It is officially Super Bowl Season. On Feb. 11, an expected 200 million Americans will tune in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers go head to head at Allegiant Stadium, or at least stick around for the commercials.
If you’re among them, you might be tired of the standard artichoke dip, chicken wings and nachos served at almost every party. With food and drink making up a shocking 80% of Super Bowl-related purchases, you need to make sure you are on top of your game with your spread. Here are some non-typical alternatives for your Super Bowl snacking.
Nutty and Fruity’s BBQ Banana Chips are a sweet take on run-of-the-mill, air-dried banana chips. These glazed, crimson chips are a perfect blend between sweet, savory and salty. The deep red powder might raise some alarm, but rest assured that these BBQ-powdered chips have no artificial coloring. With Vitamin C, B6 and potassium benefits, these chips guarantee to keep you energized through every play. They pack a sweet punch and loud crunch, making them perfect for easy snacking.
Spiced, tangy and salty, Wai Lana’s Chili Veggie Chips are another great snack option for your football platter. With no gluten, GMOs or cholesterol, and powdered with hot chili and tinge of salt, these chips are both a healthy and delicious alternative to other chip brands.
Turtle Chips, puffy and crunchy, are seaweed-flavored chips that curl into themselves in the intended shape of a turtle shell. True to the packaging, these chips have a flavor similar to that of salt water and pack an aquatic aftertaste. Not made with actual seaweed, these chips contain a plethora of artificial flavors, none of which are exceedingly flavorsome. If you are looking for an adventurous addition to your table — Seaweed Turtle Chips are the chip for you.
Australian Tim Tams resemble Keebler’s Fudge Sticks, featuring a flakey chocolate wafer enveloped in two layers of velvety dark chocolate. These wafers are Australia’s most-loved chocolate biscuit, and for a good reason, too. They are light, airy, and not overwhelmingly rich like some American alternatives tend to be. They contain soy, egg and milk but are perfectly accessible options for vegetarians. Tim Tams deserve to be a staple at your get together.
Unlike my beloved Tim Tams, Twiglets, ashy and dirt-like, are a food to be avoided. These bumpy, pretzel-like sticks give the taster an experience that I can liken only to munching on soot, which can be expected due to their burnt-wood aroma. Their texture is coarse and unpleasant, and they are bound to have your guests gasping through dried mouths. Good thing I have some drink recommendations as well.
Mogu Mogu’s Lychee Drink is a pleasant and refreshing experience. This baby-pink beverage tastes overwhelmingly floral when it first comes into contact with your taste buds, but the shock settles as the syrupy lychee dissolves on your tongue. This chunky drink is light and pungently fruity but serves as a wonderful palate cleanser and corrector of dry mouths.
If at any point you are considering trying Jelly Belly’s Chocolate Water, I am here to advise you that this is a terrible idea. This sour and malodorous carbonated beverage tastes like La Croix with hints of molding jelly beans. The overwhelming lack of flavor is only made worse by the bubbling sensation that occurs when you take a swig. Sticking with the classic Coca-Cola might be the better option here.
Come Sunday evening, you can expect to find me curled up in front of the television stocked up with Tim Tams and Lychee water. I might not care which team takes the victory, but I am confident that my taste buds will stay winning either way.
