Banana cotton candy, carbonated sweet water, and much, much more<\/b>
\nOn a reporting trip to North Korea\u2019s capital city, Pyongyang, last month, I had the opportunity to sample several examples of North Korean cooking, including cold noodles, barbecued meat and a whole lot of kimchi. For a country that\u2019s often associated with starvation, North Korea takes a tremendous amount of pride in its cuisine. (The country was racked by famine from 1994 till 1998; experts say that malnutrition remains common, but starvation is now rare.)
I was particularly surprised by the city\u2019s emerging snack culture \u2014 North Korea\u2019s communist government has turned a blind eye to some commerce in recent years, and the city\u2019s streets are peppered with small kiosks selling simple pick-me-ups, some in elaborate packages.
I decided to give them a try. Here are my verdicts, rated from one (inedible) to 10 (would eat it every day) .
This is a classic case of false advertising. On the shiny bag, the chips look flavorful and puffy, kind of like meat-flavored Cheetos. But look inside, and the chips are small, pale and bland, more reminiscent of plastic foam packing peanuts than the beloved American snack.
I\u2019 d keep eating these if no one stopped me, but wouldn\u2019 t enjoy them (or buy them again) .
Final verdict: 4\/10
It\u2019s carbonated. It\u2019s sweet. And it\u2019s water. This North Korean cola knockoff has none of Coca-Cola\u2019s pizzazz or layered complexity. It\u2019s a bit cloying, and a bit flat \u2014 one step below the knockoff colas that you find on U. S. supermarkets\u2019 lower shelves.
And if you\u2019 re wondering about the (appropriately) uninspired name: My colleague Victoria Kim, who covers L.A.\u2019s Korean community, tells me that North Korea refuses to use most foreign, particularly English, words. They\u2019 ll never use transliterated words like \u201csoda, \u201d as South Koreans would.
Final verdict: 5\/10
Final verdict: 6\/10
The moment you open the bag, the marshmallows\u2019 banana smell hits you like a freight train. That said, their flavor is much more mild \u2014 not unlike Circus Peanuts candy. They\u2019 re airier than American marshmallows and probably wouldn\u2019 t roast well.
Final verdict: 2\/10
I didn\u2019 t like these at all. They\u2019 re chewy, sticky and a bit gritty. They taste like sesame, but with strong, earthy overtones. They stick to your teeth long after you\u2019 ve swallowed, like the world\u2019s most disappointing Rice Krispie treat.
Final verdict: 1\/10
Altogether, North Korea’s snacks were surprisingly impressive \u2014 ubiquitous in Pyongyang, well-packaged and, while clearly not tailored to a Western palate, somewhat tasty. They made for an interesting culinary experience. But I won’t exactly be rushing back for more.
Overall verdict: 3.6\/10
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