I'm Eating What?! Coconut Crisp Balls

By Riki Altman Fri., Jan. 22 2010 at 6:46 AM

Categories: I'm Eating What?!

Photos by Riki Altman

Most of the time, I love this gig. But damn -- not so much today. I just bit into a "coconut crisp ball" made in Malaysia, and I'm still cringing. It's not that the little thing tasted badly. Actually, it didn't have much taste at all. But it's this film it left in my mouth, which is like a layer of coconut ball cellophane has made its home.

In my quest for unusual eats, I picked this snack up at an Asian market in Sunrise. The brand name was Ego, which gave me a kick, and the contents seemed appetizing enough: glutinous rice flour, coconut, vegetable oil (palm oil), sugar, glucose, salt and yam. Hmm. Yam and coconut? Those crazy Malaysians.

In the product's defense, the bag was imprinted with "Best Before /" and a slew

of Asian characters that probably translate to mean "1999." Each of the little critters was individually packaged, so what's the probability that they'd all be bad? Well, every little crispy, coconut coated, beige sphere has a scent that's a mix of coconut and something unappetizing, like crayons.

One thing's for sure -- they're definitely crispy. No false advertising there. The little snowball-looking things crumble to bits, so it's best to just shove them whole in your mouth. Then chase it with a bottle of Jack.

Who should eat these? Anyone who wants a more socially acceptable way to eat a snack of crayons.