Buying Asian snacks: how to choose without making the wrong choice

Buying Asian snacks is getting easier, but a wide range doesn’t automatically make choosing any easier. Packaging often features eye-catching flavour names, bold claims and tempting images. Yet these don’t always tell you enough about the contents, portion size or how to use the product.

Three common pitfalls to watch out for:

• Mistaking an unusual flavour for an intense product: terms such as barbecue, seafood or spicy mainly describe the flavour profile. Check the ingredients list and nutritional information too.
• Overestimating how much is in the pack: many popular snacks come in 70 g packs. That’s handy for one snack break, but less suitable if you’re stocking up for several people.
• Overlooking allergens and preparation instructions: soy sauce, wheat, milk, crustaceans, molluscs and sesame are common in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian and Vietnamese snacks. Instant noodles usually need to be boiled or prepared with hot water, too.

What should you check before buying Asian snacks?

1. Check the flavour, ingredients and allergens

Look beyond the product name. A snack with chicken, prawn or grilled squid flavour may contain ingredients or flavourings that are relevant to you. For example, Lay's Potato Chips Grilled Squid lists wheat, soya, milk, sesame and molluscs (squid) among its allergens. Indomie Instant Noodle Shrimp Flavor lists wheat and crustaceans.

Have a food allergy or intolerance? Always use the packaging as your main source of information. Product details can vary between batches, imported versions or packaging.

2. Compare the pack size and nutritional information

A 70 g bag is a practical amount to take on the go, enjoy during a film night or share as a small snack. Multipacks are more useful for families or keeping the cupboard stocked, such as Indomie with five 70 g packs or Cung Dinh Pho Bo with 30 individual portions.

Compare nutritional information per 100 g rather than looking only at the figures per pack. Energy, fat, sugar and salt can vary considerably between crisps and biscuits. A product with an unusual flavour isn’t automatically more nutritious or lower in salt. Use the nutritional information to help you make an informed choice, not as a mark of quality.

3. Check how to use it, the date and storage instructions

Not every product is ready to eat. Crisps, sweets and biscuits are usually ready to eat. Instant noodles generally need to be boiled or prepared according to the instructions on the packaging. Dried ingredients, such as HEYU Abalone Mushroom, need to be soaked and washed before use.

Store dry snacks in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. When your order arrives, check the best-before date and the condition of the packaging. If a pack is damaged, Dutch-language information is missing or the allergen details are unclear, contact the seller before using the product.

Popular choices by snack type

If you want to order Asian snacks online, it’s easiest to compare the range by occasion. Are you looking for something crunchy, a sweet treat or a quick meal? Here are a few options with details you can check.

Suitable for: Beginners on a budget

LAY'S Original Potato Chips 70g

Why it suits this profile: A familiar choice if you’re trying international crisps for the first time and want a straightforward potato flavour.

How this product avoids the pitfall

The flavour is clearly described and the pack contains 70 g. That gives you a better idea of what you’re buying than an assorted mix with unclear contents.

Key benefit & advantages

Ready to eat, with 70 g in the pack and no allergens listed in the product information.

Suitable for: Shoppers looking for premium quality

Franzzi Premium Dark Chocolate Flavour Cookies 70g

Why it suits this profile: Ideal if you want to serve biscuits with coffee or tea and enjoy a pronounced chocolate flavour.

How this product avoids the pitfall

The product information clearly states the pack size, preparation details and allergens. The biscuits are ready to eat, so there’s no extra preparation needed.

Key benefit & advantages

70 g per pack, cocoa in the ingredients list, and clear allergen information for wheat, milk, egg and soya.

Suitable for: Specific needs & frequent users

Indomie Instant Noodle Shrimp Flavor 5x70g

Why it suits this profile: Handy for students, offices and households looking to keep several quick meal portions in the cupboard.

How this product avoids the pitfall

The pack contains five 70 g portions and states that preparation is required. So it’s clear this isn’t a ready-to-eat snack.

Key benefit & advantages

Five individual portions, shrimp flavour according to the product description, and easy to customise with vegetables or egg.

From Chinese snacks to Vietnamese noodles

A varied range makes it easy to try different flavour profiles side by side:

• Chinese snacks: try X.O Salted White Plum or the sweet Want Want QQ Soft Candy.
• Japanese snacks: according to the product information, Frito-Lay Cheetos Barbeque Flavor is of Japanese origin and has a barbecue flavour.
• Indonesian snacks: Indomie offers several instant noodle varieties, including chicken and prawn.
• Vietnamese snacks: Cung Dinh Pho Bo combines rice noodles with a beef flavour and comes in a box of 30 portions.
• Asian crisps: Lay's Green Sauce BBQ, Mexican Tomato Chicken and Grilled Squid are options if you want to compare unusual savoury flavours.
• Asian sweets, biscuits and snacks: Franzzi biscuits and Want Want sweets are ideal for a sweet snack break.

For mixed orders, check the difference between products for human consumption and items intended for other purposes. Gwoon Salmon Candy, for example, is a cat treat and, according to the product information, is not suitable for human consumption.

Frequently asked questions about buying Asian snacks

Where can I order Asian snacks online?

You can search online by country, product type, flavour or pack size. Before ordering, check the contents, country of origin, allergens, storage instructions and best-before information. That way, you can compare products on more than just the image or product name.

Are 70 g snacks suitable for sharing?

A 70 g pack is usually practical for one person or a small tasting portion. For a party or family, multipacks or boxes with individual portions are more convenient. Also check whether the product can be resealed after opening.

How long do Asian snacks keep?

The best-before date is printed on the packaging and can vary by product and batch. Store dry snacks according to the instructions, usually in a cool, dry place. Unopened instant noodles and biscuits generally keep well in the cupboard for longer than products that need to be chilled, such as some bread products. If in doubt, always follow the date and instructions on the packaging.