I’ve been going through a sesame stick phase these past few months, and I don’t know why. I’ve always really liked them, but outside of trail mixes, never really came across them that often; because of this, they never entered my mind as a potential candidate for snacking on their own. One day in October, I came across some honey roasted ones in a farmer’s market and decided to buy them; I never even knew flavored sesame sticks existed, but I downed a whole bag within a couple of days. Two weeks later, I saw some regular ones in line at a supermarket, and didn’t hesitate to buy them—within two days, that bag also met its fate.

To say that I’ve been obsessed with them lately might be a bit of an exaggeration, but they’ve been on my mind more than ever before.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I saw a bag of them inside Dollar Tree. They were going in my basket regardless, but then I noticed a couple of differences from regular sticks: they were honey roasted, like the fantastic “homemade” ones I got from the farmer’s market, and they are sesame “chips”, instead of sticks. I’ve never seen sesame chips before, but they’re pretty much exactly like you’re thinking they are: instead of being long, like sticks, they are smaller and more circular, like chips. There’s also the appearance of an exterior “glaze”, which is obviously the honey coating, that makes them even more appealing. The switch from “stick” to “chip” seems to be a pretty unnecessary change at first glance, but one that makes them slightly more versatile: these would be perfect on salads, in soups, or virtually anywhere else small circular food objects can be placed. Or, of course, they can also be eaten “raw”, directly out of the bag, which is how I tackled them.

I wasn’t sure how these would turn out, considering I did get them from Dollar Tree, but all it took was one taste to put my fears to rest: these are fantastic. They’re not quite as good as the honey roasted ones I got from the farmer’s market, but they aren’t far off, either: the sweetness isn’t overstated, instead allowing the salty sesame flavor to “lead”, before bringing up the rear with a touch of sugary goodness that still doesn’t overwhelm the savory aspects. This is definitely something that I’ll be using to fuel my sudden sesame stick addiction every time I’m in Dollar Tree.

Based on the clean, professional packaging (usually not a staple of dollar store products, especially foods), I’m lead to believe that this is probably a name brand item just being offered in a smaller, 2.75 oz. package. At any rate, I don’t care, because they are good, and the little bag goes a long way—I got about three servings out of these, finding myself nibbling on them occasionally at random points throughout the day. (I no doubt could have downed them much quicker, but was trying to practice the lost art of willpower.)

If you’re a fan of sesame sticks, these are virtually a must; even if you’re not, the sweetness really adds another level to the flavor profile, thus potentially making them appealing to non-fans of the traditional snack. Worth a look if you see them in your local Dollar Tree store.

Overall: 8.5/10. Based on the attractive, clean, professional packaging, this is probably just a smaller bag version of a national brand, but no matter where it comes from, this is a great-tasting product at a great price point. The sesame flavor initially comes through front and center, before being balanced out by a nice touch of sweetness that matches the savoriness, but never overtakes it. Despite the small size, there are a good amount of “chips” in the bag, while the smaller form factor potentially makes them slightly more versatile than normal sesame sticks (I could see these being added to salads and soups, among other things, to give a little extra crunch). Hopefully, DT will keep these around a while, because this is one of the better snacks offered by the discount retailer.