Yummy!

The words organic and candy don't often go together, and even less frequently do they catch your eye - in a good way, that is. If you haven't yet noticed the jolly striped bags of Yummy Earth candy drops ($2.49 to $2.69 for 3.3 ounces) you will. Forgive the goofy names on these individually wrapped candies: wet-face watermelon, pomegranate pucker, cheeky lemon, and mango tango. Lovers of strong mints may prefer sacks of wild peppermint. All flavors and colors are naturally made; the fruit extracts are real too. Nothing goofy about that. Available at Debra's Natural Gourmet, 98 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, 978-371-7573; and some Whole Foods Markets. - EMILY SCHWAB

On the stretch of Mass. Ave. around the Berklee College of Music, clusters of nondescript takeout joints beckon students with low prices and quick service. Flavor is often beside the point. Bhindi Bazaar is an exception. Many of the regional Indian dishes have full, complex flavors from the range of spices used to create items like lamb balti ($13). Balti is a dish from Northern India, explains manager Sanjay Singh, which can be made with chicken, lamb, or vegetables. Baltis are traditionally cooked in iron pots. At Bhindi, the chef uses a copper pot and flavors the ground lamb kebabs with a mixture of spices, including mustard seeds and coriander, then simmers the meat in a sweet-sour-spicy sauce. More flavor than you'll find on the whole block. Bhindi Bazaar Indian Cafe, 95 Massachusetts Ave., 617-450-0660, bhindi bazaar.com. - LEIGH BELANGER

Like activists for centuries before her, Ruth Shamai is crafty. The president of Ruth's Hemp Foods Inc. wears her cause on her sleeve, and her "red, white & blueberry" snack bars -with hemp seeds instead of granola - wear her cause on their wrappers: "I Want You to Vote Hemp," says a scowling Uncle Sam, pointing out from the label of each bar ($2.50). Appropriately, profits from sales go directly to Vote Hemp, an advocacy group in Washington that promotes the legalization of farming industrial hemp low in the psychoactive chemical THC in the United States. Hemp plants belong to the genus cannabis; according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, the growth of hemp in America is illegal. Meanwhile, Ruth's will churn out the sticky, sweet, lightly crunchy snacks from the company's post in hemp-friendly Toronto. Available at The Hempest, 207 Newbury St., 617-421-9944, and 36 JFK St., Cambridge, 617-868-4367, or go to ruthshempfoods.com. - DANIELLE CAPALBO

Like Spanish-inspired tapas, Indian tapas at Diva Indian Bistro in Davis Square are small and cheap and best consumed in multiples of three. They're an interesting mix of Indian flavors and foods from around the globe. Mozzarella and green chili naan ($4) is unusual and mildly spicy and delicious with even more chili. Crab cakes ($8) are filled with heaps of real crab, but not bread crumbs or potatoes. Crack the crisp outside and cool the steamy crab with a swipe of the sweet tamarind and date chutney. Spicy tandoori mushrooms with yogurt ($7) are grilled whole on their skewer. Tapas are served in the bistro's Bubble Lounge, where, on a game night, the Red Sox on the flat screen are reflected in the light fixtures that cover the walls. Something else to add to the mix. Diva Indian Bistro, 246 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville, 617-629-4963, divabistro.com. - DARRY MADDEN