By Bixin Qiu (25A01A) and Sophie Chong (25A01A)

If you’re a frequenter of RI Chill (on either side of the campus), you might find the snacks in this ranking familiar — that’s if you’re not already addicted to them. Originating from China, these snacks consist of various bite-sized ingredients, ranging from fish to konjac, marinated in a flavourful, and usually spicy, sauce. The result is a snack both bursting with flavour and unique in texture. 

In this article, we’re very broadly referring to this type of snack as “Chinese snacks”, for the lack of a better term (although this feels like an overgeneralisation, so if anyone knows a more specific name, please let the writers know!). 

In choosing which snacks to taste-test, we’ve tried to cover all our bases — both in terms of the type and flavour of the snack. On our trip to Y5-6 Chill, we picked up at least one flavour of each type of snack available there. As for flavours, we tried out unique options (see: sauce-flavoured Jinzai Dried Fish), while making sure to include classic ones like Mala (麻辣) too. 

So, in this ranking, we’ll be reviewing the following five snacks: 

1. Weilong Fengchi Kelp
2. Jinzai Dried Fish (Sauce Flavour)
3. Weilong Konjac (Sour & Spicy Flavour) 
4. Weilong Konjac (Mala Flavour)
5. Jinzai Dried Beancurd (Sweet Mala Flavour)

#1: Weilong Fengchi Kelp

While few choose to try the Fengchi Kelp, those who do relentlessly sing praises of the snack. Unlike other snacks, the kelp only comes in one flavour, which is slightly spicy. 

Price: $0.40

Overall Rating: 10.5/12

#2: Jinzai Dried Fish (Sauce Flavour)

This snack is a wildcard – due to its peculiar and somewhat off-putting presentation of dried fish, few have tried it. To evaluate the fish’s unadulterated flavour, we chose a milder sauce or 酱汁 flavour.

Price: $0.40

Overall Rating: 4/12

#3: Weilong Konjac (Sour & Spicy Flavour)

The konjac, according to the Chill Aunty, was previously one of the most popular Chinese snacks at Chill, but does it live up to the hype?

Price: $0.40 

Overall Rating: 10.5/12

#4: Weilong Konjac (Mala Flavour) 

While this shares the same textural profile as the previous Weilong konjac, it has a solely spicy Mala, or 麻辣, flavour instead. 

Price: $0.40

Overall Rating: 9/12

#5: Jinzai Dried Beancurd (Sweet Mala Flavour)

This vegetarian-friendly snack offers a good source of protein and a new flavour for evaluation (sweet Mala or 甜麻). According to the Chill Aunty, the beancurd variation is also currently the most popular Chinese snack.

Price: $0.50

Overall Rating: 10.5/12

In a close match, our final rankings of the snacks are as follows:

1. Weilong Konjac (Sour & Spicy Flavour)
2. Jinzai Dried Beancurd (Sweet Mala Flavour)
3. Weilong Fengchi Kelp
4. Weilong Konjac (Mala Flavour)
5. Jinzai Dried Fish (Sauce Flavour)

All in all, most of the Chinese snacks have indeed lived up to their hype. While some of the base ingredients (dried fish) are rather unappetising, most of the experience depends on the flavouring you choose. Some of these snacks may also only appeal to certain preferences – even though we may enjoy them, take our suggestions with a grain of salt. 

If you intend to start your Chinese snack journey, be warned: they are addictive. To rein yourself in, always remember to check the nutritional labels (especially the sodium levels). Happy eating!