Funky Food Friday: Planters Cheez Balls

Who didn't love Planters Cheez Balls? (The "z" reminds us these were about as close to real cheese as Funyuns are to real onions.)

They had just the right amount of powdery cheese coating and were an awesome shape, perfect for whipping at kids in the cafeteria when teachers weren't looking.

Best of all, though, was the container. Remember? They came, for some reason, in a big fat can, almost like a paint can. (The commercial below displays both regular size and the massively huge family size.)

They vanished, returned briefly in a similar form as Planters Cheez Mania, and were seen in that form as recently as 2008 or 2009, mostly in Blockbuster video stores. Now, however, even those seem to be gone. A moment of silence, please, for this divine and dead snack food.