Planters Cheez Balls

Nice to see a brand bring back one of the products that sold decently back in the eighties and nineties to compete in today's market. As for the 'cheez' balls themselves, it hasn't changed, and still tastes amazing as ever. This is as retro as you can get.

At this point in time, it's obvious what's going on lately: The nineties are making a huge comeback. GOOD! Even though I was born in the late eighties, growing up and living through the nineties couldn't have been a best time for me, personally. It was a childhood I'll never forget (we can keep going and talk about weekend morning cartoons, pogs, yo-yos, Saved By The Bell, Spice Girls, tie-dye shirts and the list continues on). Back when kids went out to play, compared to staying in with their smartphones and tablets, there was a time when my parents packaged a neat snack to go with my lunch. This was one of them: Planters' Cheez Balls! Youngsters may giggle at the branded item for using the word "balls," but until you understood the experimental trend(s) food companies tried back in the nineties and earlier, you'll never understand a good thing when you tried it (remember Surge soda?).

Snacks like this defined my childhood. Since I was too young to hold onto a video game handheld console like the Nintendo Game Boy, a snack like this was my parents' way of keeping me busy as opposed to whining and crying—like the kid we all were. Keeping my indulgence in tact, I'll never forget the taste: crunchy, a little salty but satisfying and 'cheesy.' I was young so I couldn't take down as more than 5 to 6 pieces. Fast forward to today, and I cleaned slate.

Compared to the taste I recalled back then, this comeback I found a little less salty yet more attention on the cheese part. The size of the pieces seemed smaller compared to its original release—either that or I still had small hands. In other words, the taste hasn't changed despite the decrease in the salty content. The design of the canister is as retro as you can get, really playing the part of a Time Machine living through my childhood as an adult, exploring all that I wasn't able to (my personal reason for admiring the past).

This simple yet awesome comeback deserves the attention here at FOODSOTROS, and rightfully so. Prove to Kraft Heinz that you're as nostalgic as I am and continue to blaze back the time when complaining didn't mean you were right, boys and girls got along without question and everyone's idea of fun was going out to parks, mini explorations and dining at various restaurants (generally, that was the case for me, as it may be different for others).

Thank you so much, Planters! Keep 'em coming; Highly recommended!

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming (software development) and video production, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, playing old video/DOS games, digital video archiving, and listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

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