A bag of Monster Munch has been sitting in a decorative dish on my coffee table for weeks.  I saw ads for Monster Munch on TV, and it was recommended by friends and family.  And yet, I hesitated, fearing that this snack would be so bizarre and uniquely British that it would render other junk foods useless, and diminish the utility of this blog.  For why go on, after international junk food apotheosis?  But then I realized that the sell by date was approaching, so I ate them posthaste.

Why was I so intimidated by Monster Munch?  First of all, the name is a bit weird.  What taste does that name suggest?  Nothing in particular, in my view.  The package notes that there are “huge chunks of pickled onion.”  I was expecting corn snacks with big bits of pickled onion mixed in, like the corn version of a Gibson. They made me feel excited, well, excited and scared.

My first impression was that they’re lighter than I thought (more corn-colored) and they tasted more like salt and vinegar chips and less like pickled onion.  Not that pickled onion is so bad, I just wasn’t sure about a junk food dominated by that flavor.  After a few bites, they break down a bit.  At that point the consistency is pretty perfect- a nice light corn texture complimented with a perfect amount of fat- enough to add richness.  I noticed that these have MSG listed in the ingredients, so that could also be contributing to the sensation of being wrapped up in a velvety snack blanket.

They’re pretty delicious.  However, my one complaint is that they cut up the roof of my mouth.  You may recall that I described Wotsits as “the ideal cheesy poof for orderly people with sensitive mouths.”  Well, there may be too much monster in this snack for my delicate little palate.