I'm not quite as obsessive about 'cheesy poofs' as Eric Cartman from South Park; in one episode of the animated series he sings, 'If we didn't eat cheesy poofs, we'd be lame.' But there was a time when I was going through two or three large bags a week, specifically Marks & Spencer's 'cheese tasters'. They remain my favourite but I like the textural change of the 'made with real cheese' Frito Lay Cheetos (below) and some of the delicately flavoured Japanese brands.
What all these cheesy poofs (or whatever names they go by) have in common is the colour, a blinding neon-orange. Marks & Spencer states on its cheese tasters packaging that the colour can stain clothing - which is something the other brands should consider. Let's not think too much about what all that artificial colouring does to our insides.
Like many other packaged snacks, cheesy poofs are not for dieters. They tend to be high in fat, including saturated fat. A 'serving' of Cheetos for instance, has 160 calories, 90 of which are from fat - that's 15 per cent of the total fat and 10 per cent of the saturated fat of a US recommended allowance in a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. But what Frito Lay considers a serving is very small - only 28 grams (an eighth of a bag) or about 21 individual Cheetos, and who eats only 21?
Hong Kong shelves aren't exactly over- run with cheesy poofs; perhaps it's because it is thought Chinese people dislike cheese (although these snacks don't taste that strongly). But it's obvious these snacks have their devotees and if you're one, check out the Taquitos.net website ('serious about snacks'), where you'll see reviews of about 150 different types from around the world.
Cheesy poofs have no other redeeming qualities other than their deliciousness. If you search online, you'll see recipes that incorporate the snack as a topping, where its crunchiness isn't wasted (they go soggy in liquid). One recipe I found is a casserole of chicken breasts mixed with canned cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, eggs and celery, topped with Cheetos and baked. Using them this way seems like a waste - it's probably best to enjoy cheesy poofs on their own, as an occasional snack.
