OG vs Dupes: Iconic Snacks and Their Lookalike Rivals, Tested Side by Side

Introduction

Some snacks are so iconic that they eventually attract lookalike rivals: near-identical packaging, a familiar flavor promise, and usually a friendlier price. We put a lineup of originals against their inspired-by competitors to find out which ones hold up, which dupes genuinely compete, and which ones fall apart at first bite. As with any taste test, preferences are personal, but the patterns below should help you decide where to spend and where to save.

Round 1: Jam Biscuits

Britannia Jim Jam is the childhood favorite here: a round biscuit with jam and a cream layer in the middle, a design the dupe copies almost exactly on the packaging and on the biscuit itself. The original’s biscuits have shrunk in size over the years, but the flavor still delivers the same nostalgic vibe, with a biscuit-to-jam-to-cream ratio that works well.

The Palé Fab Jam-in copies the design closely, including the jam with sugar in the center and the cream layer, though inside the pack the biscuit design differs slightly with extra flavoring and essence. The first bite feels a bit softer and creamier, but the jam comes across as noticeably sweeter and the biscuit itself is very thin. Combined with a higher price than the original, it is a tough call to recommend over Jim Jam.

The Hazelnut Chocolate Round

Ferrero Rocher needs no introduction: the golden-brown wrapping, the layered hazelnut chocolate, and the little paper cup underneath are all part of an iconic experience that many remember as a childhood dream come true. The dupe in this round copies the same color scheme and even the heart-shaped box style with the golden side tape, but it cuts costs in visible ways: the paper cup is gone, the shapes are inconsistent, and the chocolate coating looks uneven.

Worse, the dupe replaces the hazelnut filling with puffed rice, and in our sample the center shell turned out to be empty. The chocolate itself had a disappointing, off-putting taste. The dupe is considerably cheaper, but this is one category where the original’s quality gap is hard to argue with.

Instant Noodles Round

Maggi Masala Noodles is the original here, and its dupe, Snac Tac Attack Hunger Masala Noodles, is remarkably close. Tasted side by side, the two are near carbon copies in base flavor, which makes them genuinely hard to tell apart.

The surprise is that the dupe leans harder into the masala: it is more flavorful and spicier than the original, in the way Indian dupes often amp up either spice or sweetness. If you love Maggi but want a bit more punch, the dupe is a legitimately tasty alternative. For loyalists, though, the original remains the comfort classic.

Choco Pie Face-Off

Orion Choco Pie is supposed to be the original, while Lotte Choco Pie is the dupe, and the two look so similar that many people never realize two versions exist. Both are fully vegetarian, the packaging is clearly similar, and the price is essentially the same.

Blind-tasted, the difference is tiny: the Lotte version runs a touch sweeter, likely an extra-sweet adjustment for the Indian market. On looks, Orion has the cleaner chocolate coating. With near-identical taste and price, either choice works, so you can simply pick whichever is easier to find near you.

Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Parle Hide & Seek has long carried a premium-feeling purple pack, and the Britannia Tiger Crunch Choco Chips dupe goes for a similar but slightly cheaper-looking purple. Both are square chocolate biscuits with chocolate chips and stripes, so the similarities run deep.

In the pack, Hide & Seek looks better: more chocolate chips per biscuit and a richer, deeper chocolatey taste. Tiger Crunch’s stripes are fainter, the biscuits are smaller, and the chocolate flavor is noticeably milder, almost plain. Given that the dupe is the cheaper option, it is not bad, but Hide & Seek is clearly the stronger biscuit if you want maximum chocolate intensity.

The Cola Round

Coca-Cola Original Taste and Campa Cola Great Indian Taste are almost namesakes, and both are dark aerated colas, so expectations of similarity are high. Price-wise, Coca-Cola is the more expensive of the two.

Blind-tasted, the difference is subtle but real: Campa Cola is fizzier and comes across slightly more intense, while Coca-Cola tastes more restrained and muted. Interestingly, Campa Cola edged ahead in preference here, making it a genuinely convincing budget alternative rather than a compromise.

Choco Lava Cake Showdown

Domino’s effectively popularized the choco lava cake in India, so it counts as the original here, with Chicago Pizza following with its own version on the menu. The Chicago Pizza cake is slightly bigger, but the sprinkles on top feel unnecessary and get in the way, and the lava quantity is a little lower, though it does look nicely thick and decadent.

Domino’s version is generous with the molten chocolate lava, and the taste is nicely balanced, although it can read as a bit extra sweet and the cocoa powder leaves a slightly artificial aftertaste. Overall, the original still stands out, and the Chicago Pizza take is merely okay by comparison.

Conclusion

The takeaway from this lineup is that dupes are not a monolith. The masala noodle dupe and Campa Cola genuinely compete, even beating the originals in flavor intensity, while the choco pies are so similar that either will do. On the other hand, the hazelnut chocolate dupe shows how badly a copy can go wrong, and in biscuits and lava cakes, the originals still justify themselves. Match your choice to what matters most: price, nostalgia, or flavor intensity.