About Ephemeral Noms

I've always loved junk food since I was a kid, and that especially includes soda and other soft drinks.  One of my favorite things about processed food products is that brands will often issue experimental or limited time flavors and variations.  I always enjoyed finding these variations and coveted their exclusivity.  Beyond that, I also appreciate the audacity and lack of orthodoxy that companies sometimes have for products that they know only have limited production.

It's to the point where I have a keen eye for product package variations while passing through stores.  Not only am I able to pick out special products innately, but my friends and family have learned to send me pictures and samples of such products when they find them.

It is for these reasons that I started this website.  I shall document all notable ephemeral variations of food products.  The products include but are not limited to candy, cookies, crackers, beverages, and snack chips.  The nature of their variations will generally include but are not limited to special editions, limited time offerings, trial versions, regional variations, or simply rare or hard-to-find varieties.

Not only will I give you pictures, impressions, and any useful information of each product, but I will rate how good it is (along with its original version for comparison) on the NOM scale.  What's the NOM scale?  It runs from 0 to 5, with each level representing a verbal descriptor:

0 NOMS - Unpleasant: Generally bad-tasting or unsettling.  Not worth eating, and perhaps only worth buying for novelty.

1 NOM - Passable: Not disgusting but not quite recommended for consumption.  Either the flavor is strange or bland, or perhaps the brand was on the right track but misstepped.

2 NOMS - Good: Tasty enough to warrant at least equal consideration among its competitors.  Recommended to purchase and consume in order to try it at the very least.

3 NOMS - Great: Well above average and an example of a product well done.  Tasty and special enough to warrant multiple if not regular purchases.

4 NOMS - Outstanding: Worthy of stocking up on.  A product that you'll remember for years.  So tasty that it stands alone and is hard to compare to any peer products.

5 NOMS - Paragon: A singular product that is an example to the industry, and a tragedy if it's not made permanent.  I don't think plan on giving this rating very much.

If you ever find that my opinions are crappy or that I've given insufficient information about something in any post, feel free to call me out in a post's comments!  I'm also interested in your opinions.