LOVE these. I had to Google Image these bad boys because I’m always done with them by the time I reach for the camera.

Anyway, I know I said I’d start “eating healthy” and therefore stop writing about junk food, but since I devoured a whole bag of these last night, I thought they would warrant a blog post. Jackfruit chips are a Vietnamese import that are all over Shanghai, and probably at a Asian supermarket near you. Crunchy yet soft, these sweet snacks beat out boring apple chips any day in awesomeness. I never tend to trust the ingredients lists on Chinese packaging (I don’t know why?), but on all 3 brands of jackfruit chips that I’ve tried, they all just use jackfruit and vegetable oil. So I’m guessing they are just naturally that sweet?

But let’s get to the point. What in the world is jackfruit? I, for one, had never heard of them before plowing through these addictive chips.

Jackfruit grow on trees. They are a freak of nature, growing up to 80 pounds, or 36 inches long (says wiki) - this makes them the largest tree-borne fruit on Earth. They are native to South and Southeast Asia, and jackfruit trees mature in 35-40 years.

“When fully ripe, the unopened jackfruit emits a strong disagreeable odor, resembling that of decayed onions, while the pulp of the opened fruit smells of pineapple and banana.” (what do decayed onions smell like?)

That’s all that I find interesting. To read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit
or here: http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/jackfruit.html

And they’re the national fruit of Bangladesh.

DEEEEEELICOUS!!!

Anything with sweet potato, I usually love. Which is why I snatched this bag of “Khoai Lang” Sweet Potato Chips the moment I saw them at the supermarket next door.

At first taste, they’re a little tasteless. But after three or four bites, they start to get addictive. The sweet potato chips are basically fries that will never get soggy, giving you a satisfying crunch to accompany every bite. I even tried them with ketchup… but um, it’s probably best to eat on its own. Subtle and sweet, what a good combination. Did I mention that this huge bag only costs 11 RMB (~$1.62)?

Get them at Chef’s Pantry, basement of Ba Bai Ban (ShangCheng Road & Pudong Nan Road, Pudong, close to the ShangCheng Road Line 9 Metro Stop or DongChang Road Line 2 Metro Stop).

PS (Pre-S): Thank you, KK Bag, for reminding me that Mother’s Day is coming up.

While I sat stuck in my room yesterday at noon, sadly awaiting the start of my workday, I watched as my friends Candee and Fernanda happily sauntered off to their city adventure. When I came home that night, a surprise reward awaited me. There it was, a dotted white bag made of wax paper, with the unmistakable logo of “KRISPY KREME” scribbled across the top.

Normally, I’m not a huge fan of donuts (doughnut?). They get soggy and smushed so easily. Well, this particular donut hit the spot. What looked like cottage cheese topping the donut were actually chunks of Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme chocolate, which blended ever so delicately with the light texture of the glazed donut underneath. I’m exaggerating with the language, but this definitely measures up to the Dunkin’ Donuts that I’m used to (David’s verdict: “It’s pretty good.”). I hope your brand doesn’t really die, Krispy Kreme.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, off of the Nanjing Xi Lu stop on the Line 2 Metro, Exit 3.