It's been nearly 15 years since I moved back to the States and yet I STILL crave random snacks in China. Thank God for 99 Ranch Markets as they do have a good amount of the items I crave available there... but NOT everything.
I'm going to go through a bunch of the snacks you CAN find at 99 Ranch and link you to the item there just in case you want to make a run to your local 99 to try some of these items.
Kopiko is an Indonesian brand. This hard candy can be readily found in China - including many mom and pop convenience stores. It has a wonderfully creamy coffee flavor. There is also a cappuccino version if cappuccino is more your speed.
Nongshim is a Korean brand. They are more well known for their instant noodles but these Onion Rings are delicious. They are similar to Funyuns but enough different that they are a completely different craving.
Glico is a Japanese company. Their other easily recognized line of snacks is Pocky - which is basically the sweet version of Pretz. As a HUGE savory snack fan this is at the top of my list of items I want to eat. I could easily go through several boxes of these without even realizing it. They also have a regular Salad flavor that I love.
This Chinese brand snack is... I guess I would call it amazing. It's a slightly sweet, milky candy. It actually used to be marketed as "milk candy". I guess that didn't sell well to the foreign market. Whatever the case, this is something you really should try! It's delicious. They're a harder chewy candy that soften up enough for you to be able to chew it away. Apparently they know have a matcha version of it as well. I haven't tried that one yet - but I intend on trying it once I see it.
Sunflower Seeds
This is an American brand version of the sunflower seeds readily found in China. It tastes just like the Chinese brands that I would eat in China. The flavor is so unique - you would never find anything like it in a typical American brand that you can buy at a typical American supermarket. This encapsules the flavor of China. If you're lucky, you'll be able to find their other flavors as well. They are ALL delicious.
I-Mei is a Taiwanese brand. They have so many snacks that you can find within China. This is just one of my favorites. The wafers are light and airy and the milk cream is sweet. I can guarantee that any I-Mei item you find on the shelves will be of high quality and extremely delicious.
Wang Wang (as I always say it - even though the Anglicized name is Want Want) is a Taiwanese brand that is mostly known for their rice crackers. If you've never had a rice cracker - I don't know exactly how to explain them to you. They are not as dense as American rice cakes but quite crispy. They are savory but somehow also sweet all at the same time. There are different kinds of rice crackers that all vary slightly in flavor and texture. I suggest trying these in a small pack on your first purchase as they definitely are an acquired taste. It's not everyone's cup of tea - but I DO like them myself.
Lotte is a VERY well known and successful Korean brand - there is even a very large amusement park in Seoul, Korea called LotteWorld. I like most of the Lotte snacks. So if you see any snack on the shelf with the Lotte name, you can assume that it's going to be great. This specific one has a slightly dense but not overly sweet cake with a thick vanilla custard in the middle. If you're more a chocolate lover you can get the ChocoPie that is covered in chocolate and has marshmallow in the middle instead of custard.
This is a Taiwanese brand version of dried, shredded squid. This kind of snack is very popular in China. You can see children munching on it at school. And you can also find it as a bar snack. Along with dried squid, you can find lots and lots of brands and styles of jerky (fish, tofu, beef and pork). They are flavored MUCH differently than American style jerky. I suggest trying several different kinds. .
I know, I know... you're probably thinking to yourself "uhhh... Sarah... you can find that ANYWHERE...." I know that. But China is where I fell in love with it. In China people give boxes of them as gifts (Nescafe is also a huge gift item). I was given large boxes of them multiple times... and from there I was HOOKED.
If you've been to China before and have favorite snacks that you can find at 99 Ranch or other Asian specialty stores in the States, share your favorites in the Comments. I'd love to share your favorites with everyone as well!
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