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PANISCUS REVUE:

Tom Crites

PANISCUS REVUE

P.O. Box 21448

Long Beach, CA

90801

U.S.A.

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PRINT REVIEWS AT THE LINKS ABOVE
 
AUDIO AND VIDEO REVIEWS AT THE LINKS BELOW
 
PORK RIND REVIEWS - THIS PAGE
 
EXTERNAL LINKS - BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

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New Audio Reviews

New Video Reviews

Paniscus Revue #11

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Welcome once more to the new(er) and continuously improving PANISCUS REVUE Updates site - still sharper, cleaner, in alphabetical order, and, in short, simply better than the crammed table format of before. (Keep in mind that this effort is completely independently funded, keeping Paniscus Revue ad-free and meaning that it is not supported by grants or any other form of handout. Which kind of sucks; hey, send me some money!) The following pages (linked at top of page) contain New Print Reviews, while the New Audio Reviews and New Video Reviews pages nearby (linked above and below) are also being updated as regularly as possible. (New Pork Rind Reviews can be found below.) For other not-too-distant reviews from the previous issue of Paniscus Reuve, hit the Paniscus Revue #11 link. That site will serve as 'the archives' for now, what with the death of www.paniscusrevue.com. But perhaps best of all,  you can still watch the mystical Golden Shower Monkey ("Watch Me Now!" just below; highly recommended). Thanks much for your patience and support, and now please enjoy. Cheers!

Watch Me Now!

 

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SITE LAST UPDATED :      

(Many prior reviews also still available inside.)

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To have your material reviewed here, just send a sample or promotional copy to Tom Crites at PANISCUS REVUE, P.O. Box 21448, Long Beach, CA, 90801, U.S.A. Thank you.

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Last but not least, these new pages have the benefit of containing direct links to the addresses of contributors, where available. Also, in each review you can now click on an image to see a (slightly) larger version of the cover shot. Please note as well that due to the image-rich nature of the pages, some may take a moment or two longer to load and display.

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BAKEN-ETS - Chile Limon Hot & Tangy Flavored Fried Pork Skins

We all know how well chili goes with pork rinds, but “limon?” Well, it actually goes pretty good, a sharp citrus taste accentuating the chili and sugar and making sure your hand keeps coming back to the sack. What is a little off here is the texture; Frito-Lay is a massive food concern indeed, but their quality control department is a little lax when it comes to consistency. The rinds in this sample bag failed to be uniformly light and crunchy, instead often proving themselves more dense than crisp and delivering a decidedly artificial quality. I’d probably try another bag if it was put in front of me, but I wouldn’t go looking for one.

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Manufactured for Frito-Lay, Inc., Plano, TX – www.fritolay.com

Ingredients: Fried pork skins, chili pepper, maltodextrin, salt, tapioca maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, sugar, corn syrup solids, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oil, hydrolyzed corn gluten, onion powder, spices, lime juice solids, sodium diacetate, artificial color (Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake), natural flavor, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate.

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BRIM'S SNACK FOODS

Buffalo Wing Flavored Soft Style Pork Cracklin’s

Shee-doggies that’s a long list of additives down below for a packet of cracklin’s with a bible quote on it (never seen that before!). “Life Is So Delicious” shouts the bag; well, as delicious as tocopherol and disodium guanylate can make it, anyway. All that being said, these really ain’t too bad; heavy curls of “fried out pork with attached skins,” these are rolled in a sweet and spicy BBQ & hot sauce flavoring that has a pleasant approach and a warm lingering departure. The fatty undercarriage of the harder skin shells (only a couple of which were too hard to crunch down, even in a sample that was a bit past its sell-by date – kudos) gives these cracklin’s a hearty stick-to-your ribs quality that makes for a solid snacking experience. And just look at that lasso-wielding pig riding the flying buffalo on the label – I think I’ve found my next tattoo. Or at least my next baseball cap…

(Thanks to Kobb Labs)

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Manufactured by Brimhall Foods Company, Inc., Bartlett, TN – www.brimsnacks.com

Ingredients: Pork cracklin’s, dehydrated hot sauce (aged cayenne peppers, salt, vinegar, canola oil, natural tocopherol, garlic powder), spices and spice extractives including paprika, sodium diacetate, salt, cornstarch, wheat flour, natural and artificial flavor, malic acid, citric acid, nonfat dry milk, disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate, partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil, sucralose, neotame and less than 1% calcium silicate to prevent caking.

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BUENOCITOS PICOSITOS CHICHARRONES

Take it from the happy little sombrero-wearin’ mascot “Senor Todd” – these rinds are Buenocitos! (And that label would make a bitchin’ t-shirt.) Rapidly rising to favorite status here at Paniscus HQ, these are thick, solidly crispy rinds literally slathered with chili powder, making for a snack that eats like a meal. With a deep satisfying crunch that’s rarely downright hard or chewy, Buenocitos finds that fine line between fried pork skin and pork cracklin’ and rides it for all it’s worth. And with their warm chili flavor and secret rendering process Buenocitos has that all-too-rare authentic Mexican food flavor that leaves a pleasant aftertaste of pepper, cumin and pig oil. I was so pleased with these rinds that I bought up a half-dozen sacks to pass around, and while reactions to these strongly-flavored snack treats were mixed the overall reaction was that they grew on you and left you wanting more. There’s only one spot I’ve found that carries these, Kay’s Market on Ocean Boulevard, but I make it a point to drop by there at least once a week and carry out two or more sacks of Buenocitos.

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Todd’s Incorporated – www.buenocitos.com – Vernon, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, paprika and other spices, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein (6.9%), monosodium glutamate, dextrose, modified food starch, garlic powder, spice extractives including oleoresin paprika, citric acid, disodium inosinate and guanylate, with no more than 2% dioxide as anti-caking agent.

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BUENOCITOS CHICHARRONES

These are not quite the gustatory reward that the above Buenocitos Picositos are. The plain variety does have a nice salt level, but very little innate flavor of their own and these crispy gnarls of fried pork skin conceal far too many overly hard chunks of fossilized rind. What they do have is a 10g packet of Dona Cuca Salsa Picante (Ingredients: water, chili pepper, iodio salt, alcohol vinegar, condiments (?), spices, xanthan gum and 0.1% sodium benzoate as preservative. “Hecho en Mexico.”) This makes some difference, as in the tradition of the finer Mexican hot sauces Dona Cuca is a spicy, tangy, creamy blend which makes any rind finer. But it just ain’t enough to soften the really rocky ones. A shame, that, because the lighter crispier skins are close to perfect. Unfortunately they’re just too few and too far between.

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Todd’s Incorporated – www.buenocitos.com – Vernon, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds and salt.

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CARMEN'S - Hot & Spicy Pork Rinds

I was so happy to see a new brand on the shelf, as I always am, that I ignored the cardinal rule and bought a bag of rinds past its sell-by date (the only ones in stock). It was only a couple of days, but I don’t recommend such a practice; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, a stale pork rind is nobody’s friend. There is a marked difference in both taste and texture when a rind is past its time, and it just don’t make for the best eating experience. Thankfully Carmen’s passes that acid test, staying crispy and flavorful beyond their expected shelf life. The majority of these hot peppery rinds are puffy enough to melt in your mouth, much like their Original Brand brothers ,and while there is a little variety in texture it’s all predominantly good. As is the flavor, although this does rely heavily on the salt and chili. All said and done this is a more than fair rind, but I can’t dodge the impression that this is more of a supermarket rind than a selective brand. The packaging backs me up here, telling me it’s a Snak King brand; and Snak King has a lot of brands. Take that as you will, but you can bet I’ll be buying these again.

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Snak King Corp., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt, spices, hydrolyzed soy protein, maltodextrin, dextrose, garlic powder, sugar, caramel color, citric acid, extractives of paprika, FD&C Red 40 Lake, soybean oil, natural flavor.

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CARMEN'S - Original Pork Rinds

I’ve come to appreciate the plain variety of chicharrone more and more recently, and Carmen’s Original style pork rinds are particularly worthy of appreciation. These light and airy puffed skins literally melt in your mouth, with a truly creamy texture that has to be experienced to be understood – it’s like all the best parts of the pig have been distilled into a special essence just for you. It’s a subtle flavor, true, and the sodium level feels like its on the low side, but adding a little extra salt to the sack both brings out the fried pork flavor and increases the quality of the skins as a drinking man’s snack. Me, I like to add a little Castillo Salsa Habanera as well, not that Carmen’s really needs it. If you live in greater Los Angeles county, check out your neighborhood ninety-nine cent stores and pick up a grocery bag full of Carmen.

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Snak King Corp., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Pork rinds and salt

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CASA DE ORO BOTANERO CHICHARRONES
Snack Style Fried Pork Rinds - Regular and Hot & Spicy

Well I’ll be god-damned if I didn’t go and misplace the reviews for both bags of Casa de Oro. But they must have been good, because I saved the labels for months. You know what, if you see these go ahead on and buy a bag, and if you don’t like ‘em you can always email me and complain.

Gaytan Foods, City of Industry, CA (800) 242-9826

Ingredients:

Regular: Fried pork rinds, salt. (Salsa packet included.)

Hot & Spicy: Fried pork rinds, paprika and other spices, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein (6.9%), monosodium glutamate, dextrose, modified food starch, garlic powder, spice extractives including oleoresin paprika, citric acid disodium inosinate and guanylate with no mare than 2% dioxide as anticaking agent.

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DAD'S - Traditional Tender Cracklins

Don’t think I’ve had “tender cracklins” before; that has something of an odd ring to it, but damned if these soft curls of rind and their buttery undercoating of fat ain’t too bad after all. They truly are tender, a welcome change from the rocky offerings some brand names purvey. With their easy-eating texture and pure porcine flavor these are some most edible pig snacks indeed; my only complaint is that they’re not salty enough for a beer drinker’s palate, and so light and greaseless that they didn’t really take the extra salt I poured into the sack. Can’t really fault ‘em for that however, so catch these if you can, and pick up any other flavors and styles Dad might be offering.

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Manufactured for CFB, Inc., Richland, MS

Ingredients: Pork skins with fat attached, salt.

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EL SABROSO CHICHARRONES - Fried Pork Rinds

Yes dear reader, I have enjoyed a variety of El Sabroso pork rind products in the past, but the cockles of my heart were so warmed upon finding these glorious chicharrones in a fat new 10 oz. bag that I could not resist posting the good words on their latest incarnation. Just look at the size of that sack! (Well, at least picture it, if you will.) It’s practically pillow-sized! It’s fuckin’ HUGE! Over half a pound of fried salted pork rind, ready to eat at only thirty-two cents an ounce. That’s less than a postage stamp, people! And oh-so-much more satisfying.

The fine people at Snak King teach us two important lessons here about the fried pork rind – number one, look at the ingredients: “Pork rinds, salt.” That’s an elegant piece of culinary poetry right there, my friend, and a testament to the purity of the product itself. Read it again: “Pork Rinds, salt.” Let that be your personal mantra for the day: “Pork rinds, salt.” Nice. And the added ring of truth beyond those two simple ingredients, “Fried in rendered pork fat,” tells you that El Sabroso is an honest rind with nothing to hide. (For a comparison, take a look at the lengthy list of additives in one of the major food conglomerate’s popular nationwaide pork rinds. You know they’re doing more to their fresh and tender virgin pigskin than just frying it in rendered pork fat.)

The second thing El Sabroso has to teach us about the quality of excellent rinds such as these is that they provide the perfect specimen against which to apply “The Whiff Test.” Hold the bag underneath your nose, pull it open, and inhale deeply of the rich fragrance of fat-fried pigskin that escapes. An important principle rises here, and that is that often the worse a chicharrone smells, the better it will taste. Artificial preservatives and coloring agents, and even spices, can retard the pure porcine essence of the pork rind, and in addition to the listed ingredients the aroma can tell you immediately how ‘natural’ or ‘manufactured’ your snack is. (And therefore how satisfying it will be.) What you smell in El Sabroso is the pure undiluted essence of swine, “Fried in rendered pork fat,” and it’s strong enough to revolt hippie vegetarians in a one-block radius. (Good; more rinds for you.) Mmm-mm.

But by far the most important quality the chicharrone possesses is of course its taste, and El Sabroso does not shrink from this final test. These are rich, salty, and yea, as I have said before, buttery rinds of fatty golden goodness, with each fine rind tasting better than the last. Simple perfection on their own, but drop a little of Louisiana’s Pure Crystal Hot Sauce on there and you’ll be creaming in your overalls.

The only oddity to be found regarding El Sabroso is that these rinds are so rich that they actually stick to your ribs – and your teeth, and your gums . . . No complaints on this end, mind you, that there is a richness that lasts, just a reminder that this is a serious snack food. None of that artificially non-fat crap here. These ain’t Pringles Lite, darlin’. (Although pork rinds are a “no carbs” food, so you Atkins suckers can go hog-wild. Get it? HAR!) One other quality of El Sabroso that probably ought to be mentioned here is that after consuming one or more 1 oz. serving sizes you yourself begin to render fried pork fat, and the gas you pass will most definitely reflect this. Again, no complaints on this score, and in fact, some may consider this a bonus. I know I do – it keeps those hippie vegetarians at bay.

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Snak King – www.snakking.com – Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt. (Fried in rendered pork fat.)

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EL SABROSO - Chorizo Flavored Pork Rinds

While some might argue that a sausage-flavored pigskin is about as essential as a french fry-flavored potato chip, I could not resist these red little nuggets. (Nor that smiling swine on the label.) With a tangy aroma and a flavor that’s complex and intriguing, melding the salty with the sweet and blending flavors both natural and artificial, the taste here is actually not too far away from a spicy pork-apple sausage (at least as close as one could hope to come with a chip). The red pepper, slight fruitiness, and hint of clove oil all come together on a base of nicely crisp pigskin that carries a sharp sugary bite that’ll have you reaching for another in an attempt to nail down the elusive flavor. (Or perhaps just to satisfy that growing desire for salt, sugar and MSG that comes with sampling these crimson bits.) Rich and well-rounded, these may be a little too fancy (or “fruity”) for your everyday rind-eater, but are still a welcome variation on the classic treatment.

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Snak King “King of Snacks” – www.snakking.com – Los Angeles, CA.

Ingredients: Fried pork skins, maltodextrin, salt, chili powder, monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (corn gluten, soy protein, wheat gluten), yeast extract, sodium diacetate, onion, garlic, soybeanoil, silicon dioxide, paprika, sugar, natural flavor, spices, FD&C Red 40.)

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GUERRERO PORK CRACKLINS

These are by far the most toothsome cracklin’s I’ve ever had. I generally avoid these harder little cousins of the pork rind, as the nuggets of fried-out pork fat with attached skin can be deceptively tough – sometimes almost tooth-chippingly so. On top of that the pork fat (which is the real reason for the cracklin’ to live, the pigskin being there only to hold it in place) often resembles something scraped out of a rendering plant’s sludge pot. But Guerrero does the tradition right, serving up popcorn-sized curls of golden skin and fat with that all-important pig flavor baked right into a tender, almost delicate, little nubbin of goodness. And even a saltoholic such as myself will find little need to toss any more table salt into the sack. Perfect with a bowl of Valentina salsa picante for dippin’. !Viva Guerrero!

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Distributed by Gruma Corp., Irvine, TX – www.guerrerofoods.com

Ingredients: Pork fat with attached skin, salt.

 

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ISLAND PACIFIC PORK CHICHARON STRIPS - Artificial Vinegar Flavor

We’ve gone over the unusual strain of the vinegar-flavored pork rind before, but let’s revisit it again; this is the tangy cousin who sits between the plain and the hot & spicy varieties of the chicharrone. And while there are those sophistos who might find nothing more revolting than a vinegar-soaked strip of pigskin (or an artificially-flavored one), salt, vinegar and the fried pork rind actually go together real well. Particularly here, on the previously unheard-of Island Pacific brand (do they have Hawaiian BBQ flavored pork rinds, I wonder?). The flavoring here may be artificial, but it’s the perfect blend of salt and sour to make your mouth water. Literally – these puppies will jump-start your salivary glands like few other snacks are capable of doing. Especially if you dip ‘em in hot sauce, which makes these tender twisty strips, being puffed up so perfectly light and airy like they are, snap, crackle and pop excitedly as you bite ‘em down. And of course a tang like this can only be countered by a cold one, preferably a dark stout. Hell, they should have bowls of these one bar counters all over the world – beer sales would triple. Lastly, take note of the logo: a happy little swine holding up a bottle of garlic vinegar in an alluring ‘baste me and eat me’ gesture. Now that’s hospitality.

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Distributed by Island Pacific Distribution, Inc., City of Industry, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, sodium diacetate, monosodium glutamate, salt

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LA REINA CHICHARRONES FRIED PORK RINDS
Snack Style Hot & Spicy Tipo Botanero Picante

Now these are good. DAMN good. They are indeed hot and spicy, not to mention truly flavorful. Among the rich medley of tastes presented here no single spice stands out, except for the heat which slides in underneath it all for a slow burn that lingers blissfully after the rind is long gone. And they’re nice and salty too, just the way I like ‘em. How good are these rinds? They’re so good, they even taste great with water if you happen to run out of beer. But we both know that ain’t gonna happen.

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Distributed by La Reina, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, paprika and other spices, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein (6.9%), monosodium glutamate, dextrose, modified food starch, garlic powder, spice extractives including oleoresin paprika, citric acid, disodium inosinate and guanylate, with no more than 2% dioxide as anticaking agent.

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LA REINA CHICHARRONES FRIED PORK RINDS
Snack Style Tipo Botanero Regular

A big sack does not a grand fried rind make. Kudos to the classic all-natural ingredients, but these rinds come off a little dry and flavorless. Extra salt helped some, lots and lots of extra salt. And the bag did at least come with a single little squeeze-it pouch of tangy La Botanero Clasica Salsa Picante (“!La Mera, Mera!”), although this was more of a spicy vinegar water than a true condiment. So, maybe a fine snack for the movies, as at least you’ll have plenty of salt, but not a particularly top-notch nosh otherwise. Still, I’d wear a t-shirt with the color label on it.

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Distributed by La Reina, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, salt.

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MAC'S RED HOT CHICHARRONES - Pork Skins

Mac’s changed their label recently, so although I’d reviewed their hot rinds some time ago I figured I’d try ‘em out again to see if they changed their recipe as well. And what do you know, it appears that they have. The original spicy Mac’s were a fairly fine rind themselves, what with their heated flavor and crunchy body, and the new Mac’s not only carry these qualities over but add a duskier, smokier flavor to them that better accentuates the warm blend of spices. Which seem to include clove as well as the thirst-inducing chili and salt. And man, are these dogs salty. A little too salty at that, and you will rarely hear me say such a thing. The texture is generally consistent, with most samples being thick puffs fried and coated just right. Also, per the bag, Mac’s is the recipient of the 2005 American Culinary Chef’s Best Taste Award. So give ‘em a try. Just remember, as always, to pick up a bumper or two as well.

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Manufactured by E.F.P., Chicago, IL – www.macssnacks.com

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, salt, hydrolyzed (soy, corn, wheat) protein, dextrose, corn starch, sugar, chili powder, paprika, annatto extract and citric acid.

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NETHER CHICHARRONES - Old Fashioned Brand Bar-B-Que Smoke Flavored Fried Pork Skins

Now these are some serious pigskins: thick chunks of spiced rind, most of which have a slab of juicy fat attached (and I do mean juicy; if you squeeze some of these puppies they literally ooze pig oil). The bar-b-que smoke flavor is a good one, with chili, onion and garlic powders mingling together nicely with the smoke on meaty slices of rind to provide as authentic a BBQ experience as you’re likely to find in a sack. And coming from a skin shop on a Georgia highway you know these ‘rones are made by folks with a true appreciation for the pork rind eatin’ beer drinkin’ man; no mindless conglomerate snack food shill job here. My thanks to rindmeister David Coble at Kobb Labs for hunting down these li’l dogs; I don’t know where he found ‘em but I’m glad he did.

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Nether’s Pork Skins, Inc., Sylvester, GA

Ingredients: Pork skins, salt, spice, paprika, monosodium glutamate, natural mesquite smoke flavor, garlic powder, onion powder.

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NOBBY'S PORK CRACKLE - Original Flavour

Now this is a treat; King of Australia Dann Lennard posted me a couple packets of my favorite pub fare fresh from Down Under – Nobby’s Pork Crackle. With the “crackle” label I expected these to be a bit on the heavier side, something like our Yankee cracklin’s, but this is a nice little package of crispy hog lumps indeed. Not unlike our down-home pork skins, most of these have a lightly crunchy chip-like texture, the added flour giving them a deep-fried boost. Some of the bottom-of-the-bag samples do have a slightly denser texture, carrying with them a flavor something between fried lard and bacon, but like I say, bottom-of-the-bag. The flavour enhancer (MSG?) and spice extract not only give Nobby’s a unique taste but they make these a most addictive drinking snack indeed. Before I knew it I was at the bottom of my 25g sack. King Dann was thoughtful enough to also provide a bag of Nobby’s Spicy BBQ as well, and I’ll be digging into those in short order. Just as soon as I put on Rupture’s Australia Day and crack open another VB.

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Smith’s Snackfood Company Ltd., Chatswood, NSW, Australia

Ingredients: Pork rind 75%, vegetable oil, salt, wheat flour, hydrolysed vegetable protein, flavour enhancer (621), spice extract.

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NOBBY'S PORK CRACKLE - Spicy BBQ

An appetizing smell lifts right up out of the bag upon opening, and the flavor (sorry, flavour) ain’t far behind. Nobby’s Spicy BBQ rinds have a pure and lingering barbecue taste to them, and like the original brand these pig snacks are largely done up crunchy and right. Their taste isn’t quite as distinctive as the secret blend of flavorings of the Original style, but like the Original they’re still good enough to be habit-forming; when I finished the rinds I even ate the crumbs clinging to the crease at the bottom of the sack. Not a pretty picture perhaps, but damn they were tasty.

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Smith’s Snackfood Company Ltd., Chatswood, NSW, Australia

Ingredients: Pork rind 75%, vegetable oil, sugar, flavour enhancer (621), salt, food acids (262, 330), hydrolysed vegetable protein, spices, onion powder, garlic powder, cocoa powder, natural flavours.

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ROMERO'S BOTANERO CHICHARRONES - Hot & Spicy

Although not a stellar rind by any means, despite the “Crown of Quality” seal, Romero’s is a moderate skin that just might do in a pinch. A garden variety SoCal chicharrone, the uneven texture (there are more than a couple rocky bits in here) and flavoring (largely salt and what tastes like oil of cloves) prevent these from becoming a favorite, but hey, pork rinds are pork rinds, and when you gotta have ‘em, you gotta have ‘em. The fact that the only place I’ve seen this particular brand is at Wal-Mart might tell you a bit about the brand’s intended demographic and accompanying level of quality control.

Romero also produces a plain, or “Original” style rind (ingredients: fried pork rinds, salt added), and while these are fairly uniform and crispy in texture, with a fair salt level, they’re fairly bland man, fairly bland.

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Romero’s Food Products, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA

Ingredients: Fried pork rinds, salt added, dextrose, salt, modified food starch, chili pepper, hydrolyzed soybean protein, paprika, annatto color, sugar, dehydrated garlic, citric acid, spice extractives and Red #40 Lake.

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SHIRAKIKU BRAND BOH KUN HABANERO TOHATO POTATO SNACK

A friend picked these up for me at the Ebisu Supermarket, knowing I’d appreciate the packaging and habanero flavor. Inside the festive Halloween wrapper rests a more than adequate 1.94 ounce serving of little orange potato rings, which at first bite have a potato-like Funyun flavor. This quickly grows hot upon the palate however, a sensation which continues to spread even after you’ve swallowed the snacks. These are some spicy little orange potato rings! With a potato base that’s misleadingly hearty despite their small size, these aren’t as light and crispy as one might believe, but are still some most noshable snacks for those with a taste for the fiery. I could have used an ice-cold Sapporo to wash these down with, but Pabst Blue Ribbon did the job nicely. Here’s hoping Shirakiku comes through with a Black Pepper Kobe Beef Onion Ring Snack sometime in the near future . . .

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Nishimoto Trading Co., Ltd., Kobe, Japan.

Ingredients: Potato, palm oil, potato starch, spice, salt, sugar, glucose, hydrolyzed pork protein, onion powder, chicken extract, yeast powder, lactose, habanero hot pepper sauce, monosodium glutamate, artificial flavor, paprika coloring, tocopherol, spice extract, citric acid, caramel coloring.

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SI SENOR - Hot & Spicy Pork Rinds

With the ad line “El Snack #1 de los Hispanos” I was immediately skeptical, especially as these chicharrones looked suspiciously like any other mildly-flavored Styrofoam pork ‘treat’ mass-produced by some junk food conglomerate. (Si Senor and its sister brand, La Abeja, both operate under the Senor Snacks, Inc. umbrella.) But 50 million illegal immigrants can’t be wrong, so I went ahead on and tried a sack of these hot and spicy hog strips. And happily this is a tasty brand indeed as the spice factor prevails, the flavoring thickly coating finely crisped pigskins in a tasty combination that, while favoring the heat, yields a deliciously complex taste. There’s even a balancing hint of sweetness, although sugar is not listed as an ingredient. I’m sold – Si Senor!

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Distributed by Senor Snacks, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt, dextrose, spices including chili pepper, torula yeast, maltodextrin, paprika, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, garlic powder, extractives of paparika, Yellow #6 Lake, natural flavor, caramel color, and Red 40 Lake.

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SI SENOR PORK RINDS (Regular)

A solidly plain rind. Needs more salt and hot sauce, but the stout crispy skins have got that tasty pig flavor that you just gotta have if you’re into fried hogskin. I’ll buy ‘em again.

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Distributed by Senor Snacks, Inc., Los Angeles, CA

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt.

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SNAK KING PORK RINDS - Spiced with Tabasco Brand Seasoning

Snak King makes a fine rind (they being the “King of Snacks” behind the El Sabroso line of pork skins), so anything under their label is easily worth trying. I’d never heard of Tabasco-flavored rinds before however, so was a mite curious as to how they’d pan out. And they’re pretty damn good; can’t say as how I really taste Tabasco, as these aren’t as hot and vinegar-laden as the condiment itself, but they certainly do possess a flavorful tang thanks to the pepper and vegetable powders. They’re really more sweet than hot, but do have a pleasant warmth that just calls out to be quenched by a cold one. Plenty of which were available at BevMo, which is where I scored this tasty sack.

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Snak King “King of Snacks” – www.snakking.com – Los Angeles, CA.

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt, maltodextrin, Tabasco Brand dry red flavoring (red pepper, vinegar, salt), vinegar flavor (lactose, malic acid, acetic acid), red bell pepper powder, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, citric acid, red pepper, paprika, caramel color, FD&C Yellow #5 Lake, FD&C Red #40 Lake.

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TOHATO BOKUN HABANERO - Baked Potato Crackers

All right, so they ain’t pigskin, but they are damn strange. And tasty, too, which is why they bear mention. The friends who picked these up warned me that they were past there sell-by date, and with their formidable list of ingredients might be a bit dangerous. The ingredients actually sounded more hazardous, as anything combining habanero pepper with powdered durian fruit is a food item worthy of respect. Throw in the shrimp and coconut milk and hell, it sounds like a Fiji mermaid in a sack! And there is indeed a whiff of the briny deep rising from the depths of the bag upon opening, although it is none too overpowering or off-putting. Although very hot and spicy indeed, these little sphincter rings don’t pull the full frontal freakshow on your tongue that you might expect. The promise of durian lifted the expectations high, but alas there is no sweet rotten foot flavor to be found herein. I can’t believe I actually logged that as a complaint. At any rate, they’re hot, they’re crunchy, and they’re fucking weird. Make sure you pick up an equally unique alcoholic drink to match. Points too for the double spice in the ingredients (although check out all the sweeteners they use). Also check out the Website link below – just see if you can figure that out!

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Exported by Kawa Corporation, Kobe, Japan – www.tohato.jp

Ingredients: Potato, soybean oil, potato starch, shrimp, spice, glucose, tomato, spice, onion powder, wheat flour, soy protein, coconut milk, apple juice, sugar, hydrolyzed soy protein, dextrin, durian powder, citric acid.
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TOM'S HOT PORK SKINS CHICHARRONES
Smoked with Natural Hardwood

I found a pair of Tom’s Hot Pork Skin varieties at the same rest stop in Georgia and figured I’d try ‘em out and see how they stacked up. After all, they did have my name on ‘em. The first sack I tore into was the “Smoked” variety, and while they do have a definite warmth to them I’m not getting a lot of smoke flavor. There’s actually a significant sweetness underneath the chili pepper, which does meld will with the hearty crunch of the fried skins. A good solid rind, well worth the $0.99. And I dare you to get a tattoo of the sweaty little piggy mascot on the label.

Regarding the simple Hot Pork Skins Chicharrones, while I wrote down the ingredients I didn’t bother to keep the sack or come up with a review, leaving me to believe they simply weren’t that great. Certainly not that memorable. Try the Smoked variety if you can get ‘em.

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Tom’s Snacks Co., Charlotte, NC – www.toms-snacks.com

Ingredients: Pork rinds, salt, dextrose, spices including chili pepper, torula yeast, maltodextrin, paprika, monosodium glutamate, onion powder, extractives of paprika, Yellow #6 Lake, natural flavor, caramel color, Red #40 Lake.

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LINKS

Let’s trade, why not? No banners, please.

 

Cold Meat Industry:             

www.coldmeat.se

The world leader in international industrial/ambient recordings.

 

crites gallery:                        

http://home.earthlink.net/~tmcrites

Gothic Tribal Psychedelia.

 

Danger:

http://koma-komadanger.blogspot.com/

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=12047714&albumId=643693

Surreal hand cut, hand glued collage art.

 

Dark Side of the Net:

www.darklinks.com

Bringing you into the darkness since 1993. Over 8,000 working, editor-selected links.

 

Dreamland:                           

http://interpret-dreams.awardspace.com 

Dreams Interpretation, Dreams Dictionary, Control Dreams, Interpreting Dreams.

 

Exploitation Retrospect:      

www.dantenet.com

The Journal of Junk Culture & Fringe Media Since 1986. Horror, Klaus Kinski, Gore, Exploitation, Drive-in Movie Reviews.

 

Gothic.net

www.gothic.net

Gothic Horror Community - Bone Chilling Literary Culture

 

Gothic Portal:            

http://gothic-portal.awardspace.com
Gothic - A deep and varied portal dedicated to the dark life of the gothic subculture, gothic fashion, gothic poems, music, dating, tourism, and goths culture.

 

Horror.net:                            

www.horror.net

The Web’s Deadliest Horror Network. Horror Search and Directory.

 

HorrorFind:                           

www.horrorfind.com

The Horror & Halloween Search Engine. The Directory & Search Engine Dead-icated to Horror, Halloween, Supernatural and Spooky Subjects.

 

The Horror Review:             

www.horrorreview.com

Horror, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Movie Reviews.

 

The Hungover Gourmet:      

www.hungovergourmet.com

The Journal of Food, Drink, Travel & Fun! Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Travel Tales, Hangover Cures.

 

J.S. Tribal:

www.jstribal.com

Art from Around the World. Africa, Asia, Oceania, The Americas, Books & Ephemera.

 

Sad Quotes:

http://sad-quotes.isgreat.org

Sad Quotes and Sayings - The Best Sad Quotes in the World

 

Steel Cage Records:             

www.steelcagerecords.com

Full Contact Rock & Roll! “An independent record label based in Philadelphia, PA,” Steel Cage has more great albums under their belt than most labels have albums. An essential catalog for Confederacy of Scum fans.

 

Unusual Books:                     

www.unusualbooks.net

http://unusualbooks-koma.blogspot.com/

Amok Books – Creation Books – Feral House. Vintage sci-fi, true crime, mind control, Chomsky, vintage pulps, Bataille, Nietzsche, Jung, dada, surrealism, ufo, cults, natas, exotica, parallax, freemasonry, Gnostic, alchemy, occult, cult films, erotica, hallucinogens, Illuminati, Marquis de Sade, Crowley, Camus, tiki, mayhem.

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New Audio Reviews

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