That is Highly Recommend, a column devoted to what we’re consuming, ingesting, and shopping for. Right here, Carey Polis writes concerning the mini crackers which are infinitely higher than their full-sized counterparts.
Look, I’m no physics professional, however I perceive that if you happen to shrink a Saltine, you get…a smaller Saltine. However Saltine minis enhance upon normal-sized Saltines a lot that you need to query in the event that they’re even the identical cracker, regardless of having all the identical elements.
Everyone knows Saltines as a intentionally bland cracker, nice for when your abdomen is doing flips or while you’re in search of a tableau for cheese or dip that purposely doesn’t impart a heavy taste. It’s the Ann Veal of crackers; it’s a protected assumption that Saltines should not what anybody would name thrilling. They’re completely nice. Too crumbly and too sticky on the roof of your mouth, however nice. Regular. Common. Dependable. Mundane.
Saltine minis, nevertheless, are manner past nice. Whereas every chew of a daily Saltine alternates between too salty and never salty sufficient, the one-bite mini is evenly and completely salted throughout, probably because of its measurement. You additionally sidestep the common “gahhh I’ve crumbs throughout me” expertise since this cracker is a one-and-done chomp. The mini is sturdier than its older sibling, and has extra character. There’s nuance, there’s savoriness, there’s a satisfying gentle salt aftertaste that instantly encourages you to seize extra from the field.
It’s exactly this bigger-is-NOT-better measurement, paired with the crispier-but-not-overly-so construction, that makes this a superb snack for my prolonged household. My one-year-old hoovers them and I’m not nervous about them gumming up his eightfour-toothed mouth. My four-year-old finds them pleasant, a commendation that’s granted to few meals lately (principally cheese, rice, pasta, and seaweed snacks). My in-laws introduced a field on a latest long-haul flight. My brother and sister-in-law organize them by the six-pack. My brother additionally dragged the crackers from Washington, DC to a bachelor celebration in Austin the place a bunch of 30-year-old dudes additionally noticed the mini Saltine gentle. He later despatched a six-pack as a well-received housewarming current.
As I deeply researched this text (a.okay.a., ordered my very own six-pack), I gave my dad and mom one cracker every. They instantly requested for extra, with my salt-averse mom additionally commenting on how balanced they had been. I additionally talked about this text to my sister-in-law, who deadpanned, “That is undoubtedly a profession spotlight for you…or not less than, on your profession because it pertains to me.” I’ve labored in meals media for over 16 years, together with six at this very journal, however what? I believe she’s proper. I do care that deeply about spreading the gospel of those unheralded gems of the cracker world.
My solely confusion is why the Nabisco/Mondelez overloads don’t market these extra. There’s a success on their fingers, however the minis are surprisingly elusive. No worry, they’re simply obtainable on-line, and at a number of main retailers too.
So, go forward, order that six-pack. Like my dad and mom and the bachelor celebration bros, you’ll in all probability solely want one to comprehend it’s a purchase order price making.
