When it comes to quick appetizers for a crowd, we're big fans of the classic cheese, deli meat, and cracker combo. With a choice or two of each, everyone is happy! We normally go for fairly basic crackers and concentrate on the toppings instead, but this box of new-to-us Triscuit crackers called out to us from the shelf.
Wow. These crackers pack a powerful punch. The black pepper flavor is super intense - like tongue-numbing and sneeze-inducing intense! This is paired with some garlic and onion seasoning and a hefty dose of salt. There's also a rich mellowness underneath all that black pepper, which we suspect is where the olive oil comes into play.
These crackers were way too much for us on their own, but they worked surprisingly well with food given their intensity. A bit of salami and a wedge of soft cheese piled on top did a lot to temper down all that black pepper. The overall effect was tasty, zingy, and balanced.
We love this cracker's powerful character, but we can see that it might not be for everyone. We'll probably pick up a second box of a milder cracker so guests can have the choice.
Does this cracker appeal to you?
Related: How to Assemble a Cheese Board Appetizer
(Images: Emma Christensen)
Elizabeth Apron fro...

I bought these a few weeks ago and they have largely sat on the shelf. The flavor of the cracker is so strong that I have no desire to eat them. I had a few with cream cheese and tomato on top, which did make them palatable, but still not particularly tasty. I'd skip them.
These are banned from my house, because they're so addictive. Same with Salt & Pepper Kettle Chips. Too yummy!
Perhaps it's a spice-tolerance thing: I love these, and have even been known to eat them with peppered salami. I think they go really well with mild cheese, like Trader Joe's goat brie.
I'm with heather77 - I can't buy them because they're gone in a day. Then again, my favorite popcorn toppings are evoo, parmesan, and cracked pepper.
They don't sell these in Japan, but my husband brought back a box from the U.S. when he went home from a visit and I thought they were fabulous.
If you find the cracked pepper ones are too much for you, try the rosemary and olive oil flavour. So good! But be warned, they are also incredibly addictive!
I love these with a sharp cheddar.
I have these at my desk for work as a snack. The Cracked pepper and Olive Oil are my favorites and won't even consider buying any other flavor.
I've got the tomato and olive oil flavor. These new triscuit flavors are all very very good.
I love plain Triscuits, but have shied away from the flavored varieties because they have way too much of the seasoning coating on them. I'm willing to try these if they've calmed down on the amount of flavoring they add to them.
My problem with these is that I can never manage to keep them in the house for long -- They're SO YUMMY!
I am going to buy a box of these soon...I've never tasted them!
I love Triscuits, just about any cracker really, and since I don't trust myself around them, just don't bring them into the house unless we are hosting a party.
They sound addictive! No trans-fats, I'm assuming?
All of the flavored Triscuits are addictive. I eat them with tomato and a bit of mozzarella; oh so good!!
You MUST try the Deli-Style Rye Triscuits. They are now my favorite flavor. Trumps the cracked pepper (no offense) without any heavy seasoning.
Check the label, some of the flavors have MSG in them. The Rosemary ones, for example. Tasty, tasty cancer..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/msg-is-this-silent-killer_b_491502.html
The parmesan and garlic ones are my favourite! But I must avoid buying them at all costs if I expect to fit into anything that doesn't have stretch the next day... bah. soooo tasty...
I like the Back To Nature wheat-crackers - which are basically Triscuits but worlds better (better tasting and better for your health). But I also can't have them around too much because if I do, I replace at least one meal a day with cheese and crackers.
I love these crackers. It is one of the few things my husband and I can agree on, food-wise. The best thing about them is that they are soooo strong they almost cannot be eaten alone, so I am unlikely to get them out and snack on them.
On the weekends though, when we're outside and no one feels like a "lunchy" lunch, we get a few different cheeses - an asiago with rosemary, an irish aged white cheddar, and something soft and sweet - and eat these on a family-sized plate with fruit.
I have had them in the past, and really enjoy them! Unfortunately I can't be trusted with crackers in the house, so only when I have people over!