Asian food is a phenomenon that isn’t really understood by American culture. The different ingredient and spice combinations produce delicious sweet, salty, and savory flavors that are more enjoyable than American snacks, in my opinion. While I do like my Hot Cheetos and my Coke, Asian snacks hold a special place in my heart. I hope that this list can give you a small taste of the snacks that I grew up eating and still love today.
- Pocky
-
This is a snack that comes in multiple flavors, my personal favorite being cookies and cream. It’s like a small pretzel stick covered with a flavored coating. It originates from Japan and is one of my favorite snacks to munch on while I study. I love this snack so much that I even have a keychain of it! It’s my go to snack that never disappoints.
- Seaweed
-
Why does seaweed have such a bad reputation with Americans? It is often sold in small packages, dried and just ready to be eaten. There’s a great crunch when you bite into a fresh sheet of seaweed, and it melts onto your mouth while you eat it. My mother has sent me 16 packs of these to eat while I dorm in college. Even though I continuously get new snacks each week, I’ve finished about 6 of them already!
- Shrimp Chips
-
This snack comes in many different shapes and sizes, and I currently have a giant bag of it in my room. It’s a Costco-size bag, but I have almost finished it entirely by myself. The flavor falls on the savory side, and it’s made from fried rice paddies being seasoned with shrimp flavoring. This is one of the crunchy snacks that makes me eat tomorrow like the world is ending tomorrow.
- Banana Milk
-
I’ve been drinking this milk for 8 years now. The small packages come from Korea, sweet and cool, and this drink has become a staple of my snack pile. It has a special place in my heart since this was the first snack I purchased upon entering South Korea many years ago. Whether it is a hot summer day, or you’re depressed over a grade, this is a perfect drink to comfort you.
- Nuclear Noodles
-
I’m going to start this with a warning: THIS IS VERY SPICY! I have a terrible spice tolerance but I still love to eat this, even though I feel like I’m dying during the process. This is a challenging food, but I love the flavor. The spiciness makes it savory, and if cooked right, the bouncy noodles just add to the charm. This is also the food I turn to if I need to hydrate because I can down a whole liter of water while eating this.
This is a very short list of snacks, so please feel free to explore and experiment with more flavors out there. Asia is a very diverse continent, with something for everyone. I hope you try one of the snacks on this list and are open to trying more.