It’s been over a month now since Pokémon Go finally revealed the hidden network of acquirable pocket monsters lurking around the nooks and crannies of our cities, parks and coastlines. In that vein, it’s worth remembering that the search for snacks is a bit similar in spirit, especially when the result leads to a miniature bag of Irish crisps emblazoned with a snaggletoothed, cherry-red gremlin. Sourced from the somewhat inexplicable UK-themed section of a local Key Food, these chips are indeed monstrous, blasted with a bracing pickled flavor that makes plain old salt and vinegar seem mild by comparison. This falls in line with the apparent British propensity for strongly flavored snacks, a taste which has spawned everything from Prawn Cocktail to Ham & Mustard and Marmite flavors. Indulging in a bit of speculation, I’d like to imagine these as the modern equivalent to the pickled onions that sat astride the voluminous Ploughman’s Lunch, or the raw onions often put out for snacking alongside a pint of lager at an old-fashioned pub. I also love this packaging, which confirms that for an outsider, this snack has it all: a bizarrely decorated bag, small enough for the intense contents to not out-stay their welcome, with a possibly interesting back-story. The Irish may feel differently, however, as a comment on this well-informed ranking of Irish crisps doesn’t even mention Meanies, with a commenter actually referring to them as a “poor man’s Monster Munch.” Munch may be the original, on the market since the mid '70s, with a similar stable of strong flavors (Smoky Bacon, Roast Beef, and Saucy Cheese & Onion, in addition to the aforementioned Pickled Onion). I still vastly prefer this packaging, with its genuinely ghastly hellion (somehow even surlier than this similar Mega Meanies spokesdemon) displayed on a field of green, to the goofy, faux-Muppet mascot of Munch. As for the taste comparison, only time will tell, and I’ll certainly be on the lookout for Munch in the future, even if it may be awhile before I have my next Pickled Onion Crisps craving.
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The coded language of snacks, sandwiches and seasonings, in NYC and beyond.
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