One of the rising stars of U.S. supermarket aisles, particularly for the health conscious, is quinoa. If you browse the health food racks, you’ve certainly seen an increase in products that tout their quinoa content.  

Why would Ed Hardy make mints? Because these mints — King Dog Energy Mints — have a little extra party juice in them. They are “intensely caffeinated”; five mints equal (according to the packaging) a cup of coffee. (Having tried them, I can attest to those numbers.)  

According to an AP report, for the first time in Lay’s history, the corporation is allowing “fans” the opportunity to choose its next chip flavor.   

Here’s the big secret, for those who haven’t tasted “Greek yogurt” — while some claim it’s creamier (maybe, barely), less sweet and more sour, it really tastes practically exactly the same as regular supermarket yogurt.  

Besides just out in the community, you can now see signs of the Latino growth in neighborhood supermarkets. Two decades ago, to find authentic Mexican and Latin American ingredients and other food products not made by Taco Bell in Greater Cincinnati, you had to really search.  

I’ve always had some sense of “beef jerky” over my lifetime. It’s always been in gas stations and convenient stores. And I’m certain I’ve eaten jerky before. Not en masse, but a bit. And not on a dare, even.   

To compare the experiences and products, I paid a visit to my neighborhood’s low-budget shopping trifecta — Save-a-Lot, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree — on a recent weeknight.   

Here we sit at the breakfast table, in the year 20-freakin’-12, and we can’t get a special edition of Cap’n Crunch’s Halloween Crunch that actually turns the milk glow-in-the-dark green!  

In the 1880s, George Renninger created one of the most known pieces of Halloween candy ever invented, one that has endured over a century — candy corn. Considering it’s also one of the most maligned candy treats ever invented, how has it remained a fixture of autumn so long?   

“Lost in the Supermarket” has been on hiatus for a few months. For the column, I mostly play the “food rube,” searching the aisles of average neighborhood grocery stores for “everyday” items that strike me (and maybe you) as “weird” or “gross.” I investigate the food item and taste it so you don’t have to.