Super Bowl 50 is almost upon us, and as usual, I’m only just learning which teams will face off Sunday evening. Such is my interest, or lack thereof, in football. Despite my apathy for team sports, I do hope all who watch the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers have a great time. Thus as a public service C+M presents a list of global snacks and goodies all of which are available in in Queens and will give your Super Bowl party much more flavor than guacamole and onion dip.
1. Mee krob (Thai)
The name of this popular Thai snack literally translates to crispy noodles. It’s no mere salty indulgence, though. Like so many of my other favorite Southeast Asian snacks, the tangle of noodles and fried bits of egg is salty, sweet, spicy, and sour. Tamarind and chili combined with a chewy sweetness make mee krob eat like a Thai Rice Krispy treat. Find it at the counter at Elmhurst’s Sugar Club. Sugar Club, 81-18 Broadway, Elmhurst, 718-865-9018
2. Fried jeffrox fish (Filipino)
Find this pescatarian answer to potato chips at Phil-Am Market, a paradise of Filipino groceries and snacks located in Woodside’s Little Manila. The translucent sheets of fried dried fish are available on Thursday through Sunday. The crunchy critters come with a sidecar of seasoned vinegar and make for excellent, if somewhat odiferous, snacking. Phil-Am Market, 40-03 70th St, Woodside 718-899-1797
3. Coctele de camaron (Mexican)
Skip that old warhorse guacamole and treat your fellow sports fans to a taste of Mexico from Pedro El Cevichero. Mexican seafood cocktails, or cocteles, as they’re known in this chef’s hometown, are the house specialty at this humble establishment, run out of the back of an otherwise unremarkable bodega. Order the octopus and shrimp, then watch the seafood mixologist at work. First, some plump pink shrimp go into your cup, then tender bits of octopus, salt, olive oil and a goodly pour of Don Pedro’s secret cocktail sauce. Like all good cocktails, it comes with an edible garnish: cilantro, onion, cilantro and avocado. Be sure to ask for a splash of Valentina hot sauce. As for the accompanying Saltines, it’s up to you; either crumble them on top or eat them on the side. Either way it’s sure to be a touchdown with your guests. La Esquina del Camaron Mexicano, 80-02 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, 347-885-2946
4. Lays Thailand Meng Kum Pla (Thai)
Lays Thailand, channels the country’s culinary culture with a line of chips from the fishy and fiery like Hot and Spicy Crab and Hot Chili Squid to my favorite, Meng Kum Pla. The latter turns a Thai snack consisting of lime, chili, dried baby shrimp and ginger wrapped in leaves into a funky chili-lime explosion of a potato chip. Sugar Club, Thai Thai Grocery, 76-13 Woodside Ave., 917-769-6168
5. Ilocos chicacorn (Filipino)
Filipinos skip the corn chips and corn curls in favor of actual corn kernels. Ilocos Chicacorn—fried corn kernels—with a puffier texture than Corn Nuts are tasty and easier on the teeth. Flavors include garlic, spicy, and that Filipino favorite adobo. Find the cravable snack in Woodside’s Little Manila. Phil-Am Market, 40-03 70th St, Woodside 718-899-1797
6. Kurkure (Indian)
If Chester Cheetah were Indian he’d be hawking this salty snack. While it is manufactured by Frito-Lay, this junk food (whose name means crunchy), bears little resemblance to its American cousin. Kurkure are the desified version of crunchy Cheetos. Flavors like Naughty Tomatoes, sharp and tangy with notes of clove and cinnamon; Masala Munch, replete with the sulfuriness of black salt; and the fiery chili chatka will open jaded junk food palates up to new worlds of flavor. Score it at Patel Brothers in Jackson Heights. Patel Brothers, 37-27 74th Street, Jackson Heights,
7. Sandheko wai wai (Nepalese)
The Nepalese answer to chaat is made from Wai Wai instant ramen. The plate of crumbled noodles is mixed with onions, tomatoes, and plenty of green chilies, among other things. Crunchy and spicy it’s the best and only packet of raw ramen noodles you’ll eat at a Super Bowl Party. The fiery snack goes great with an ice cold beer. Find it at Dhaulagiri Kitchen. Dhaulagiri Kitchen, 37-38 72nd St., Jackson Heights