Now who could resist a pack that looks like this?
Actually, with no english description on the front of the pack and the product looking a bit like ribbons of caramel, you could be forgiven for mistaking this for a pack of sweets!
This wouldn't necessarily have been a bad thing but pre-disposed as I am to salty snacks, I wouldn't have enjoyed the whole thing!
What was intriguing was the look of it and the product name: "everyone says good good eat". This translates literally into Cantonese which re-translated means "very good to eat", a pretty heavy promise when you're not sure who is going to buy you!
My question is, if the contents are so good to eat, why is the little girl on the pack frowning?!
Further investigation netted the website on the back of the pack:
Unfortunately, the site is all in Chinese, however a google search led to the following site which explains everything!http://myitchyfingers.wordpress.com Part 1
My Itchy Fingers Part 2
It appears that this is somewhat of a Taiwanese packaging phenomenon. This is one of a line of products which uses the same character to urge you, visually and via the writing on the pack, for the most part to buy this snack NOW! The reason behind the frown is that the character is annoyed that you still haven't made up your mind yet to buy this pack!
More intriguing is the description of the product (above). So, it's a Taiwanese-made Japanese chicken-flavoured ramen noodle snack!
Sounds dodgey to me!
Which wasn't helped by the fact that my local store sold it long past its use-by date! Yes, that does say 08 on the far right!
Let's just say I wasn't feeling overly confident!
But at least it looked like the product on the pack, albeit a little crushed!
The best thing was, it actually tasted quite good! It was crunchy but didn't shatter into crumbs when bitten into and it was totally greaseless so it felt wholesome. (For my Aussie friends, it was a little like a SAO biscuit but less flakey.) As a snack, it wasn't overly salty or heavily flavoured with powdered stuff that gets left behind on your fingers. Quite handy at the cinema or on a shopping trip. I could also see it crumbled over a bowl of congee.
The ads typically feature a motherly figure wanting her child to take a bowl of steaming hot ramen with him or her as the child is running out the door. How inconvenient! But with a packet of these ramen-flavoured snacks, you can have your ramen on the run! (I can feel a product innovation coming on!)
Next time I return to the store where I bought these, I will be sure to check out the use-by date before buying but if they taste this good this far out of date, hopefully the fresh ones will be even better!
Posts
All I can say is "good good eat"! Its always what comes to mind when I see a snack!! Will look out for them as I to find a hot bowl of ramen inconvenient to carry to work...!
ReplyDeleteWow posting a blog at 12pm, major research (very good by the way)into your product..you must be on holiday!! They remind me of the pig ear biscuits we used to have only they were sweet :)
ReplyDeleteHehe that little girl is so cute! Interesting marketing and packaging strategy! :lol:
ReplyDeleteNo Shanks, doing a sneaky from work! I didn't of course write it during the day but just uploaded as it's easier than logging in at home (need a new laptop!)
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for the link to my post, which is part 2 of the Everyone Says Good Good Eat post. Please see here for part 1
ReplyDeletehttp://myitchyfingers.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/everyone-says-good-good-eat/
Thank you Itchy Fingers! I couldn't find the link to the TVCs so you've provided them for me! I am envious that you have access to more variety than I do! I'd love to try the round snacks. I pictured them as being sweet but your description has changed my thoughts on that! : )
ReplyDeleteHeee....i have tried the 3 variety of this pack - the round one, the one u tried, and the instant noodle kind, er...basically they all taste the same....! hahah...just look difft though...:D In Taiwan, they have a few more differently packed snacks...i bought them cos i love the look... hahah...:D
ReplyDeleteIt's great to see good ol' Flavour Enhancer (621) making an appearance and giving a taste boost!
ReplyDeleteI would have thought the same Belle but honestly this snack didn't taste enhanced at all. That's what was so good about it. If you're used to really salty snacks, you might even find it bland! : )
ReplyDeleteI tried the Ebi (eel) flavour the other day..loved them.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you find them HB? I went back to my supplier only to find that they no longer stock them! I would love to try the Ebi flavour too!
ReplyDelete