The start of the holiday season means the start of peppermint and gingerbread flavored everything. When I say everything, I mean literally everything. Come December, companies seem to lose all sense of boundaries when it comes to what makes something “holiday” themed. Grocery stores become filled with festively weird alternatives to your favorite snack foods.
By no means are holiday snacks a bad thing; in fact, they’re some of the greatest snacks out there. But with each year comes the creation of new snacks that seem to get weirder and weirder. It’s almost as if companies are trying to force a holiday theme upon their non-festive foods in order to get more sales… Wait, that’s exactly what they’re doing. So in the midst of all this holiday cheer, here are some of the weirdest snacks that are far from cheery.
Gingerbread M&M’s
Photo courtesy of gingerbreadmms.com
M&M’s is one of the most reliable brands in the world. I very rarely doubt their ability to make highly-addictive and delicious candy, but lately, I’ve been feeling that they may be starting to go a little too far.
I don’t want to offend any M&M’s lovers, especially because I am one myself, but there will eventually become a point when M&M’s will run out of new flavors. No, I don’t think this time has come, but I do not think it is too far off.
This fall brought the creation of Pumpkin Spice M&M’s, which seemed a little weird at first, but actually ended up being pretty good. Now, this winter, they have created Gingerbread M&M’s. I have yet to try them, but I am not a huge fan of the thought of gingerbread flavoring tainting a perfectly good M&M.
Hey, I could be wrong and they could end up being the best candy of the season, but there’s no denying that every new flavor of M&M’s gets a little more questionable than the last.
Pringles
Photo courtesy of usatoday.com
I don’t know about you, but when I think Pringles, I think classic potato chip – crispy, salty, and greasy deliciousness. Never before have I associated Pringles with being an ideal holiday snack, but I guess the brand is trying to change their image.
This season, Pringles has come out with three new flavors: Cinnamon & Sugar, Pumpkin Spice and White Chocolate Peppermint. Normally I’m all about mixing sweet with salty, but for some reason, I can’t seem to jive with the thought of a pumpkin spice potato chip.
Mike’s Hard Chocolate Cherry Lemonade
Photo courtesy of beerpulse.com
Nobody can deny that Mike’s Hard Lemonade tastes good. Plain and simple – it’s a consistent classic. On a hot summer day, the pink lemonade can be the perfect refresher. In a college dorm room, the Black Cherry can be the perfect chaser. The good thing about Mike’s Hard Lemonade is that it’s classic – it’s normal. Definitely not one of those try-hard drinks. So we thought.
With the holiday season came the creation of Mike’s Hard Chocolate Cherry Lemonade. Weird. Not only is it weird, but it’s unnecessary. There are plenty of other holiday drinks that sound much more appealing than a carbonated, fruity, chocolate flavored lemonade. This sweet, sour and fruity mix is a little too much to handle. Stick with the classics, Mike.
Roasted Turkey Doritos
Photo courtesy of Doritos
Turkey gets a lot of hype during the holidays. It has a cheerful reputation, which is completely fine. I mean, turkey deserves its moment in the spotlight. The fact that turkey is a festive food, however, does NOT mean that it should be made a flavor of any given snack food. Especially not of our favorite tortilla chips.
Doritos are one of those snacks that taste best in their original form (and cool ranch, of course). Their deliciousness should not be degraded by the addition of turkey flavor. This creation is just weird, and frankly, it leaves me a little scared for whats to come next. Marshmallow Doritos? Cranberry Doritos? The possibilities are endless.
This is what happens when companies lose their sense of boundaries during the holiday season. Get. It. Together.
Jones Chanukah Soda
Photo courtesy of bevreview.com
If you thought that Latkes only took the form of pancakes, you are sadly mistaken. Although one would think it would be impossible to imitate the taste of these potato pancakes, it has been done. And better yet, it has been done in the form of a soda. Grossed out yet? I am.
In 2007, Jones created a Chanukah line of sodas. These soda flavors include: chocolate coins, apple sauce, latke and jelly doughnut. I really don’t even know what else to say about this other than just wow.
Don’t worry, Christmas lovers, Jones didn’t forget about you. The company also created a Christmas Pack of sodas, which includes flavors like Sugar Plum, Christmas Tree, Egg Nog and Christmas Ham. So, if you’ve ever been curious about the taste of a Christmas tree, here’s your chance to put that curiosity to rest once and for all.