Spicy Strips - Spicy Gluten Latiao, Chinese Special Casual Snack Food, 78g (Pack of 2)

I liked these, they have a very spicy kick to them, the texture is interesting, so if you're not good with textures, they're not for you. They've got a sort of tough chew to them (if you watch the same videos on social media I have, you know they give a pull to tear off some). The smell is strong-ish, and unusual to Western tastes, it makes me think of a sesame, peanut buttery scent, combined with the chili oil scent, this can seem strong to anyone not used to it. The taste is spicy. Now I know why those little kids were sucking their breath in to cool their mouths. Chewing on them, they have an almost spongey texture that releases an oily juice, that has all the spice. These aren't meaty, they're not like a snack stick, these are made with wheat gluten (hence the nutty scent) and is basically soaked in chili oil. So, if you like any of those things, you might enjoy these.

What I purchased is not what I got. First photo is what I ordered. Second photo is what I was delivered. I’m hoping it’s because they just changed the packaging and have not updated photos. Also, if you are sensitive to spice, DO NOT GET THESE! The flavor is good, but I want to cut off my tongue because they are so spicy.

Oh my god, I had no idea what I was buying. These are so weird from the first bite. The product is a mylar bag of gluten 1/3" inch (9mm) diameter flexible 6" inch (150mm) long tubes. Can't eat one in one bite, one bites off a part of the vegan slim-jim-like snack unit. We hated them on first bite -- but we were still intrigued. We brought a bag to a party and left them out. Three of six people who tried them guessed they were a weird Asian fish product of unknown origin. They *loved* the strange experience. Biting into this: it's a chewy tube (of what?!!) inside another chewy tube with spicy-chile-oil-goo between the tubes or something. It's so weird. So, do not buy this if you live in the US and you don't want to try something VERY weird. This is a really odd product. It's not bad, it's not bland, it's not ... well. It's a curious east Asian snack with textural and flavor challenges for most of us. Note to those who hate them: these are EXTREMELY popular in some areas of east Asia and this brand is one of the top brands. Search for "Latiao" (and other spellings) to read some really crazy stories about how they are so good they are "addictive".

My daughter decided she wanted to try these. Why? No idea, but I bought a pack. First, they look absolutely nothing like the picture. They’re very small, thin, and hard. They are incredibly spicy, but not in a good way. There’s a very strange smell, taste and aftertaste that’s hard to place and very hard to get rid of. My daughter has tried everything to make them edible. She has wiped them down and soaked them to try and get some of the taste/smell out. But, there’s no way she or anyone else in the house are going to eat these things. A total waste of money and false advertising with the picture.

Strong sesame odor and spice- they're definitely spicy so I'd be careful when you swallow. Flavor kind of reminds me of a hot pot doused in sesame oil. Not terrible but not great either.