Rice crackers

Product: Black Pepper Japanese Rice Crackers
Origin: Japan

First looks

Nick:
Hard to tell with these; they're pretty hard, but they might have a nice crunchy texture, and they smell like pepper, but I can't tell if it's going to taste good or too pepper-y. The smell is actually a little more like peppery egg salad or perhaps a big pepper fart, but I've learned by now that half the time the smell has nothing to do with the taste. I'm hopeful we have another non-disgusting gluten free food here, but I guess I won't be shocked if they're nasty either.

Katie:
I sniffed too hard at the cracker and the pepper tingled my nose. I suppose that's how I know it's really pepper.  I'm hoping these will be good but I have to be honest with you, reader friends, I don't actually pepper my food. If the recipe calls for it, of course, but if I'm at a restaurant...I don't add additional salt or pepper to anything. I figure the chef wanted me to enjoy it a certain way so why mess with a professional? Is that weird? Do you all pepper/salt your food as a rule or only to taste?
Anyway, fingers crossed on these.

Post-bite thoughts

Eagle eyed readers: the ring says
"I'm with you till the end of the line" and is
the Steve Rogers half of the set (I have the Bucky Barnes half)

Nick:
Close, but not quite there; the texture is very nice (very hard but also light and airy). The problem is the flavor; this just tastes like a pepper bomb went off inside my mouth, which is a real shame. Take the pepper off and put some other flavoring on and I think these could be great, but I couldn't handle more than two of these. Donation pile!

Katie:
I agree with Nick completely. Any other flavor and these would have been a hit (okay not shrimp or some other seafood thing). This will be ninja'd into the food cubicle at work (aka the donation pile).