Every week, new food products come to market and some of them— healthy snacks, oddball drinks, fast food experiments, and a few novelty knickknacks — are creative enough to demand attention. Below we’ve put the spotlight on recently released products that made us either smile or do a double-take. Note: we haven’t tasted them… yet.
Whiskey Made with Crabs
Full name: Tamworth Distilling Crab Trapper
Why you should care: This New Hampshire company has teamed up with folks from the University of New Hampshire to create a green crab-flavored whiskey. Why green crabs? Because they’re delicious? Not really; the crustaceans are damaging New England’s coastal ecosystem. And making whiskey out of the critters is a form of sustainable population control. The final product, made with a bourbon base, is 51 percent ABV and is said to have notes of maple, vanilla, and caramel on the nose, followed by cinnamon, clove, and all-spice. Maybe a little brine too?
Price: $65 per bottle, available at Seelbachs.com and shop.tamworthdistilling.com.
Photo: Tamworth Distilling
Ketchup Ice Pops
Full name: French’s Frenchsicles
Why you should care: Rarely has ketchup been promoted to lead role in the culinary world. But times change. Voila: French’s is working with the Canadian ice pop brand Happy Pops to create ketchup ice pops, which is just what it sounds like: condiment frozen on stick and described as a delicious salty-sweet mashup. Currently, they’re only available as giveaways (and in Canada only). But you never know. French’s has already launched a mustard ice cream in the states. Could ketchup be next?
Price: Free if you can find it in Canada
Hey Canadian friends, your favorite condiment just got a whole lot cooler 🍅🧊
A refreshingly savoury & sweet ketchup popsicle, made from 100% Canadian tomatoes.
Learn more here: https://t.co/FH2ax4kvWj pic.twitter.com/9PsahSkEzY
— French's (@Frenchs) June 20, 2022
Scents to Spray on Ice Cream
Full name: Salt & Straw Culinary Perfumes
Why you should care: Oregon-based ice cream company Salt & Straw teamed up with Portland perfumery Imaginary Authors to release three ice cream “perfumes.” The flavors/scents include A Cloud of Cocoa (notes of Ecuadorian chocolate, malted milkshake, and Japanese whisky), A Plume of Blumes (honeysuckle and jasmine), and A Swoon of Citrus (the tartness of citrus balanced with the herbal undertones of an entire orchard). The products launch online and as a topping in shops starting July 17th, National Ice Cream Day. You can sign up for the waitlist by visiting the site. Smell ya later.
Price: $65 for a 65 mL bottle, $48 for a trio of 10 mL travel-sized bottles. Available at Salt & Straw’s scoop shops and online
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfIOp0TuTLo/
KFC Finger Sporks
Full name: KFC Finger Sporks
Why you should care: According to the company formerly owned by Colonel Sanders, this is a “new ergonomic and gastronomic piece of tableware-tech” that will finally make KFC’s sides as finger-lickin’ good as its fried chicken. Ok, that may be a stretch, but they’re certainly the most useful culinary finger puppets we’ve seen and they will help you scoop out your mac & cheese, corn, and mashed potatoes (though this was never actually a problem). They’ve also produced a kitschy video to promote their “revolutionary eating device.” See video below.
Price: Free for anyone who orders a KFC Sides Lovers Meal in person, online, in app, or at participating locations between June 21 and July 12 (while supplies last).
Krispy Kreme Ice Cream
Full name: Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Soft Serve Ice Cream (and Shakes)
Why you should care: For the first time ever, Krispy Kreme now offers Original Glazed Soft Serve Ice Cream — made with ingredients from Krispy Kreme’s secret Original Glazed Doughnut recipe, including its iconic glaze flavor, as well as real whole milk. The confection’s available in waffle cones — made with Krispy Kreme’s doughnut mix and glaze flavor and cups — in three flavors: plain Original Glazed, Strawberry Iced Sprinkled, or Chocolate Iced. It’s also offering shakes designed to taste like Krispy Kreme doughnut varieties: Original Glazed, Strawberry Iced Sprinkled, Chocolate Iced, Lemon Filled, Cookies & Kreme, Birthday Batter, and Coffee & Kreme. Your summer diet plan will just have to wait.
Price: Products are available in-shop and drive-thru only (for details and to search for a store near you, check out their online store)
Photo: Krispy Kreme
Starbucks’ First Fried Chicken Sandwich
Full name: Starbucks Chicken Maple Butter and Egg Sandwich
Why you should care: Almost every other fast-food chain has introduced some kind of fried chicken sandwich — Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Popeyes, KFC, you name it. Now, finally, Starbucks jumps into the game with this breakfast item featuring breaded white meat chicken, fluffy eggs, and maple butter on a toasted oat biscuit roll. As you might expect, Youtubers have already pounced on the opportunity to review the thing.
Price: $5.93 including tax (in New York)