Here's an introduction to the community and a look at how it works.

The snacksters community was created on 6/12/2007 to facilitate trading of snacks from around the world. At the beginning of each round, members who are interested in participating e-mail the moderator some information about what types of food they like and where they live. People are then matched up in a sort of international ring, where Person A mails to Person B, who mails to Person C, and so on...until Person X then mails to Person A. I then e-mail people instructions about who they are mailing to and what kind of snacks to send, and within a few weeks everyone hopefully receives a package full of new and exciting foreign snacks.

Some people have asked why this community doesn't just let people request snacks and freely trade amongst themselves. The really unique thing about this community is that every package is full of surprises. You'll receive all sorts of strange foreign snacks that you may never have dreamed of eating (dried squid anyone?) because this community's all about novel experiences and trying everything at least once. Of course, members are free to talk to each other and set up personal swaps, but that's not really the idea behind this community. If you're interested in direct swaps, you may want to check out globalswap.

I've really enjoyed reading all the introduction posts, but I know some members don't really like having their friends pages spammed. This community was also getting really cluttered, so I've unfortunately had to delete all the introduction posts. I'm sorry about this and I swear I'm not trying to be mean, but it would just be easier if they were all in the same place. Thus, if you'd like to introduce or reintroduce yourself, please leave a comment on this post. New posts will be screened from now on and should only be made to share pictures of snacks you've received in the mail. Thank you to everyone for their interest in this community, and I hope you're all ready to try some great new snacks!

(Post a new comment)

	z0mbieri0t 2007-07-22 06:20 am UTC (link)
	this is a brilliant idea for a community, sorry if some of us newbies got carried away or the wrong idea at first, i just email you, cheers!!!! (Reply to this)

	winged_panda 2007-07-22 06:34 am UTC (link)
	When will the first round be starting? ^.^ (Reply to this) (Thread)

	_acourac_ 2007-07-22 06:38 am UTC (link)
	Hello! The second round just started about an hour ago, instructions can be found in the post underneath this one :) (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - legomyelfboy, 2007-07-25 07:11 pm UTC

hezmanagirl 2007-07-22 06:36 am UTC (link)

Wow! I was very surprised to find this fantastic comm in this week's spotlight! I'm HG from Denver, Colorado and I'm a huge snack fan from pretty much anywhere in the world. I have family in the U.K. so I'm a gigantic fan of Cadbury's, Lovehearts, Parma Violets, Branston Pickle, Salad Cream, lemon curd, scones and crisps. *drool* I've been lucky enough to live near Asian communities so I've become addicted to things like kimchee, lychee candy, miso, dried and spiced shredded fish, Ramune, dried meat and fruit,Pocky, shrimp flavored snacks and wasabi anything. To be honest, the stranger the snack the more likely I am to try it. I guess growing up in a tiny northern Michigan town has had a big effect on my eating likes and dislikes. I pretty much love anything new and I'm passing that love of adventure on to my two kids that are 9 1/2 and 4. Living where I do, I have access to a H-Mart grocery store for Asian food and there's a big Mexican community here so lots of yummy food to be found most places you look. I'm also fortunate to have a Cost Plus World Market very close to where I work so I have access to the U.K. food I grew up on.I guess to sum myself up I'm one of those people to "live to eat". (Reply to this) (Thread)

house of windsor! mintymintee 2007-07-23 04:04 pm UTC (link)

hi there, this is misun aka minty, also in denver! have you heard of house of windsor? it's a tea shoppe, but they also have a small british grocery. i love Ribena. i used to get ribena at the vietnamese super market, but they don't have it anymore. i've also gotten it at house of windsor. houseofwindsor.net can't wait to trade delicious snacks with everyone! cheers! misun (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: house of windsor! - mintymintee, 2007-07-23 04:06 pm UTC

Re: house of windsor! - hezmanagirl, 2007-07-24 08:07 pm UTC

bikkies & crisps - mintymintee, 2007-07-26 03:03 pm UTC

	calmenvy 2007-07-22 07:14 am UTC (link)
	I'm broke this month, but I'm totally going for rounds in the future, this is exciting! ^^ (Reply to this)

	actually_yes 2007-07-22 07:28 am UTC (link)
	this sounds like fun! i'm interested in joining, but am confused as to who i'm supposed to contact; i can't find the mod's e-mail aside from jabber, which i've never used. any advice? i'm such a novice. :) (Reply to this) (Thread)

	actually_yes 2007-07-22 07:29 am UTC (link)
	just kidding... i found it. sorry, i'm slow. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	candy_striped36 2007-07-22 07:30 am UTC (link)
	hehe im kai from ohio, i love gummis, german candy, japanese candy, korean candy...er.. other snacks too, odd sodas and drinks. i have acsess to alot of things, so dont be afraid to ask for something from me! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	hello mintymintee 2007-07-23 04:07 pm UTC (link)
	hi kai, this is misun. i grew up in columbus, ohio! hope you are well. misun aka minty (Reply to this) (Parent)

sk8ing_grl 2007-07-22 08:18 am UTC (link)

awww...i love all those introduction posts. anyway, Amy, can we still post to snacksters? i think it will be good if we can post other than the pictures of the snacks. like many we can post up new interesting snacks that we found, that ppl dont really know about. this way the community will be more interesting. anyway, i'm 15 and i'm from singapore. i love all european candies, esp chocolate from germany. canadian/ american/ UK candies are great too! basically i like all candies that are not found in asia (: (Reply to this) (Thread)

	candy_striped36 2007-07-22 08:34 am UTC (link)
	^__^ if you ever wanna trade let me know~! candy from singapore is something i havent tried yet. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - sk8ing_grl, 2007-07-22 08:43 am UTC

(no subject) - candy_striped36, 2007-07-22 09:12 am UTC

(no subject) - necromanticize, 2007-07-23 05:41 pm UTC

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2007-07-24 01:53 am UTC

(no subject) - legomyelfboy, 2007-07-24 01:54 am UTC

nikaeta 2007-07-22 12:19 pm UTC (link)

Soooo I found this comm in LJ spotlight and I love candies and things so I thought it'd be fun ^_^ and since I'm now working I have the money to do it XD I'm a 16 year old girl from Washington and where I live I only have access to mostly local candies and snacks, but I have a big variety I can get. I live near a mall in the next town over that has a candy shoppe and a Japanese store that sells a small selection of candies and foods. Then, in town are two large stores that both have very big selections of candy, and one of which they sell it basically in bulk, or by the pound. The candy I most love here though is Jelly Belly jelly beans so I can always get those =D I'm interested in anything Japanese, but especially pocky and ramune. I LOVE pocky. I'd also like to just try new things...and maybe some things from Europe? Maybe even Australia? If anyone wants specific things that I might be able to get, feel free to tell me what and I'll see what I can do =D I can't wait to exchange sweets! ^_^ (Reply to this) (Thread)

	sk8ing_grl 2007-07-22 01:15 pm UTC (link)
	jelly beans! *squeals* it's very hard to get jelly beans over here in singapore but pocky is everywhere in singapore. did u try pucca or hello panda before? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - nikaeta, 2007-07-22 01:21 pm UTC

(no subject) - sk8ing_grl, 2007-07-22 01:21 pm UTC

(no subject) - sk8ing_grl, 2007-07-22 01:24 pm UTC

(no subject) - nikaeta, 2007-07-22 01:30 pm UTC

(no subject) - sk8ing_grl, 2007-07-22 01:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - nikaeta, 2007-07-23 04:52 am UTC

clamp_x 2007-07-22 02:35 pm UTC (link)

I'm Stacy from upstate NY. I like anything involving chocolate or Lychee. I <3 Lychee hard candy >_< I also love Puccaa. I've tried candies from Ireland and they were interesting. I tried a candy bar type thing that was chocolate, but it was flake like. Really good. I think my favorite though has to be Meji Melty Kiss Dark Chocolate. I can't seem to find it anymore though. T_T I also like unique candies that aren't flavored after gross things, like the every flavor beans...ugh...but am willing to try anything that doesn't involve dried sea life, including seaweed. Jelly drinks, Ramune,Calpis Water, Mandarin Orange Juice are on my list also. I have access to many Asian markets around town if anyone is looking for something. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	rainbowscales 2007-07-24 04:46 pm UTC (link)
	I LOVE MELTY KISS. I got some while I was in japan last year. ^__^ (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - alicelisle, 2007-07-26 05:47 am UTC

hey! bootyful 2007-07-22 04:48 pm UTC (link)

reposting my intro! hey! my name is ashley. i'm 18 years old and live in british columbia, canada! i actually work at a grocery store that my parents manage :) i'm not quite sure what kind of snacks are available to canada only that you all would like, but if you have something here you are looking for just let me know and i'll tell you if i can get it! :) some things i know of that some of you may be interested in are: kinder eggs, reeses peanut butter cups, maynard's candy (wine gums, sweedish berries, etc.), real fruit gummies, spitz, chocolate bars (aero, smarties, coffee crisp, different cadburys, etc.) twizzlers, nibs.. etc. again just let me know if there's something you're looking for! ** i found this site (http://www.canadaonly.ca) and i can get pretty much anything that's on there at my store** as for me, i'm really interested in trying different asian snacks.. like different pocky flavors, hello panda, yan yan, and any other snacks like that... i can't get any of it around here.. other different snacks are ok too, i love to try different things! (Reply to this)

	harllequinn 2007-07-22 05:40 pm UTC (link)
	It will also be late next month before I can afford to participate. I live in the US (MS). We have one Asian market in the city. Would love to try mostly sweet snacks from anywhere. Savory snacks, I might be a bit picky with ^_^ (Reply to this)

	laurenlobotomy 2007-07-22 06:12 pm UTC (link)
	this was such a cool idea :O Im Lauren from MD,im mainly a fan of japanese candies but i would LOVE to try snacks and candies from all over the world because i havent had a very wide variety. right now the street from me is a video store which sells movies,icecream and candies.so if you have a specific one you would want im pretty sure i could get you them and we can trade ^3^ (Reply to this)

Snacks-ahoy! pure1gr 2007-07-22 06:13 pm UTC (link)

Hi, I'm Shandell from Michigan USA. This is actually a family interest - teaching my children about the world and trying new things. We're curious about all kinds of snacks - pretzles, cheese, candy, chocolate, cookies, chips, nuts, candies, etc. Not finikie by anymeans. I'm interested in the stories that come with these snacks - about the snacks specifically and/or the people who sent them. Feel free to email me directly too - svanmalsen@yahoo.com ... Snacks we have here are Koeze Nuts and Candy, your garden variety grocery store items Chips, Candy, and Snacks, as well as homemade pita chips, etc. Hope to start sharing soon! Thanks! (Reply to this)

greetings from singapore! ishootbabies 2007-07-22 07:03 pm UTC (link)

hi hi hi! i am Dot from Singapore! 26 this year! Got excited by the tot of recieving snacks that i have not eaten before! And i love the idea of opening a box of goodies that was carefully put together by a stranger from a faraway land! oh dear i think i am killing you guys with my very bad english. bleah. Oh anyway...cant wait to share my chidhood snacks with other people! snacks like Chicken flavoured corn puff balls? Durian flavoured corn puff balls....long corn stick covered in chocolate! Milk balls from Wang Wang...er...and many more! I've not signed up yet tho...too broke to do so for this month...heh. i guess i'll wait for round 3! Trade soon! :P (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: greetings from singapore! legomyelfboy 2007-07-24 01:56 am UTC (link)
	You're english is far from bad. XD Wang wang = much amusement. Sorry;; XD I wish I could trade with you!! :) (Reply to this) (Parent)

Tim's Cascade Junkie Checks In ms_xeno 2007-07-22 08:03 pm UTC (link)

A repost of my intro, then: ***************************** How do you do ? Yes, I do live in Portland, Oregon in the United States. My vice/obsession du jour is Tim's Cascade Potato Chips ("Crisps" to you English types). The plain ones are a perfect food, simply the best chips I've ever eaten. In fact, they're so delicious that I only buy the small bags one at a time for fear of eating them until I explode. :o There must be other folks like me who especially crave these salty snacks when it's hot out. Other vices include Pocky, and various hippie treats like dried apricots and pineapple. Also any dark chocolate. I only eat the milk stuff when there's nothing else around. I love kitschy, garish advertisements for snacks or any other food, really. Especially those from outside the U.S. and even more so if they're forty years old or older. I use them in my artwork. If you are from outside the U.S. and can find me a label, magazine clipping or postcard along those lines, I will work like mad to find you something fabulous in exchange, for either snacking or ceremonial purposes. It's a pleasure to meet you. :) ******************************* Sorry. It may be awhile before I can do the mass snack exchange with you all. Just not enough $$$ right now. But later, I hope... :/ (Reply to this)

	wish_the_worst 2007-07-22 11:10 pm UTC (link)
	I sent an email recently (the past couple of days), just wanted to make sure it'd be included in the next round (if space permits) :) (Reply to this)

ilona 2007-07-22 11:17 pm UTC (link)

I just emailed my info! :) What a swell idea for a community! I'm from the Netherlands, and there's a lot of snacks and candy over here that's not exported to the rest of the world. So whoever get's teamed up with me will get a bunch of original stuff. :) I think it would be nice if us swappers (especially the ones from America) would consider if the snacks we buy aren't the kind of brands that you can get in most other countries as well. Just a thought. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	shymi 2007-07-26 10:12 pm UTC (link)
	i quite like your candy! :] do you have those peppermint discs? (Reply to this) (Parent)

ixly_one 2007-07-23 02:35 am UTC (link)

This is possibly the best idea for a community in the history of the internet. I'm from Colorado, although I have relatives in England, so while I'm a die-hard fan of Cadbury's and the like, all I can get over here are the cheap imitations made by Hershey's. I also have a weak spot for Japanese sweets - two of the best snacks I've ever had were Japanese: Purple-sweet Potato Mousse Pocky, and purin/pudding mochi (which my boss stole and ate 3/4 of). I've only ever tasted them once, and am dying to find them again. I'm desperately adventurous when it comes to food and snacks, and I know most all of the good places to find snacks around here. I currently live within driving distance or three or four chocolate shops, a really wonderful candy boutique, and an asian supermarket. The regular supermarkets around here also carry some mexican candies, English buscuits, and nutella. If any non-Americans are interested in some typical American junk food, then I could probably supply a small army with a trip to Cost-co. I'm unfortunately quite broke at the moment, but will definitely set some money (and snacks) aside for round three, if possible. <3 I'll be double-checking all the rules and such in the meantime. Happy snackings~! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	british grocery in denver mintymintee 2007-07-23 04:01 pm UTC (link)
	you can try houseofwindsor.net for UK treats in Denver! (Reply to this) (Parent)

(no subject) - (Anonymous), 2007-07-26 12:16 am UTC

(no subject) - mintymintee, 2007-07-26 03:05 pm UTC

	greekcoeus 2007-07-23 06:17 am UTC (link)
	Hey! I'm Joshua and I live in NY. I'm very interested in snacks from anyone in the world. I'm actually excited for some snacks from Japan. I live near a Gertrude Hawk, which is a candy store, a bit expensive, but I'd probably get most of the snacks from there or Target, cause they have nice snacks too. ;D I can't wait to do this, it sounds so exciting! (Reply to this)

	Allergies: Onion, tomatoes, soap, and commitment. p_a_r_sle_y 2007-07-23 07:42 am UTC (link)
	Anyung. My name is Nana. My body lives in WA. My heart lives in Korea. I especially like gum. I chew it when I'm nervous. I can send some Korean goods, or american goods, or even Japanese goods. I'm visiting Korea this winter. I've always wanted to do something like this. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	korean snacks mintymintee 2007-07-25 04:06 pm UTC (link)
	i'm visiting korea for the 1st time in September. what kind of snacks should i look for, what's good? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

Re: korean snacks - p_a_r_sle_y, 2007-08-01 12:52 pm UTC

Re: korean snacks - mintymintee, 2007-08-08 09:11 pm UTC

	natsue 2007-07-23 10:59 am UTC (link)
	hi hi. :3 I'm Yui from Singapore. I have access to asian stuff, and some european snacks too. fun fun fun. :3 (Reply to this)

	cronvek 2007-07-23 11:15 am UTC (link)
	Hello! Liz from the UK here! We have caburys...galaxy chocolate...boiled sweets and lots of cheap knockoffs of american chocolate (you call this hershey? blah!) I think i may just sign up for this round :) the temptation of interesting chocolate! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	araeil 2007-07-24 07:25 pm UTC (link)
	haha, I worked at Starbucks with a gal named Eline. She moved to the states a few years ago from london. She hates hershey bars. She says it isnt even chocolate. (Reply to this) (Parent)

necromanticize 2007-07-23 01:11 pm UTC (link)

Aww, I wish I wasn't so super-broke at the moment! I would absolutely love to do this. Maybe once I'm in school I will participate, because it would be an awesome surprise to get a ton of snacks in the mail one day! I'm trying to figure out what kinds of things I would like to try, as I live in the US and am a Japanese major, so Japanese things are not hard to come by for me if I really want them. And they are the best! I haven't tried too many European things, other than the chocolate my dad brings back from work trips sometimes. (Reply to this)

	hellomokona 2007-07-23 03:43 pm UTC (link)
	Ooh, this sounds like so much fun! I'm in Michigan, with access to some Japanese snack stores, and boy do I love snacks of all kinds. I can't wait to share! E-mailing now, so count me in :D (Reply to this)

	jinnyisms2 2007-07-23 06:51 pm UTC (link)
	I'm so excited about getting new snacks! I live in New York, but I've lived all over and traveled a bunch too. The one thing I always remember is the food. Recently went to England and came back with half a suitcase of chocolate. Mmmm... The memories. (Reply to this)

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