Every four years, a magical event happens: the Summer Olympics. The most skilled and talented athletes from all over world come to one designated place to compete for fame, honor, and historically renowned glory. There’s swimming, diving, gymnastics, track, volleyball, field hockey, soccer, and so much more.
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And while these men and women put their blood, sweat, and tears into the sports that they love and fight to bring back the gold to their home countries, we sit on our couches and watch.
So this year, while you’re sitting on your couch, why not pay homage to some of the countries competing in these amazing games in Rio. Have a sampling of international snacks and munchies, representative of as many of the 2016 Olympic countries as possible. Here are some ideas:
1. Ouma Rusks – South Africa
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These crunchy biscuits will put your pretzels, potato chips, and cheese curls to shame. South Africa sure does know a thing or two about addicting snacks.
2. Aloo Masala Chips – India
Photo courtesy of gropper.in
The food of India is known for its flavor and high levels of spice, and these chips definitely fall under that umbrella. Don’t try these if you’re looking for a boring chip.
3. Nimco Mix – Pakistan
Photo courtesy of mysnacks.us
This crunchy, flavorful mix is comprised of green peas, peanuts, chick peas, and delicious blend of spices. We recommend this Pakistani snack if you’re looking for something exciting to munch on.
4. Milky Pudding – Israel
Photo courtesy of timesofisrael.com
If you looked forward to having Snack Pack Pudding in your lunchbox as a kid, you’ll absolutely love Israel’s Milky Pudding. It’s chocolatey and creamy, what more could you want?
5. Poutine – Canada
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Instead of mindlessly shoveling fries into your mouth, try mindlessly shoveling gravy-and-cheese-curd-covered fries into your mouth. Thank Canada for this one.
6. Clac – Brazil
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Popcorn is a classic television and movie-watching snack. The Brazilian addition of sugar and caramel only makes popcorn better, creating the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
7. Ojingeo Ttangkong – South Korea
Photo courtesy of kpoptown.com
If you’ve ever wondered what peanut and squid taste like together, make sure to grab a bag of Ojingeo Ttangkong. These roasted squid and peanut balls will certainly be unlike any snack you’ve ever tried.
8. Tyrkisk Peber – Sweden
Photo courtesy of licoriceinternational.com
For the ultimate in spicy sweet candy, we suggest this Swedish treat. But beware, these peppered licorice delicacies are not for the faint of heart.
9. Stroopwafel – Netherlands
Photo courtesy of ilovestroopwafels.com
These thin pastries are made by sandwiching a caramel-like syrup between two layers of waffled dough. Have a stroopwafel for breakfast, dessert, snack, or anywhere in-between.
10. Seaweed Flavor Chips – Thailand
Photo courtesy of sensationalseaweeds.blogspot.com
Next time you’re craving something seaweed-y and reminiscent of seafood, don’t waste all your money on sushi. Instead, try some Thai seaweed-flavored potato chips!
11. Pork Scratchings – Great Britain
Photo courtesy of brfoods.gr
Pork rinds are the salty snack you never knew you needed. The perfect mix of meat and potato, all rolled up into one crunchy bite.
12. Gansito – Mexico
Photo courtesy of mexgrocer.com
Who needs a Twinkie when you can grab a Gansito? These Mexican snack cakes come in both chocolate and vanilla and are filled with sweet jam and creamy custard.
13. Matcha Kit Kats – Japan
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You’re probably familiar with Kit Kats, one of the great American chocolate snacks. But the Japanese put an amazing and delicious twist on these candy-coated wafers by making them green and matcha flavored.
14. Vegemite Cheesybites – Australia
Photo courtesy of justalittlefurther.com
Dipping your mini crackers in cheese is seriously overrated. You haven’t experienced a real snack until you’ve tried dipping them in Vegemite, a true Australia delicacy.
15. Paprika Crunchips – Germany
Photo courtesy of germandeli.com
In America, we season our chips with sour cream, onion, salt, vinegar, and pepper. But the ingredient that we’ve been seriously overlooking is paprika. Fortunately, Germany did it for us.