Snack attack

Because club sized bags of Cheetos only come my way once in four years, I have to look locally for things to satisfy the masticating urge. However, one can only have so much muruku in a day. So it's a good thing that my good neighbours also have in their repertoire, some non-muruku offerings.

Chilli-coated tapioca chips.

I like tapioca in any form: boiled, steamed, mashed, roasted et all. Hence, it is easy to love these tapioca chips. I could not believe the size of some of them! They come in plain and chilli variants.

Plain, salted tapioca chips are basic essentials at their best.

If the large pieces of tapioca put you off, there is always Kuchi Tapioca. 'Kuchi' means 'small' and these matchstick sized bites with some seasoning are always good for munching.

Kuchi Tapioca - little in size, big on taste.

If you feel you're going nuts, this is a great accompaniment to the phantom symphony in your head. Locally called kacang parang (kacang is a broad term for nut, parang means sickle), these broad beans are fried in their jackets and salted. A very basic presentation, but a great bar snack. It also helps stave tipsiness away if you're sipping a particularly nice Chardonnay in the afternoon!

These little orange squares are called 'Bantal' or 'Pillows'. They're made of flour and lots of seasoning. Kids love 'em. And it's no wonder!

Bantal - the kind of pillow you eat, not sleep on.

These snacks have been around for the longest time. I used to eat them as a kid. In those days they were sold in red paper cones under the brand name Spin. These are sold loose, by weight and don't taste at all like what I remember. They're full of empty calories but with no added colouring, so there's always a bright lining!

Whether you call them Spin or Roda (tires), kids enjoy these snacks. 

The nuts my neighbour is peddling come from Ipoh, the home of the groundnut. I'm told all the groundnuts and peanuts used in the snacks from this factory are cultivated in Ipoh. The closest peanut patch is just two roads behind the factory. Now, that's fresh!

From the ground into the frying pan - all these nuts come from Ipoh.

And finally, cause all mummies know we should eat our greens, here's the last snack to be featured. Salt tossed peas are so yummy! Peas be to you all!