Friday Fives: Quarantine Snacks

As virtual learning comes to a close for some students, the Messenger staff have reflected upon popular snacks from quarantine over the past 8 months. Here are the top five quarantine snacks as ranked by the Messenger staff.

1. Whipped coffee

Whipped coffee, originally made in South Korea, was popularized over quarantine through TikTok. This caffeinated beverage uses instant coffee whipped with sugar and water to create a foamy texture. “I like to add a little bit of vanilla extract to my whipped coffee,” Rutaiba Siddiqui, staff reporter, said. “A tip that I have would be to put the whipped mixture on the bottom and then pour your milk or creamer on top. Otherwise, you’ll just get a mouth full of foamy coffee which doesn’t taste too good.”

2. Chips

The Messenger staff’s chip consumption primarily included Doritos, bagel chips and pretzels. At Walmart, a 28 count of Frito-Lay products is $9.98. This pack includes two Dorito flavors favored by staff along with Rold Gold pretzels. For bagel chips, Stacy’s Everything Bagel Chips is priced at $2.99 at Target.

3. Chocolate

Chocolate was a common choice among the Messenger staff for a source of sweetness throughout quarantine. Staff voted for brownies, chocolate milk and oreos to name a few. “I like dark chocolate more than other types of chocolate because it has a stronger taste, and I like more bitter flavors,” Peyton Rubenstein, page designer, said. Rubenstein recommends Dove Dark Chocolate candies priced at $3.99 at Target.

4. Popcorn

Popcorn is a simpler choice for cooking, as it only requires a quick run to the microwave. At Walmart, a 12-count Pop Secret microwave popcorn package is priced at $4.78. At Target, a 6-count Market Pantry microwave popcorn package is priced at $2.69. For students not looking to pop their own corn, Angie’s Boomchickapop Real Butter Popcorn is priced at $3.29 at Target.

5. Talenti gelato

Talenti offers more than 40 flavors of gelato and sorbet. At Target, the brand offers single gelato flavors at $4.29 such as Coffee Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Caramel. There are also layered gelato options that have a mixture of multiple ice cream flavors and toppings priced at $4.69. “My favorite flavors of Talenti are definitely the Chocolate Mousse, Double Dark Chocolate and the Vanilla Caramel Swirl because they have the perfect amount of sweetness to them in my opinion,” Cassie Sun, co-executive producer of MHSNews, said. “I would recommend everyone to try the Chocolate Mousse if you’re a fan of chocolate because it’s insanely rich and delicious.”