This fairly small candy bar doesn’t change a whole lot about the regular Snickers formula. Butterscotch is the cousin of caramel and nougat, so the flavor isn’t too different from the original generic Snickers bar. What immediately struck me was the color. The light brown reminded me of Halloween candy that’s been sitting in the pantry for a tad too long. I’m not claiming it was stale, but the chocolate was different from what we tend to have in the States. It was flaky, too — just pulling apart the bar sprinkled chocolate speckles all over myself, which wasn’t exactly a great first impression. 

I was expecting the butterscotch to be about the same as regular caramel and nougat, the taste was pretty great. It reminded me of butterbeer at Universal Studios — that buttery caramel taste hit the spot, along with the crunch of peanuts in the middle. The only criticism is that it was really sweet. With no salty caramel to cancel it out, it was a sugar bomb beginning to end. Part of me’s glad the bar was so small because I wouldn’t have enjoyed it in a large dose. As a once-in-a-while treat, though, it’s worth checking out. 3.75/5.

If you’re interested in a butterscotch Snickers, and don’t want to pay the hefty price from India, Walmart has a similar offering.

This is a refreshing little treat but probably not for blueberry purists. The neon blue and shiny stock blueberry photo on the package gives it away: this flavor is as artificial as it gets. I can taste the idea of berries, but the dominating taste is sweetness (seems to be a trend). It’s just pure sugar, and if that’s what you like in a soda, you may be delighted, but it’s not for me. It doesn’t help that it lost almost all of its carbonation throughout the day between getting it and trying it. It isn’t repulsive, but I think the $8 price tag is hardly justified. 2.5/5.

These chips aren’t for the faint of heart, like myself. I wouldn’t say I was numb, but the spice was overpowering from the first bite. Now, I’m no spice expert, so I asked for a few second opinions on this one, and most people liked it. So take my advice with a grain of salt… or crushed peppers. As for the taste underneath the spiciness, it’s pepper-heavy with a powerful umami flavor. The chip is a good, neutral, receptacle for this kind of flavor, and I can appreciate the idea behind it. If nothing else, I’ve learned that if this bag was any indication, Lays’ tendency to fill their chip bags with air extends overseas. I’m sure it’s great if you like hot chips, but for me it was unpleasant. 1.75/5.

This was the biggest surprise of the batch since pizza is such an iconic flavor and so difficult to nail. (If you’ve ever had Pizza Combos, you know what I mean.) To my surprise, this beautifully ridged chip hit all the right notes. It’s delightfully cheesy, and Calbee certainly didn’t skimp on the cheese powder. Most cheese chips are cheddar flavored (according to the package, at least) which gives a distinctive sharp flavor, but there’s a different mix here. It’s softer, and I think it feels like herby mozzarella rather than the sandwich cheese that overpowers the cheesy chip industry. 

The detail that makes it special for me is the variety of herbs on these chips. While the ingredients list just says “spices,” I can pick up (with my limited knowledge) oregano, garlic powder, and maybe even some thyme. Altogether, on top of the extra-crunchy chip, the cheese and herbs give it a real authentic flavor. This is no Papa John’s flavored chip. This tastes like a real Italian pizza. I’m a native Chicagoan, so trust me — I know my pizza. 4.75/5.

For a $10 bag of candy, I’d better be getting something special, and these Skittles are high concept if nothing else. The namesake dessert flavors (according to the bag) are Choco-Orange Cake, Strawberry Ice Cream, Blueberry Tart, Cherry Cheesecake, and Lemon Pie. After trying all the ambitious Skittle flavors, I was a little disappointed. They don’t taste bad, by any means, but they don’t taste as distinct from regular Skittles as they should. Unfortunately, these really only taste like the fruit parts of their names. Cherry Cheesecake? Well, I’m picking up the cherry part. They just taste like regular Skittles. 

I appreciate the pastel color palette, which gives it a distinct look. I was also fascinated by the sticker provided to close the bag back up (apparently, people in the UK don’t eat all their candy in one serving like us). Overall, though, it just feels dishonest. “Try this new chocolate orange cake flavor! It’s just a regular orange Skittle, but you might taste chocolate if I tell you that’s what it tastes like!” It didn’t stop me from clearing out the whole bag, of course. 4.25/5.