush one was really rich and creamy. The strawberry cream was awesome too. They have a nice crunch to them almost like a cracker or cookie.

Yan Yan Vanilla Cream Snack



Everyone had so much fun with these! All of the biscuit cookies have silly sayings on them. My Mom cracked up because she got one that said, “In a hole.” She made me take a picture. My Dad got “Beware of lies.” You dip the cookies in the vanilla cream. I would definitely get these again. My fiancé said he’s had them in the Philippines.



Nagaraya Barbecue Cracker Nuts



Wow! I’ve seen these in the Philippines and F.B. said he’s also had these before, but I never tried them. These were everyone’s favorite. The peanuts are so light and airy with a crunchy coating. Never tasted anything like them. I love the smokey barbecue flavor too. Will definitely be bringing some of these home on my next trip to the Philippines!

Hello Panda (Biscuits with chocolate cream.)



Yum! Yum! Yum! These were soooo good! The cookie is light and airy and crisp with rich chocolate cream inside. Everyone loved these! F.B. said he has had these before too over in the Philippines. I would definitely buy these again!

Ramune Carbonated Drink (Melon)



Opening the bottle was quite an experience! You have to use this plastic plunger thing and push it into the top of the bottle; this releases a marble. When you open it, it sounds like a bottle of champagne opening! The bottle’s unique shape keeps the marble from going down into the bottle. We each tried a little of the soda. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t sweet enough for my liking. I’m keeping the bottle; it’s so different and neat looking!

Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce



It says HOT for a reason! I only had the tiniest little taste of this and my mouth was on fire! It might be okay diluted with other sauces; it’s not bad, just hot. My 14 year old brother has a fondness for hot stuff. He took a spoonful of this stuff! And his eyes were watering, but he loves it! Haha!

Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste



This wasn’t as hot and has a different, almost sweet taste to it with a thicker texture. Will definitely find a use for this. I have some rice noodles in the cabinet; I will have to put together a stir fry dish with this sauce.

Philippine Brand Mango Juice Nectar



So yummy! Everyone enjoyed this too. Like I said, Philippine mangos are… well, heaven! It reminded me of sitting at my fiancé’s dining room table eating a fresh mango. (He would cut a half, and you would eat it with a spoon.) This was really good juice!

Ginger Candy



I’m not too fond of ginger, so I didn’t know what to expect with this candy. The rice paper covering was different- I did try to peel it off, even though it's supposed to disolve in your mouth, haha! It was chewy and spicy and I was surprised that I loved it! It reminded me of Brachs cinnamon heart candies. My Mom really enjoyed this too.

Flower’s Kiss Candy



Unique flavor. I’m not sure what the fruit flavor is supposed to be. I love the pretty paper and flower design. These were not bad at all, I liked them.

Meiji Gummy Choco (Strawberry, Muscat, Orange.)



I had a similar candy in the Philippines that I didn’t like because they were too gummy. But these were firmer and very fruity with a chocolate coating. You can smell the fruit when you open the container. I love the container- I think I’m going to keep it when their all gone, it’s so cute!

Hi-Chew (Flavors: Orange, Lemon, Green Apple, Strawberry, Melon)



Love love love these! I’ve never tried these before. The remind me of a firmer chewier starburst candy. Orange was the top favorite with everyone, followed by strawberry. Melon was surprisingly good, it tasted like fresh cantaloupe. The orange flavor, as well tasted just like an orange! All of them were good; I’m going to have to hunt these down around here in Philadelphia!

Botan Rice Candy



Different, another candy with a rice paper coating, hehe. These were chewy, with a slight orange citrus flavor. Not overpowering though, not bad.

Marukawa Bubble Gum. (Various Flavors.)



When I think of gumballs, I think of that hard crunchy break your tooth coating, haha! These were really soft and chewy & had a strong fruit flavor. All of the flavors were really good. Everyone liked them.

I also thought it was funny that underneath there was a piece of styrofoam that said this!


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I had alot of fun with this taste testing! I really want to do another blog like this, with Philippine snack foods & candy when I am back in the Philippines in November. I would also like to do a Philippine snack food giveaway! (Look forward to at least 2 giveaway's while I'm in the Philippines! *wink* )


Phil-Am Foods

Philippine Snack Foods

Foreign Food Cravings