Wei Loong / Weilong Moishine – Thai-Style Sour Hot Konjac Snack

Bitter: 🟡🟡○○○

Salty: 🟡🟡🟡🟡○

Sour/Tangy:🟡🟡🟡🟡○

Sweet: 🟡🟡🟡○○

Umami: 🟡🟡🟡🟡🟡

Heat: 🟡🟡○○○○○○○○

Quick Flavor Notes: Sour, fruity, umami

Recommended: Yes

Texture: Semi-crunchy semi-chewy jelly

Ingredients: Water, Konjac Powder, Tomato Ketchup (Tomato Paste, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Vinegar, Salt, Food Starch-modified, Xanthan Gum, Artificial Flavor, Onion Powder, Spices), Tapioca Starch, Passion Fruit Jam (Passion Fruit Pulp, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose, Food Starch-modified, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum), Sugar, Garlic, Chili Paste (Chili, Salt), Soybean Oil, Chili, Salt, Vinegar (Water, Sorghum, Barley, Pea, Bran, Salt), Artificial Flavors, Monosodium Glutamate, Green Kumquat Powder (Fresh Green Kumquat, Maltodextrin), Sesame Oil, Soybean Fiber, Bakers Yeast Extract, Edible Starch (Corn Starch, Water), Citric Acid, Sichuan Pepper, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate

I am beginning to understand why schools in certain Asian nations had to place bans on the consumption of konjac based snacks because after trying Wei Loong’s Szechwan Taste version I’ve discovered these are incredibly addictive. Part of that is, no doubt, due to the liberal use of glutamates in the way that all packaged snack foods are apt to do, but the slippery chewy texture of these style of snacks is also a major draw, especially to an American like me who hasn’t had a lot of exposure to snack foods with this type of texture. The fact that konjac, the jelly made from the wonderfully named amorphophallus konjac plant, is naturally zero carb and zero calorie is icing on the cake as, other than the rather high sodium content, these konjac snacks can fit into a low-carb and vegan diets. After loving the Szechwan Taste version I was excited to try the Thai Sour Hot flavor.

While I was checking these out on Amazon I noticed that all flavors had the same ingredients listed, so I thought perhaps the differences were in the spice mix. When I actually received them and looked at the label I realized that this one has a very different ingredients list than the Szechwan Taste version and very different from what’s listed on Amazon. It looks like Wei Loong just copied and pasted the ingredients from one to all of them. While this is also based on Konjac it also includes tomato ketchup (and not a particularly high quality one given that the sub ingredients include artificial flavor and starch) as well as fruity elements. One is passion fruit jam, and I’ve become quite enamored with passion fruit in spicy products after trying it in the wonderful Alchemy Peppers Guava + Ghost and Chile Lengua de Fuego’s Heatonist No. 9. This also includes green kumquat powder, a fruit I haven’t seen in a hot sauce or spicy product before, nor can I recall ever having a green one, but kumquats have a great sour flavor similar to calamansi. Like the other varieties this has Sichuan peppercorns, sesame oil, chili powder, and chili paste for heat and some numbing sensation. The use of a Chinese vinegar is also cool to see based on the sub-ingredients listed including sorghum and barley. Chinese sorghum vinegars tend to have a great malty umami flavor that you don’t get from common western vinegar types. These also include the trio of glutamates – MSG and the complimentary disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate. In addition to the isolated glutamates these also use yeast, which is an awesome natural umami booster.

Just like the Szechwan Taste version the texture is like a firm slightly crunchy jelly. The aroma of these is very different however and smells, for lack of a better word, Thai. This version is quite a bit more aromatic in my opinion with hints of that fruit and a tangier aroma. Despite not having any traditional Thai aromatics as far as I can see in the ingredients (though it’s possible they’re included in the “artificial flavor”) this has a flavor similar to Tom Yum soup, but fruitier. I think the combination of the green kumquat flavor and the passion fruit is giving the tamarind vibe (which isn’t always traditional in Tom Yum, but has become a more common addition and is always a fun addition to a hot sauce). The tomato flavor from the ketchup is also prominent and adds to the savory umami flavor which helps offset the sweetness. In addition there’s a solid onion and garlic flavor in these that further ground the savory flavors. Since Thai food is supposed to balance the sweet, salty, sour, savory, and spicy along with some bitter the Wei Loong Moishine Thai-Style Hot and Sour Konjac Snacks do come across as more authentically Thai in flavor than I would have suspected. I also get more chili flavor in these than I did in the Szechwan taste version. The numbing effect is less than that version however. Heat level isn’t high but these do have a pleasant burn and one that lingers a little.

I enjoy these and while the label is anything but clean in terms of artificial flavors and other processed ingredients they are low-carb and low-calorie (though high in sodium) so can be a great somewhat-healthy snack option. Because of that I’m happy to recommend them. In terms of these vs the Szechwan Taste version both have great flavors on their own and both are delicious in unique ways