Jospeh Cervantes, 28, acquired the Exotii Snaxxs storefront near Blackstone and Bullard avenues. Instagram photo

Ever heard of taco-flavored Doritos? How about KFC Chicken Ruffles chips, White Peach Coca-Cola or Oreo Tiramisu wafers?

While you won’t find these items at your local Walmart, Target or grocery store, Valley residents can have the opportunity to sample these lesser-known flavors and more at Exotii Snaxxs in Fresno.

Exotic chips are having a moment in popular culture, with bags of Spicy Sour Doritos from Israel and Chinese Chicken Cheetos from China featured in rap videos reflecting the Bay Area hip-hop scene’s love for hard-to-find snacks. The trend has come to the Central Valley. Snack Culture, an exotic snack shop, had its grand opening in Hanford in December.

Located at 6125 N. Blackstone Ave. north of Bullard Avenue, Exotii Snaxxs opened last fall and exclusively sells imported snack foods from many of the brands Americans have known for years, from Fanta to Lays, Kit-Kat and more.

“They’re tough to find, but they’re out there,” said owner Joseph Cervantes.

 

Cervantes, 28, acquired ownership of the store in early April. Cervantes also co-owns local printing, embroidery and graphic design company All Pro Customs.

He said all of his product is shipped from overseas vendors who receive their goods from wholesalers. The vendors also update him on new products, allowing him to spice things up with a variety of products hitting the shelves.

Due to the cost of overseas shipping, retail prices are higher than what should be expected from “generic” domestic flavors — think bottles of Fanta Clear Peach for $10 and Lays Grilled Salmon Cream Cheese chips for
$8.00, according to the Exotii Snaxxs website — but Cervantes said the experience is well worth the extra cost.

 

“You can’t get them here in the U.S.,” he said. “They are foreign products and everybody wants to try something new.”

Customers can shop both in-store and online, with Exotii Snaxxs shipping both locally and nationwide.

In addition to picking out different flavors, customers can also create their own intrigue with $50-, $75- and $100-mystery boxes, each with $10 – $25 worth of bonus snacks thrown in free. Specific product requests cannot be made for mystery boxes, but customers may note any allergies to let the staff know what items to leave out.

 

Mystery boxes contain anything from candy to cookies, drinks, chips, cereals and more.

With different flavors hitting the shelves weekly, Exotii Snaxxs and Cervantes are ready to bring a different experience to the palates of Valley residents.

“We snack different,” Cervantes said. “That’s our slogan.”