Der Nerdery

Nerd Rating: 2/10

Yuck.  Slammin’ Citrus Mad-Croc Energy Gum tastes a lot like a medicine I used to take… at least at first.  The box says 32.1 milligrams of caffeine, and after about 25 minutes, it tastes horrible.  The warning says it is not recamended for young children, pregnant women, or caffeine-sensitive people.  After about 30 minutes, I still haven’t got any energy from it.

Even though I haven’t had any of the other flavors, this one is very bad-tasting. Maybe it’s because it’s sugar free or maybe not. All I know is that the only ones who would like it is people who like the taste of cardboard. At least after 45 minutes it has almost no flavor.  From two people I have had try this gum, one says it does give him very little energy because he believes it would give him energy, but he does agree about the taste.  The second one says it definitely has an ” interesting” flavor but after awhile it tasted like paper and doesn’t give him too much energy as well.

Overall, I would never recommend this for ANYONE looking for quick energy. Get yourself an energy shot before your weekly DnD night and relish in the fact that you don’t have to chew on cruddy gum for a half hour.

My Rating: 10/10

There is no snack that I have found thus far that even compares to this. These are crunchy, sweet, spicy, and specially shaped to hold the most amount of flavor. They are a little more expensive for the amount you get, but they’re worth it! I get them as a treat after I finish a really hard dungeon. I suggest you don’t eat them during your raids or dungeons. You will have the awesome flavor powder everywhere, and your computer keys will stick so bad that you end up virtually attacking the wall and pissing off your raid members.

When you get started on a bag of these delicious treats, you can tell yourself all you want that you’re only going to eat half, but it’s just not possible. I challenge you to only eat part of a bag. I have tried this myself many times and don’t even realize that I’ve eaten the whole thing until I feel the bottom of the bag. So, thank you C.E. Doolin for creating the original frito in 1940. It is a truly amazing product.

For more information on the history of Fritos and some sweet recipes, go to:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15377830

Nerdy rating 10/10

Pocky what can be nerdier? The taste is amazing with a hint of salty flour biscuit mixed with the sweet cream flavor. The combination in your mouth is like no other experience you will ever have. You almost feel guilty eating it, but don’t worry for those of us watching our nerdy waistline one box of strawberry is only 200 calories or for you chocolate lovers 210 calories per container. The box has twenty per box that makes 10 cal. per strawberry Pocky and 10.5 for chocolate Pocky so eat up just in moderation.  Pocky comes in many variations depending on season or region, but unless you are lucky enough to live in Japan finding the more unusual flavors will be hard. The only down side to Pocky is that on a hot day or if you put it to near your computer tower (like I do allot) the Pocky will stick together.

Price: $108= very nice!

Flavors: chocolate, almond, strawberry, milk, mousse, green tea, banana, coconut, peanut butter, honey, kiwifruit mango, grape, melon, giant mikan, powdered tea, kobe  wine, coffee, caramel, cream cheese, berry, sweet potato, pineapple, pumpkin, hazelnut, black sesame, soybean, marron, Brazilian pudding, mikan, blueberry, apple yogurt, green tea. There is a dark chocolate flavor for men as well. With all there is out there you have a wide selection to choose from but my favorite is strawberry, Some Pocky even come with nuts or cracker crumbs and if you’re lucky enough to find it some places will custom make them with your choice of flavors and toppings.

History: Pocky was first sold in 1966, and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. It was named after the Japanese word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin (ポッキン).

Variations:  There are too many flavors and combinations to name them all but here is the most popular.

Decorator Pocky with colorful decorative stripes in the coating.

Fortune telling Pocky with symbols on the sticks for money, love, luck and such.

Reverse Pocky with the biscuit on the outside and filling in the middle.

Mousse Pocky (which features extra thick, “creamy” mousse-like icing and is more exclusive). Unlike other Pocky variations, Mousse Pocky packages contain fewer pieces than regular Pocky, with only nine pieces per pack

Dessert Pocky features Pocky sticks covered in a generous helping of cream. These flavors include: Double Chocolate, Tiramisu, Chocolate Banana, Marron White, Chestnut, Strawberry Shortcake, and Orange. Dessert Pocky usually comes with five packets in a box with three in each sleeve.

Another variation of Pocky is the My Calorie Pocky (マイ カロリー ポッキー mai karorī pokkī⁾, which has 1/4 the calories of regular chocolate Pocky.

Where you buy it? You can but this nerdy treat at any Asian market, Large Supermarkets like Wall-mart, book stores, anime shops, most of your nerdy stores will carry them. If you want more unusual flavors I suggest the Internet.

Pocky in Anime and manga: It has become such a staple snack in Japan Pocky has found its way into many anime and manga series here is a sampling. Lucky Star, Vampire Knight, Oh My Goddess, Princess Nine, Gravitation, On Egai Teacher, Spirited Away, Asagirino Miko, Midori no Hibi, Get Backers, Rozen Maiden, X/1999, Harlem Beat, Simoun, Venus versus Virus and Full Metal Panic.

POCKY WILL RULE THE WORLD!!!

[Doritos Stadium Nacho review coming soon!]

Nerd Rating: 10/10

Calpis Calpico Review:

I first heard about Calpico in the movie Tokyo Zombie. Then one day at a local Asian market I spotted Calpico in the cooler, so I bought it. The first thing I notice is that this beverage had a white milky color to it. It also comes in 6 different flavors original, lychee, aloe, mango, white peach, and strawberry, which are all awesome. This drink is my favorite out of all foreign beverages out there that I have tried. Hell, probably out of all beverages I’ve tried in general.

As soon as you taste Calpico the first thing I noticed was how smooth it was, because of the milk in it. Then you get a hit of tangy. The best way I can describe it is smooth milky Sierra Mist with no carbonation. It’s hard to just drink just one, I’m telling you. After you have one you want to buy a case of them, But at my Asian market you don’t get a discount if you buy it buy the case, Sad for me. In my opinion everyone needs to try this drink, if you ever find yourself in a Asian market and you want to try something new, get one. I personally go there just for the Calpico.