Movie Theater Snacks from Around the World

At first glance, these brown crispy flakes look like bacon strips. However, they're actually bags of sardine (iwashi) rice crackers (senbei). To capture the notorious sweet-savory umami flavor of Japanese cuisine, the mini-fish (including their mini-skeletons) are baked in sugar and soy sauce and usually sold prepackaged.

In Korea, prepackaged cuttlefish (similar to squid but with a meaty texture and briny-sweet flavor) is served dried and shredded. But the delicacy is not served in place of popcorn — it's served with it, as the two snacks' opposing textures (chewy and crunchy) go well together.

Served to patrons who pay extra to sit in V.I.P. seats of local movie theaters is this expensive black roe — Moscow's love of luxury never so apparent.

For Bollywood fans, Indian fare like samosas (potato-stuffed pastries), chaat (fried dough with potato, bread, or chickpeas and tangy spices with yogurt garnish), and vada (a deep-fried savory item made of lentil, gram flour, or potato) are the movie snacks of choice. Psst: You can also get them at cinemas in the U.S., like Columbia Park Stadium 12 in North Bergen, New Jersey.

Commonly sold by restaurants, street vendors, and theaters, fish cakes — made from salted fish (think cod), flour, baking powder, and herbs (thyme, parsley, and marjoram) — are a hit. They don't taste too salty, are typically served with some type of hot sauce, and are washed down with Banks beer, a local brew.

This fermented beer-like beverage is made by pouring hot water over cubes of stale black or rye bread, fermenting it in a wooden tub, and seasoning with mint. One Lithuanian tells MSNBC, "We used to buy it outside the cinema from a lady dressed in a white doctor's coat, serving it from a large rusting cylinder drum with a little tap at the side."

During the dry summer season between May and June, open-air movie theaters unlock their doors all around Greece. Moviegoers can snack on typical theater treats like soda and nachos, but some venues also serve an array of authentic Greek fare, like souvlaki (skewered meat and veggies).

Most theaters in the United Kingdom (along with many parts of Asia) serve sugared popcorn, which is popped in a standard kettle and sprinkled with the sweet stuff in lieu of salt. Not to everyone's liking, though, so salted and buttered popcorn is usually available, too.

We're not sure which is better: The drive-in theater for snowmobiles or the highly nutritious, lowfat reindeer meat served there. Located in Kautokeino, Norway (450 km north of the Arctic Circle), the theater is entirely made of snow, including the screen.

In Madrid, Spain, at least before local batallion laws changed, a red wine and cola cocktail was the street refreshment of choice — especially for kids, who we've heard like to smuggle it in to theaters. Sprite or Limonada Fresca can be substituted for cola, too!