Sometimes Foodie: Triple Snaps

Ginger Snaps, both the movie and the cookie, are underrated.
If you've never seen the movies, they're a female-lead, body-horror, werewolf trilogy from the early 2000's. If that sentence alone doesn't excite you, here is a very brief synopsis: Ginger and Bridgette are teenage sisters who have a morbid sensibility, making them social outcasts at school, but they don't really care because they have each other. One night, while out, Ginger experiences her first period, a milestone she has been dreading, and the blood attracts a werewolf. Though Ginger survives, Bridgette notices her sister behaves a bit differently after the attack, is it just puberty? Or something more sinister?
I've seen all three, but the first one is the strongest in the series. (Although 2 isn't that bad.)
As for the cookies, they're a classic that has been around for ages, but, with more popular (and heavily advertised) competition like: Oreo, Chips Ahoy, Keebler, and Pepperidge Farms...Ginger Snaps are going to be the last one picked for the kickball team. They have staying power because they're a classic, they're well executed, and there's no one else out there quite like them. In fact, we even get seasonal variations now!

I decided to pick them up and give them a try to see if the old-school Snap is still my favorite, or if one of these variants can steal my heart away. Will it be like the movies where the OG is the best of the bunch? We shall see.
Ginger Snaps: the original. A dark brown cookie, each one nearly identical in size and thickness, fully intact despite being loose, together, in a sack-like bag, with a delightfully spicy aroma. I can smell ginger (of course), but also cloves, and molasses. I freaking love molasses, it is also highly underrated.

I take a bite, the cookie gives it's iconic snap, and along with the crumbly, crunchy texture, you get a spicy blend of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon. It is so spiced that it's actually spicy! I never noticed it before, but one of the very last ingredients is chili powder and red pepper! Which makes complete sense. My last post I mentioned my love of things sweet and salty, but sweet and spicy is also a favorite of mine. (RIP Sweet n Spicy Skittles.) These are sweet, crunchy, spicy, and perfect. I love it. 10/10 and they're addicting. I already ate at least 6 just writing this review. I need to take these away. They're so crispy and crunchy I could easily destroy the entire bag in one sitting, like potato chips!
Let's what what you've got, Apple Pie.
Similar is size, but lighter in color. These smell completely different, they're bright, and very apple-forward. Like apple cinnamon flavored oatmeal. Very crisp and refreshing, like the apple-scented brooms I buy in the fall for my downstairs bathroom, but in a good way.

As I took a bite I noted that these actually lacked a "bite." These are very sweet, and fruity, and mild. There's a healthy amount of cinnamon there, but for the most part these are all about apple. And impressively it's a highly realistic apple, like dried apple chips. (Am I alone in greatly preferring apple chips to actual apples?)
These are good, especially if you like apple, and I bet these would be a hit with children, but I miss the spiciness of the OG cookie. I already had 4 of these, so safe to say, I like them and they're just as light and snackable, but they're less complex in overall flavor. 8/10
Lastly, Pumpkin Pie, the "Ginger Snaps Back," of the cookie trilogy.

Pumpkin pie is the same size and texture as the others, lighter than the OG cookie, but no where near as beige as the apple pie version.
Taking a bite, it's another milder cookie, there are spices present, but nothing spicy. You have a sweet, earthy flavor, definitely reminiscent of pumpkin but it's also like oatmeal, mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg. It's spicier than apple, which I like, but less sweet. The spice blend and pumpkin aspect are present, but weak enough that you could probably tell snackers these were normal ginger snaps and they would be like, "yup, that checks out." But to seasoned spiced cookie lovers like myself, these are like the mild sauce packet. It's good, and different, but I still miss the OG. Another 8/10 for me.
At the end of my journey, the original still has my heart. <3 It's so spicy, and crunchy, and addicting. There is a reason it sticks around, and I think more people should seek it out. Especially during the holiday season. (I'd take this over chocolate peppermint any day!)

HEADS UP: I started writing this post last weekend, and then that Sunday night I tested positive for COVID. As of Tuesday I lost my sense of taste and smell...so posts are going to be interesting for a little while...