Snacks to Remember
By 826 Valencia
Students from 826 Valencia, a literacy organization in San Francisco, share their recipes.
Illustration by Dan Bransfield
Sammy Mozeb, 8
Cross Cultural Family Center
The most memorable smell is the smell of freshly baked pizza pulled out from the oven. The moment I took a bite of the cheese pizza it was very chewy, but I forgot to blow it since my mouth was watering so I burnt my tongue. It was very painful, so I waited for the pain to go away then I continued to eat my delicious cheesy pizza. It tasted so good.
Mahmoud Algahim, 11
Boys & Girls Club
Back in Yemen, I had special chips. The chips were very yellow. The sight of it reminded me of the sun. When I put the chips in my mouth it made a loud crunch. It was lightly salted. I ate a lot at once and I tasted the starch. The smell reminded me of french fries.
Angela Ramirez, 10
Tenderloin Community School
Takoyaki is a Japanese snack made out of batter with octopus inside. It is cooked in a molded pan shaping it into a ball once cooked. First impression of this snack is that it definitely looks savory. Once you smell it, you get a hint of oceanic and seaweed-like smell.
Before you put the whole takoyaki ball in your mouth, you should use your chopsticks to poke a hole in it. This will help let the steam out, so you don’t burn your tongue. As it cools down, you feel the batter melt in your mouth, triggering your salivary glands. Curious to get where the octopus is at, you move your tongue around then suddenly feel something rubbery beside your cheeks. Aha! That’s the octopus! As you bite into it, it’s very chewy. Although this is a very uncomfortable texture, it kinda tastes similar to other seafoods. And if you’re ever gonna eat takoyaki, eat the dried salmon too! This snack just tastes amazing and I highly recommend it.
