After looking at the front of the bag, and seeing the company and product name (Majans, and Bhuja, respectively), I naturally thought this was a food item from India. However, the back of the bag held a surprise--Majans Bhuja snacks are made in Australia. I selected three kinds--the crunchy seasoned peas, the original mix, and the cracker mix.
As far as I can tell, bhuja snacks appear to be a general type of food in India, roughly akin to the American trail mix. This snack dates back to 1970, and the town of Kantabanji in the state of Odisha. While there is some variety, the usual mix includes dried noodles, dried peas, nuts, and crackers. Other common ingredients are potato, padi, onion, and corn chips. Bhuja also is sometimes referred to by the name of muurra. The snack is also consumed in British Commonwealth countries, which helps to explain why they're made and marketed in Australia.
The Majans company started back in 1960, in the town of Ba on the island nation of Fiji. Originally Majans sold spices and candy from carts. By 1980 the company grew large enough to require a large factory, and in 1984 Majans moved to Australia. Bhuja snacks were developed in 1987, and by 2008 they were exported to the U.S. The company is based in Brisbane, which by coincidence is one of the Australian communities I've visited, along with Sydney and Alice Springs. On their website Majans boasts about the alleged healthiness of their products. They don't use GMO ingredients, nor MSG. Some of their wares are gluten-free, and some are suitable for vegetarians or even vegans. They also have a low glycemic index, which is purported to be healthier from a blood sugar standpoint. While the Bhujas are their flagship brand, others include Smart Snacks, Grain Bites, and Cheese Snacks. Alternative flavors of Bhuja are their nut mix, noodle mix with cashews, ancient grain twists, beer mix, and trail mix. Their products are enjoyed in Australia, of course, and also New Zealand and the Americas.
1) Majans Bhuja cracker mix. Ingredients include noodles, rice crackers, sugar, tapioca, seaweed, chili, peas, peanuts, chick peas, sultanas (a type of raisin) sunflower/canola oils, and spices. This consisted of yellow noodle rods, square rice crackers, brown twisted crackers, peas, and raisins. I found these to be a bit bland. Not bad, just kind of "meh."
2) Majans Bhuja original mix. Similar to the cracker mix, except there were bigger chips (crisps), and peanuts, to go along with the noodles, peas, and raisins. These were a bit better than the cracker mix--a decent trail-mix type snack. I would have preferred a stronger spice bite, though.
3) Majans Bhuja crunchy seasoned peas. As the name suggests, this was just peas, and no crackers or noodles or anything. These were my favorite of the trio. Solid. Again, if they were a little spicier that would have turned them from good to possibly great.
So, as you can see, I thought the Majans Bhuja snacks were pretty good. Not great, but okay. A tad tame on the spice, though. (My father had the opposite opinion--he thought if they'd been spicier he wouldn't have liked them, so it just goes to show how subjective appreciation of spice levels is.) I would consider buying the crunchy peas and the original mix again, and would try the other Bhuja flavors, or Majans brands, if I get the chance (presumably the next time I'm in Vermont, near a Shaws grocery).
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