I’m willing to try any cheesy snack or cheesy poof derivative.  I’m on the hunt for a UK substitute for my beloved Cheez-Its.  My quest continues. Don’t get me wrong- these are pretty good. I like that they’re baked, not fried, and that they don’t have artificial flavors or colors.  The initial bite is cheesy, but lacks sharpness.  Perhaps a touch more salt could enhance the first bite. Or more sharp cheddar. The aftertaste is cheesy, which would seem obvious for something called “mini cheddars,” but in the world of snack food, it’s not to be taken for granted. I had no problem finishing the small mini-cheddar packet; however, I don’t think I can give this cheesy snack the final rose. I’m going to keep looking.

Although salt and vinegar is not usually my preferred junk food flavor, I’ve been sampling salt and vinegar chips because when in Rome…*  This is not my favorite salt and vinegar-flavored snacky snack.  A rice cake can’t really masquerade as a kettle chip, can it?  This snack hits with a bit of a salt and vinegar punch, but even that can’t mask the rice cake/corn flavor.  They also leave kind of a metallic aftertaste.  However, if one is on a diet and needs a S&V fix, these will do.  I think they’d be better with an extra dash of vinegar.

*By Rome, I mean England.

I started this journal of junk because I recently moved from the US to the UK, and one of my major concerns about living in Europe was the quality of the junk food (and, full disclosure, the availability of Comedy Central and Bravo).  I decided to devote some spare time to the public service of reviewing international junk foods.