JUNK FOOD NATION!  WHAT UP.  It’s almost 3:00pm…where did the day go?  Now I didn’t forget about you.

Today marks the debut of another episode of The Nosh Show, but I wanted to tell you QUICKLY why I am a pumpkin spice genius.  On today’s episode of the Nosh Show, a podcast started by Marvo from The Impulsive Buy, featuring Ryan from GrubGrade, Dubba from On Second Scoop, and, of course, me, your friendly neighborhood Junk Food Guy, we discussed the deluge of pumpkin flavors that started hitting the shelves since the middle of August.  And we tried to think of things which haven’t been pumpkin-fied yet.

We talked about how there’s cakes, yogurt, pasta sauce, etc.  I thought there was nothing left.

But guys. GUYS.  I came up with something that has not YET been pumpkin-fied, that totally should be. I am shocked that this hasn’t happened yet!  Listen carefully:

MAINSTREAM CEREALS.

That’s right, mainstream cereals!  Why is there no pumpkin spice LIFE cereal, or pumpkin spice Honey Nut Cheerios??  You know that now that I’ve said it, you’re wondering too!  Where’s my pumpkin spice Honey Bunches of Oats? Where’s my pumpkin spice Fruity Pebbles?  Where’s my pumpkin spice KRAVE cereal??  OOOO you know that one would be good too.  We’re talking mainstream cereal, not Archer Farms, Trader Joe’s, or Nature’s Path.   You telling me pumpkin spice Chex or pumpkin spice Rice Krispies wouldn’t be a hit OF COURSE IT WOULD.  You heard it hear FIRST. PUMPKIN SPICE MAINSTREAM CEREALS.  GET ON IT, WORLD.

And now, the podcast:

This week, “we review Pumpkin Spice Oreo Cookies and have a discussion about fall flavors. We also talk about White Castle Pizza Sliders, Popeyes Beer Can Chicken, the return of Surge and McDonald’s Monopoly, and more.”  Listen embedded here:

You can subscribe to The Nosh Show using various services: iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, RSS, or, you can also download the episode.

Today’s junk food: New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces!

So, Snyder’s sent me these New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces at the same time they sent me the Maple Bacon pretzel pieces. Now if you’re like me, the first thought that should pop in your head is: How the heck are these “new?”  Barbecue flavor has been around forever.  New?

But then, like you, you might do some Googling.  Hmmmm…Snyder’s SOUTHERN BBQ existed a few years back…but not now. Snyder’s Honey BBQ appears to have existed at one time, but is gone now. And a look at the Snyder’s website reveals….huh.  They actually don’t have a BBQ pretzel piece line listed.

Well, what the hell.  These ARE new.

Still, a little odd, right?  That New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces haven’t existed for a while?  I guess Snyder’s has just been tweak-tweak-tweaking its BBQ recipe over the years, and this is their latest iteration.  I see tomato, ketchup, brown sugar and….garlic? Onion?  Whatever it is.

New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces contain a lot of good ingredients that I’ve seen go into homemade BBQ sauce.  It reminds me of those scenes within Diners Drive-ins and Dives where you see the overhead view of a hand throwing things into a bowl: “tamarind…sugar…brown sugar…salt…worcestershire sauce…dextrose…and now we blend.”

This bag of New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces smelled great.  I like my BBQ sauces, like Ryan from GrubGrade, smoky, sweet and spicy.  I definitely got some smokiness from the aroma of the bag, and the sweetness.  We’ll see if it can bring the spice.

New Snyder’s of Hanover Barbecue Flavored Pretzel Pieces tasted really really good, if you’re a barbecue fan.  Which I am.  The flavor, to me, is nothing new, but I found this take on the spice combinations to just be very well executed.

Sweetness wise, the brown sugar and tomato powder gave each morsel a brightness and sweetness that was bold.  The vinegar and citric acid helped punch that flavor up, and altogether it create the desired effect of making my mouth water wherever the crunched pieces hit. Great backend tang.

The worcestershire sauce and the “natural flavors” helped give this pretzel a decent amount of smoke that wasn’t overwhelming.  The smoke was there, but definitely not at the forefront.  It just helped round out the more savory elements of the BBQ, like the garlic and onion. Great garlicky notes.

Finally, was there spice?  Initially, I thought no….but at the VERY back end of the chew, as I ate like half the bag, I did start to notice a slight slight tingle on my tongue.  I would not call these spicy at all – but there was a tiny bit of heat if you were looking for it.

Like I said, I thought this was just a good BBQ flavor, executed really well.  The pretzel pieces from Snyder’s are always good, and acted as the perfect crunchy vehicle for the bold flavor of the powder.  I liked these a lot.

PURCHASED AT: Mailed to me, but I’m sure you’ll be able to find it everywhere soon!

COST: Apparently, $3.69.

Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.

Sincerely,

Junk Food Guy