1. CRUNCH OF UNUSUAL FLAVOURS
When I shop at Meidi-Ya Supermarket at Liang Court, I always check the shelf where the Glico Pocky and Pretz are displayed to see if there is anything new. Ditto the KitKat shelf.
For some time now, I have been checking for new supplies of Kettle Chips from Britain because the flavour combinations are unusual and spot-on.
They are not usually found at the chip aisle and are displayed in sometimes hard-to-fathom places. Like me, you will have to keep an eagle eye out for them.
I hit paydirt on my latest visit when I found three new flavours I have never tried before.
The Oven Baked Sweet Chilli Sweet Potato Chips ($6.65 for an 80g bag) are a pure delight to eat. The sweet potato chips are thin and crisp and although the chilli is very mild, there are hints of it with each crunch.
Seasonal Edition Lime & Black Pepper ($5.95 for a 150g bag) is a good one to get, mainly because of its lively lime flavour. I am also glad the black pepper is aromatic and there is just enough of it.
Limited Edition Cheddar Cheese & Ale ($5.95 for a 150g bag) sounds very intriguing and there is a slight bitter edge to the chips that gives it depth of flavour. That would be the ale. The cheese comes through very well also, lending the chips a pleasant sharpness.
I still like a bracing salt and vinegar chip, but I'll be happy to crunch on these three any time.
Kettle Chips from Meidi-Ya Supermarket, B1-50 Liang Court, tel: 6339-1111, open: 10am to 10pm daily
2. EXOTIC SCENT
Despite the heat and mugginess, this time of year is made bearable because of the bountiful harvest of fruit from all over the world. Mangoes, strawberries, peaches, apricots and plums are plentiful and delicious.
One rather exotic find in the supermarket recently has been Feijoa, which comes from South America. The ones we get here are from New Zealand, where it is widely grown.
The egg-shaped, green fruits have a complex flavour and aroma. They taste like a combination of guava and pineapple, with a hint of passionfruit.
Like most fruit, let them ripen on the kitchen countertop. They are ready to eat when they yield to light pressing.
The easiest way to eat them would be to cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon. When I have time, I peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler and cut the fruit crosswise into rounds.
When eaten perfectly ripe, the fruit is sweet and its scent is heady. I am transported to some place exotic immediately. Eat it when it is under-ripe and it is rather tart.
I hope the fruit will become cheaper as more people find out about it and buy it.
Eating it as is, I think, is the best way to enjoy the fruit. I might, however, infuse vodka with slices of the ripe fruit to see if I can capture its exotic flavour and use it in cocktails.
Feijoa, $16.90 for a 400g punnet from Cold Storage, B1-18/19 Great World City, tel: 6735-4730, open: 9am to 10pm daily
3. FEELING FIZZY
Once in a while, usually on mad Fridays at work,
I treat myself to a diet soda. It is either the caffeine or the fizz which makes me feel very perky.
The taste of it, however, grows old after a while. Clearly, alternatives must be found, and I chance upon a potential one at Marks & Spencer.
The store's Pink Cranberry Lemonade has everything I need except the caffeine. Still, it has a light fizz to keep me happy.
Although sweetened with Sucralose, the soda does not taste overly sweet - always a good thing. The cranberry and lemon juices in the drink are not overly tart either, even though I wouldn't mind it if they were.
I am happy, however, to have found a light and refreshing alternative to the same-old same-old.
Sugar Free Pink Cranberry Lemonade, $1.50 for a 500ml bottle from Marks & Spencer stores. For locations and opening hours, go to www.marksandspencer.com.sg
4. NUTTY AND NICE
Who knew there were so many ways to describe something good? Phrases include the bee's knees, the ant's pants and the slightly rude the duck's nuts.
That is the apt name for an Australian brand of macadamia nuts that are flavoured in various ways.
Hickory is one of them. It has a lightly smoky flavour that makes it very moreish and is great with beer. I do wish the hickory wood flavour was stronger though.
The Honey Roasted ones are better, in my opinion. The nuts are lightly crusted with a crisp honey coating. Although I cannot stop eating them, I will save some to add crunch and a sweet note to a salad.
It's The Duck's Nuts, $9.95 for an 80g pack from Cold Storage, B1-18/19 Great World City, tel: 6735-4730, open: 9am to 10pm daily
This article was first run in The Straits Times newspaper on June 8, 2014. For similar stories, go to sph.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore. You will not be able to access the Premium section of The Straits Times website unless you are already a subscriber.