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07/01/2007: Summer Megaparty: Micro Magic French Fries!

It’s July! We still have a month of Megapartying to go! Let’s start with potatoes.

As a kid, any excuse to use that wonderful thing called a “microwave” was a good one, but even without the thrill of cooking my own food like a superstar, I still would’ve adored “Micro Magic” fries.


There was a whole line of Micro Magic microwaveable foods available in the ’80s, but the fries…there was nothing on the planet like those fries. They were kind of like the fries you’d get on the hot lunch line at school, assuming you took them home in a napkin, chilled them, and nuked them back to the appropriate level of hot, oily fun. After opening the boxes, you zapped ‘em right inside the package, which served the dual purpose of making the fries taste something like cardboard and making the cardboard smell something like fries. They were crude, disgusting and absolutely delicious.

I went on a little Internet hunt that took me to the poorly translated webpages of Japan, where the Micro Magic line has evidently lived on for all of these years. I’ve never had much of an interest in world travel, but for these fries, I think I’d do it. From what I could gather, they’re pretty common over there.

I really should credit the blog I found the picture above on, but I totally lost it. Had like fifteen tabs open in Firefox, all in Japanese, and I just got overwhelmed. Sorry, mystery blog. I owe you one.

What are some of the foods you wish you could eat one more time? Answer in the comments!


Posted by Matt. E-mail me!

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Discussion Thread: 261 comments

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Pure coïncidence, but first chance to be first!

Ghosted by Grashnar @ 07/01/2007 3:47 AM EDT


There is a diner – at least I hope it’s still there – in or near Melbourne, FL. I can’t recall the name, but it had a shark on the sign and the place was very blue. Anyway, this place had the whole ‘dive diner’ feel, but they had a mulit-paged menu divided into sections containing different types of food -American, Italian, etc. And this place was open 24/7. Now to the point: that place had anything we wanted at anytime and the food was always so amazing. I would kill to eat anything from that place again.

I also get cravings for snacks form the Rocky River Brewing Company near Cleveland, OH every now and then.

I know those aren’t “foods from my childhood”; I’ll work on those while I sleep ;)

Ghosted by Shuanfu @ 07/01/2007 4:19 AM EDT


Magic Middles, Sweet Spots, Pop Qwiz, Dinersaurs cereal, and Sir Chomps a Lot. I know Chef Boyardee still make stiny little raviolis, but they’re not the same without a crocodile on the label.

Ghosted by Mystie @ 07/01/2007 4:27 AM EDT


Oh and Giggles cookies. Of course.

Ghosted by Mystie @ 07/01/2007 4:33 AM EDT


Foods I could eat one more time? Wow – that’s a tough one. If I had to make a choice right now, I’d say either Crystal Clear Pepsi or Luigi Berry soda from Shasta.

Ghosted by Review the World @ 07/01/2007 4:34 AM EDT


more of a beverage: Surge. I loved that stuff back in the day

Ghosted by soundsurfer @ 07/01/2007 4:48 AM EDT


I wish Burger King still had Cini Minis. If the late 90’s had one thing to offer, it was those.

Ghosted by Boomstick @ 07/01/2007 5:34 AM EDT


The one thing that comes to mind is this kind of fruit snack from around 1991. I think they had horse-shaped(?) or other animal-shaped pieces, and I remember them being colored kind of like birthday cakes, white and pink and blue (each piece was multicolored). Maybe they were birthday cake-shaped? I remember really liking those things, and that I would sneak a package of them and eat them huddled in my closet when I was four. I don’t remember much in terms of flavor or consistency, but I guess they were sort of chewy or something. It’s a bit hard to describe. I guess it was sort of unique among fruit snacks. I wouldn’t mind trying some of those again. I can almost remember how they tasted!

Ghosted by Hoverbored @ 07/01/2007 5:48 AM EDT


Sorry, I have one more idea for the jukebox. How about “Spin That Wheel” from the original Ninja Turtles Movie Soundtrack? It just seems to strike me as a party song.

Ghosted by Hoverbored @ 07/01/2007 5:53 AM EDT


Curly fries from Burger King. They used to bring them out every few months but they haven’t in years where I live :-(

Ghosted by Dani @ 07/01/2007 6:01 AM EDT


Up until a couple of months ago I’d have said Frosted Krispies. I loved those as a kid. But I found them at Big Lots and decided to chance it because I’d been craving them for years and looking for them in vain up and down every cereal aisle. They were as good as I remember.

I would like to have this ice cream they used to make. It was soft serve in a papery cone thing, sort of like a bag you put frosting in to decorate a cake. I’d also like to find some Gatorade gum.

Ghosted by area geek @ 07/01/2007 6:14 AM EDT


Wendy’s bacon and cheese baked potato.
0re Ida makes microwaveable fries, but they’re nothing to write home about.
Hooray for another month of Megapartying :D

Ghosted by squee4242 @ 07/01/2007 6:25 AM EDT


Hershey’s Hulk green syrup. Oh, and this wickedly dyed red, white, and blue 4th of July caramel corn from a little place in a random junk mall (it has a Bible Superstore, enough said) that also turned my fecal matter bright green.

Ghosted by Mad Cow @ 07/01/2007 6:40 AM EDT


The Colossus burger from Jack in the Box. I used to love those things when I was about 10 years old, and everyone was awed by my ability to usually almost finish them (I think they were like 3 meat patties and 3 kinds of cheese with bacon or something ungodly bad for you like that.)
I remember the commercials used to feature a 50 foot tall bald guy stomping around a city while crying, “I’m SOOOO hungry!”

Ghosted by Talia @ 07/01/2007 6:51 AM EDT


Hey! I live in Britain where we still have these fries! Although they are called Mcain’s Micro Chips. They’ve been around for as long as i can remember and have the same carboardy greasy taste that you mention! Plus they also do a Mirco Pizza which acts like a sponge to soak up grease!

Ghosted by oldskoolrobot @ 07/01/2007 6:54 AM EDT


Christmas Crunch…I’ve now gone two Christmases without them. =(

Ghosted by Jeff Mack @ 07/01/2007 7:16 AM EDT


The old Trix, with the little sugary balls of original flavors.

Ghosted by Jessica Marie @ 07/01/2007 8:53 AM EDT


I have been lurking for a while, but first post. I truly miss ‘Almost home cookies’ maybe they were a figment of my imagination because I can’t find any mention of them anywhere. Every variety of them were delicious. I would totally fly to Japan if they had them there. Also, the original fingernail shaped ‘Fun Fruits’ fruit snacks…*drools*

Ghosted by itfemail @ 07/01/2007 8:59 AM EDT


I am in Australia so you probably not heard of many of these but here it goes.
Hubba-bubba Bubblegum juice- Bubble gum flavoured soda

Apple and Strawberry box juice

Summer of Pepsi strawberry flavour

Dr Pepper (came and went)

Mc Rib with shaker seasoning chips

Watermelon Jollyrancher

I will probably think of heaps later.

Ghosted by Greg N @ 07/01/2007 10:10 AM EDT


Corn Pops the popcorn flavoured cereal, do you still or ever get that in america. Soundlike something you would get but I have never heard it mentioned.

Ghosted by Greg N @ 07/01/2007 10:16 AM EDT


OH MY FUCKING GOD MICROMAGIC FRIES ARE IN JAPAN?!!??!?!?!?!?!?! Matt, you’re taking me to Japan with you, you have no idea how much I worship these fries and how many people I’d kill to have them again. Seriously, this whole damn state isn’t worth just one of those fries, so fucking good after you let them cool for 2 minutes.

I might have to stay away from this post.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 07/01/2007 10:22 AM EDT


You open the box, and then you reclose it but in a way that lets it vent, you microwave them for 2 minutes and then you let them cool for 2 minutes. You shake the box to loosen up the fries and then you season to taste.

I’d also put ketchup into the box and shake it again, making all the fries smothered in ketchup and eat them with a fork. I’m foaming at the mouth over here.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 07/01/2007 10:28 AM EDT


Keebler used to make a snack chip called Pizzerias or Pizzarias….some spelling of the word….

anyway they were like doritos sort of, but only pizza flavored….they had cheese, pepperoni, and supreme.

I’d kill for an opportunity to eat supreme again.

Ghosted by SerialPsychosis @ 07/01/2007 10:38 AM EDT


… and if you cut into a frozen fry, though they were crinkle cut, you could actually peal off a thick layer of potato and inside, I swear, there would be shoe string style cut french fry. You couldn’t tell this once they were cooked and I don’t know why it would be like this, perhaps it was part of the secret to them being microwavable but it sure enough was the case. I use to hold the box in the right hand and I’d eat them mostly after 3 AM while watching Nick at Night or TV Land. I remember eating all 3 boxes in the pack while watching an episode of My Three Sons where they go fishing.

Ghosted by dohopoki @ 07/01/2007 10:45 AM EDT


The cheap meat pies they sell at mall food courts in Australia. You just can’t get good meat pie in America, and all of the recipes I have found have so far failed to live up to the real thing. Meat pies in the UK are also very tasty, but they seem to include a lot more onion in the mix, and I’m not really a fan.

Ghosted by Jedoc @ 07/01/2007 10:52 AM EDT


those microwave bags of green popcorn. Hell, you’ve probably written about them, and they’ve probably already been mentioned 5 times in the comments, but i can’t remember their name so ignorance is bliss.

Ghosted by jdeuel @ 07/01/2007 11:06 AM EDT


i ate micro magic french fries every single day after school for years.. God, i miss them…

Ghosted by Andrew @ 07/01/2007 11:09 AM EDT


I’m told they still make these, but I haven’t seen them in a decade: they were like hollow koala cookies with chocolate inside. Fuckin’ delicious. Also, Dunkaroos, Squeez-Its, and PB Crisp, which were peanut butter-filled peanut shaped cookies made by Planters. Those didn’t last very long, but they were damn good. Had a great commercial, too.

Ghosted by RageTreb @ 07/01/2007 11:29 AM EDT


RangeTreb: Wow, I’d completely forgotten about PB Crisp. Those things were so ridiculously delicious.

So, Matt, what psychotic impulse led you to introduce a topic that would make us all crave unavailable foodstuffs? I was happy this morning, damn you!

Ghosted by Jedoc @ 07/01/2007 11:33 AM EDT


Bar None candybar by Hershey, Tootie Fruit fruit snack, Croonchy Stars cereal (the one with the Swedish Chef on the box), Magic Middles, Smurfs Cereal, McLean Deluxe (yes, i actually liked it), Sodalicious fruit snacks. and many more i cannot remember at the moment

Ghosted by phunqsauce @ 07/01/2007 11:34 AM EDT


Good question! I would say Bonkers candy. I found a giant barrel of them in a Charleston, SC candy store. That was ten years ago and I’m sure they had been there 10 years before that.

Fruit Corners Fruit Bars: This was a supreme over kill of fruit snacks. It was like eating the bark from the funfruit tree.

Five Alive: It has to be from the concentrated frozen can.

Freakies Cereal: They have 2 minutes of immortality in the movie ‘The Burbs.

ROTJ cookies: I have found memories of these. I’m sure they were no different than any other vanilla cookies but Jabbas and Lukes taste better.

Domino Pizza gum: It came in a box like pizza!

Strawberry Jello Pudding pops

Ghosted by Bill @ 07/01/2007 11:46 AM EDT


Greg NA country where there is no Dr. Pepper! Madness!!! You can get it in the states at any grocery/convenience/soda machine. Sounds like you need to take a trip, or order some off of the interweb! And I believe they still sell Corn Pops, maybe not. A popcorn flavored cereal… we have pops… Hmm, a quest is in order!

I want me some Dunkaroos and these teddy bear cookies, they were kind of like teddy grams except on one side there was frosting. I can’t remember if the frosting was only on one side or if two cookies were put together like an Oreo, all I can remember is that they were fuckin’ awesome!

Ghosted by Darth Poop @ 07/01/2007 12:13 PM EDT


Ecto Cool Hi-C
Nintendo Double Boxed Mario & Legend of Zelda Cereal (even if they both tasted terrible)
Vanilla Pepsi

Everything else I eat or drink is still readily available… Especially those awesome microwavable/oven bakeable taquitos. Mmmmm…

Ghosted by Ben @ 07/01/2007 12:14 PM EDT


so wait a minute, Matt- are micro magic fries still available over in japan? can you order them?!!? i’m sure it would cost an arm and a leg though…

Ghosted by Chris @ 07/01/2007 12:15 PM EDT


Sorry to double post, but as soon as I hit post I remembered an old restaurant in town called the Potato Patch. Or Shack. There’s another completely different place that serves baked potatoes, but that isn’t this one. The one thing that made this place awesome (other than when I had my birthday party there a decade ago I got a PlayStation) was that there was a guy there that would throw dinner rolls at you. Think about it and realize how awesome it was. :D

Ghosted by Ben @ 07/01/2007 12:16 PM EDT


Jello pudding pops, specifically the banana chocolate swirls.

Hostess Teenage Ninja Turtle green ooze pudding pie…delicious

Ghosted by Mad Adam @ 07/01/2007 12:19 PM EDT


Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles Magic Middles I know somebody already mentioned them, but not a week goes by that I don’t pine away for them. Every time I go ot Pick and Save, I check for them, despite knowing how futile it is. My kingdom for one Magic Middle or even three Mini Middles.

Ghosted by Cambot @ 07/01/2007 12:21 PM EDT


I would love taste apple Slice again. Nothin says awesome like carbonated apple juice. C3P-O cereal and fruit snacks “fruit bars” are a close second

Ghosted by Q @ 07/01/2007 12:21 PM EDT


And my wife misses orange Tidal Wave gum.

Ghosted by Cambot @ 07/01/2007 12:23 PM EDT


Waffle-Os cereal

Ghosted by retina54 @ 07/01/2007 12:24 PM EDT


yeah, i could definitely go for some magic middles right now………….

Ghosted by Andrew @ 07/01/2007 12:32 PM EDT


I cannot believe that you brought those fries up. Unbelievable. I was ADDICTED to those as a kid and ever since have been on a quest to find the same tasting french fry. I succeeded. There is currently a line of microwavable fries made by Ore-Ida…they have “Extra Crispy Easy Fries.” These are pretty much the same greasy, best when overly salted microwaveable fries that we loved as a kid. Around 4 minutes in the microwave…awesome. Try them.

Ghosted by EtHM @ 07/01/2007 12:33 PM EDT


:) someone mentioned Apple Slice! I can die a happy man now!

Ghosted by phunqsauce @ 07/01/2007 12:45 PM EDT


In my quest to try and find that blog entry for Matt, I ran into the homepage of the Japanese manufacturer of Micro Magic:
http://www.otsukafoods.co.jp/product/micromagic/index.html
It’s all in Japanese, of course, but pretty easy to see. The first item is a black sesame seed-covered sweet potato fry. The next is our good old regular french fry. Next is Micro Magic edamame (boiled, salted soybean). After that are versions of the french fry and edamame that have containers you can eat out of, ostensibly to walk around and eat out of. However, in Japan, it’s rude to eat while walking, so I’m not sure why they make those. It looks like they have a pretty limited line up of these things over there. And, they’re gonna set you back between $1.25 and $1.50, roughly, kinda steep for a small box of fries…

Ghosted by terekkincaid @ 07/01/2007 12:54 PM EDT


And here’s the Micro Magic regular website, complete with crazy flash games:
http://micromagic.jp/

Ghosted by terekkincaid @ 07/01/2007 12:57 PM EDT


Oh My God, Micro Magic.

My sisters and I used to eat those after school all the time. I had completely forgotten about them.

I remember there was another type of microwavable french fry that was a step up from Micro Magic, because it was a lot saltier and thinner and thus tasted like McDonalds french fries.

Usually, though, Micro Magic was what we had in the freezer.

As far as foods I want to taste again, I could really go for some of the Chicken Strips they have at Disney World right now.

Ghosted by Nick @ 07/01/2007 1:03 PM EDT


i say we start a petition to bring Micro Magic back.

i wrote Ore-Ida a letter awhile ago and they sent me a couple coupons for their new microwavable french fries.

eh, i kinda think they suck..

Ghosted by Andrew @ 07/01/2007 1:07 PM EDT


I don’t know if I remember these specific fries, but I’ve had many different variations throughout my life. All pretty gross/delicious. :)

The one food I wish I could eat again: Carnation Breakfast Bars, hands down. If they started making them again, it could possibly be the achilles heel of my veganism… Probably a good thing they don’t make them. :D

Ghosted by Ryane @ 07/01/2007 1:14 PM EDT


Wendy’s Daves Deluxe
Hardees fried chicken
McD’s McClub-I think I’m the only one on that had one on this planet.

It’s Pasta Anytime- Microwavable pasta that tastes like italian.

PB&J cookies

Starburst fruit twists- I usually hate licorice, but these were awesome.

Lays “The Works” potato chips- Best potato chip ever.

Ghosted by JLAJRC @ 07/01/2007 1:16 PM EDT


I don’t remember the the name but does anyone remember the hot dogs that had the chili already in the middle of the link? This was in the early 80s (maybe 1982, 83?) I loved those things! Can anyone tell me the name of those?

Ghosted by Bundtcake @ 07/01/2007 1:18 PM EDT


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