Asian Snack Attack is our ongoing series where we weed out the good from the bad in the wild and wooly world of newfangled Asian snacks.

Asian Snack: Haw Flakes

Manufacturer: Kaxing Trading 

Country of Origin: Product of China

Pre-Consumption Expectations: Chances are, like me you have an extensive history with Haw Flakes from childhood (pretending they were communion wafers, which perhaps is a common experience among other Catholic children). My expectations are loaded, to say the least, though it's been probably a decade or so since I've eaten these. 

Texture: Thin, tactile discs. Dry but slightly chewy (not brittle). 

Taste: Haw Flakes stand alone. First: it's impossible to eat these iconic lookers without wondering what a "haw" is. Wikipedia tells us that they are made from the fruit of a "Chinese hawthorn" which another Wiki page tells us is a berry-like fruit that is often used as a digestive aid. This reaffirms my belief that the Haw Flakes are medicinal in nature.

But as a snack? Slightly tart, sweet, and tasting of pounded raisin or prune. Slightly off-putting at first, but then highly addictive. You have been warned. (See also the Haw Flakes Facebook page).

Quotes from the Snack Panel: "This is food?"

Stars: 5 out of 5, for sheer uniqueness 

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