Not yet named food entry: Snacking from Sea to Shining Sea

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One of the perks of traveling is trying regional foods.  Barbeque differs throughout the South, and the North has different styles of pizza. However, I’m not focusing on food trends in this entry, (like a Chicago hot dog or New England Claw Chowder), I’m talking about the regional food products: your pre-packaged, pick-up-at-the-store snacks. Once, in Alamogordo, NM, I sampled chili and lime flavored roasted lima beans (spicy and tart), akin to a package of peanuts. In Pennsylvania, the area around York is home to Bickel Snacks (good, crunchy hard pretzels) and Middleburg is the land of Middleswarth Potato Chips (light in feel, not very greasy and substantial potato taste).  Even giants in the food markets have regional varieties, Frito Lays has more spicy versions of their products in Latino markets, including more chili and lime flavored treats.

There is a regional supermarket, H-E-B, that serves Texas and Mexico, and has a great line of namesake brand products.  One of these is the supermarket’s Texas Tasters – delicious buttery snack crackers in the shape of Texas.  Outside of the novelty of state-shaped food, these little buggers are yummy. They are light and crispy, buttery and salty. In flavors like Buttery, Salsa, White Cheddar, Jalapeno Cheese and Smoky Bacon & Cheddar, they are by far the best food that I can easily carry out of Texas.  And I do, boxes of them, when I visit the Lone Star State.
Texas-shaped snack crackers - what an awesome idea
I must make the disclaimer that these awesome snack crackers are made in Canada – which is amusing.  It’s probably because they are small crackers - about 2 centimeters… err… ¾ inch big.  Remember everything’s bigger in Texas, so that’s probably why there are made in Canada.  All kidding aside, that doesn’t stop them from being a fun Texas-themed munchie or stop me from showering a bowl of chili with them when I have them. I wonder if they would ever consider a saltine-sized Texas-shaped cracker.  I dream…

As a side note, I found a recipe for Texas Citrus Salsa on the H-E-B website, that I’m going to try and wanted to share with you.

Image courtesy of the lovely Laura A.

Comments

Cosasincomodas said…
Loved your post! Thank you, Casey.
10:59
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