Big Bro – Spicy Glutinous Rice Crusts
After the last outing, I think it’s safe to say I found a new must-buy brand and am thoroughly addicted to these. Of the flavours I’ve seen in my area, it’s really just the original, and these spicy ones. I’m a bit wary since the Chinese idea of spicy is actually quite spicy most times, and this has the potential to leave me hunched painfully over a toilet. But I am a man of science and I must test these. For the people!
Once again, a box has 8 individually wrapped packs, with each pack housing 3 squares. While I would normally prefer less packaging, I have experienced how quickly these get soft or lose their ideal texture when exposed to air, so the packaging here makes sense. Gotta keep them squares nice and crispy, at any cost.
The texture is identical in every way to the original flavour. The only difference here is the flavour.It’s crispy and crunchy, and it’s exactly what you want to hit the spot. Assuming of course you are like minded in that you enjoy something that feels substantial every once in a while. These hit that spot for sure. They are solid enough that if you so choose, you can put this into a stew or broth as some added texture and it will likely hold up for a while without completely losing structural integrity. Given that it is glutinous rice, it does have a tendency to stick around, by which I mean afterwards bits end up getting compacted between your teeth. A small price to pay for the experience though, trust me on that.
Spicy is all over the label, and the red colouring convinced me that this could be potentially damaging. Chinese snacks in general can go very hard on the spice, so I was a bit wary going into this. Even the squares themselves are a bit reddish, which usually means angry or spicy. Maybe both. That being said, these aren’t nearly as hot as I was led to believe. There’s a bit of heat and while it is present, it isn’t anywhere near hot enough or intolerable enough to be considered hot. It also doesn’t have any flavour, and is mostly just heat for the sake of it.
I enjoy these just as much as the original. I would say they are functionally the same, with this having some paprika to make it spice adjacent. Both are equally fitting to be eaten as is or paired with other foods, but if you really are afraid of spice, feel free to get the original. You get the same experience anyways.
