Awesome Food

We always enjoyed the flavors of Fruit Stripe gum, but it only lasted a couple of minutes before it wore off and tasted like cardboard. Perhaps that’s why its maker discontinued it in early 2024. Secret Galaxy looks back at the origins of Beech-Nut’s fruity chewing gum, the evolution of Yipes, its zebra-striped mascot, and its numerous owners over the years.

If you haven’t tried drizzling honey on your pizza, you’re in for a sweet surprise. And if you try it with Four Roses x Ooni Bourbon Barrel Aged Honey, you’ll also discover that bourbon and pizza are a match made in heaven (or at least in Indiana, where this honey is made.)

Since college, instant noodles have been a go-to for a cheap and easy meal. ProcessX visited the Sanpo Foods factory to see how they make Japan’s most popular Yakibuta (braised pork) cup noodles. The highly automated factory uses an army of machines to produce countless noodle strands, package ingredients, and visually inspect each bowl for quality.

Croissants are typically shaped like a crescent, but at Turin, Italy’s Farmacia del Cambio, they make croissants that are shaped like cubes and spheres. Pastry chefs Matteo Baronetto and Giorgia Mazzuferi explain how they work their geometric magic in the kitchen. Be sure to turn on captions. (Thanks, Zico!)

After taking us behind the scenes at a Japanese game center, filmmaker Paolo from Tokyo spent a day with Eri, a do-it-all team member at a popular noodle shop in Tokyo’s high-end Ginza district. The relationship and attitude that Eri and her bosses have are just as awesome as the display of talent, energy, and consistency needed to run a restaurant.

These playful playing cards from magician Bao Hoang’s company BAOBAO Restaurant are the perfect deck for sushi lovers. The box art is designed to look like a bento box full of sushi, while each card is decorated with artwork inspired by delicious Japanese meals – and the royal court is chowing down. Choose from salmon or tuna nigiri card backs.

We were immediately transfixed by this short video of a sushi chef showing off their knife skills, slicing an avocado into dozens of razor-thin pieces like it’s nobody’s business. We have a hard enough time scooping avocado out of its rind with a spoon.

Pastry artist Amaury Guichon never ceases to amaze us with his edible artworks. His latest creation is a larger-than-life box of matches made from yummy things like vanilla sable, chocolate caramel ganache, milk chocolate, and caramelized marshmallow. You need matches to light a campfire, so it only goes to reason these taste like S’mores.

NileBlue wanted to recreate grapples: apples that taste like grapes. You’d think it would be a complicated process involving genetics and plant breeding, but it turns out to be a hilariously simple task. We’re not going to spoil it, but the video ends up explaining why grapples are not around anymore and why you shouldn’t try making your own.

Lay’s teamed up with IHOP to bring breakfast flavors to potato chips. These special edition snacks blend natural and artificial flavorings to make them taste like pancakes with strawberry topping, maple syrup, and smoky bacon. Walmart had them on sale for a limited time for just $2.99 a bag, but prices are already rising on eBay for the things.

We like to make our own sandwiches. But a store-bought sandwich might have to do when you’re in a pinch. This video from How It’s Made takes us inside a factory that cranks out sandwiches, where humans and machines work hand-in-robo-hand to create lunches for thousands every day. Yep, there’s a robot designed solely to apply mayonnaise.

YouTuber 研師Ryota gives us a lot in just a minute. He cut a loaf of bread into slices that are thinner than your typical sliced cheese. He then alternately piled them with cheese slices before grilling them. Mouthwatering ASMR. Now, to find a knife like that.

We recently checked out a supersized LEGO minifig that a maker created with a 3D printer. Not to be outdone, pastry artist Amaury Guichon has gone even bigger – only his giant minifig is made out of chocolate, making it substantially more edible. Amaury’s 4-foot-tall mini-chef showpiece sits alongside a huge chocolate LEGO brick.

Got a spice lover in your life? Give the gift of heat with this boxed set from New England’s The Spicy Shark. It’s packed with six tasty and invigorating hot sauces, including Original (Habanero), Thresher Shark (Chipotle), Nurse Shark (Jalapeno), Caribbean Reef Shark (Scotch Bonnet), Tiger Shark (Ghost Pepper), and The Megalodon (Carolina Reaper).

Here’s a great Valentine’s Day gift for men. Meathearts are tasty morsels of beef jerky cut in the shape of hearts. Like those classic Conversation Hearts candies, each is embellished with a romantic phrase like “Kiss Me,” “Meat Me,” and “Beef Mine.” Choose from Original or Spicy – with just slightly more racy words. Each gift box comes with about 16 pieces.

Apparently, cream cheese has a similar consistency to porcelain clay. One artist from Mud Ceramics Studio decided to find out if you could throw it like clay, too. Surprisingly, once he put it on the potter’s wheel, he was able to center it, then worked it into a vase and a bowl. He’s attempted the same with Toll House cookie dough with far less success.