Popped Rice - Korean Delicacy?

It’s time for lip-smackin’, snack attackin’ – with your snack-expert-in-training, Tim Andrews (heretofore known as “The Snack Czar”). Let’s get our snack on.

Last week, we discussed (and consumed) Orville Redenbacher’s new line of “Natural” popcorn. I don’t want to get into an argument about whether or not garlic-flavored popcorn grows naturally, I’ll leave that to Eric, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s just freakin’ yummy.

Today, Larry brought in some Korean delicacies, courtesy of Super H Korean grocers. First, I tried the pound cake – which was more like a sweet roll than a traditional pound cake. It had lightness to it, and a sweet, creamy flavor. Might be good to cut in half for a bacon cheeseburger bun (I’ll try it). After that, we all tried the popped rice cakes.

I know what you’re thinking: Quaker Oats rice cakes. Nope. These are larger, flatter, and disappear as soon as they hit your tongue. Sweet, crispy and light, they are a healthy alternative to cookies or other heavy snacks. I think they’d go well with a fresh citrus or tropical fruit mix – and just a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Think funnel cake without all the guilt, hours spent crying yourself to sleep and the painful reminder that yes, you do have a penis, and yes it was once visible without the aid of a mirror.

The Official Map of Korea...there are TWO!

Super H has a website, check them out here (the default language is Korean, but there’s an English option). They sell other stuff, too. For instance, I noticed a vacuum of some sort offered on the main page, which I assume is to clean up the mess you'll leave after speed-eating these flat, yummy wafers. Here’s a You Tube video of the rice-popping machine that scared Larry the other day:

Lingering Aftertaste Warning: Popped rice leaves a nasty film-coated residue in your mouth. It’s not unlike what you taste when Novocain wears off.

Hear today's Snack Attack segment.