One Weird Thing North Korea Does Better Than the West

Is there anything North Korea can teach the US? Turns out ... juice drinks? At Foreign Policy, Justin Rohrlich got his hands on snacks and drinks from nations cut off from American junk food—North Korea, Syria, Iran, and Cuba. He enlisted food writer Mark Bittman to help him sample the lot, and Bittman deems Ryongsong Asian Pear Juice from North Korea "better than our Western equivalents." The North's Omija Soda is "pretty good," too, and both manage the feat with far less sugar. Not all fared so well:

• Iran: Its Hajabdollah Cotton Candy is reminiscent of "fiberglass insulation."
• Cuba: The Gustazo bars are "not good chocolate." On the other hand, Bittman took home their bag of Pelly Pellets—strips of wheat flour and starch.
• Syria: The Sham Gardens Breadsticks are surprisingly sweet, but not in a good way.

Click for the full list. (More snacks stories.)