Haitai Crunch Ball Crispy Candy

This peanut candy comes to us from Korean snacks manufacturer Haitai.

Like its compatriot, Lotte, Haitai made its name as a manufacturer of knock-off snacks. But its creativity and skill should not be underestimated; in Candybowl's humble opinion, Haitai also makes some of the best saltine crackers on earth. While this candy does not quite live up to the saltine standard, it is nevertheless a treat.

The confection is rough-hewn and irregularly colored. On sucking, it yields flavor notes of mild peanuts and sugar. In fact, it does not release its flavor until crushed, which is unsurprising for a candy with the words "crunch" and "crispy candy" in its name.

The crunch is, in a word, fantastic. Thanks to the small pieces of peanut embedded in a fragile ball of sugar crystals, it crunches, and then it crunches some more. It leaves a bit of residue on the tooth (and a slight aftertaste on the tongue), but that can be forgiven.

A nice effort, and well worth trying.

Postscript 7/23/08: An apt comparison was made to Butterfinger (not the chocolate, the inside).