Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Product Review: Arico Natural Foods Cassava Chips and Cookies
Arico Natural Foods sent an assortment of product for the crew (my wife, me, and whatever particular set of kids marching through the house at any give time) to test. The company apparently focuses on gluten- and casein-free snacks. They present the cassava chips as a lower-fat and higher-fiber alternative to potato chips. (Stressing gluten-free when potatoes don't have gluten doesn't get you far.) The chips, made out of the starchy roots of a South American plant, were pretty good. The taste was a bit different from potato chips in a way that I find difficult to describe - lighter, maybe - but was nevertheless pleasant. Everyone else seemed to like the chips as well.
On the cookie front, we were far more divided. The kids loved the chocolate chunk and triple berry, my wife liked them, and I found them on the dry and mealy side, though if you can't tolerate gluten, they are good to know about. However, they are far from cheap, at least if you are buying online. You buy by the case of six family packs, and each pack, in a reclosable pouch, weighs 4.8 ounces; the price is $29.94, and then you pay $5.95 on top of that for shipping. Even without the shipping, it's $16.63 per pound of cookie. Similarly, the chips are a case of one dozen 5 ounce bags for $41.88. Ouch. So I'd suggest holding off on trying the products unless you can find them in a store, and even then you might find them an over-priced novelty, unless you have to avoid casein and gluten, in which case you probably have limited choices.
On the cookie front, we were far more divided. The kids loved the chocolate chunk and triple berry, my wife liked them, and I found them on the dry and mealy side, though if you can't tolerate gluten, they are good to know about. However, they are far from cheap, at least if you are buying online. You buy by the case of six family packs, and each pack, in a reclosable pouch, weighs 4.8 ounces; the price is $29.94, and then you pay $5.95 on top of that for shipping. Even without the shipping, it's $16.63 per pound of cookie. Similarly, the chips are a case of one dozen 5 ounce bags for $41.88. Ouch. So I'd suggest holding off on trying the products unless you can find them in a store, and even then you might find them an over-priced novelty, unless you have to avoid casein and gluten, in which case you probably have limited choices.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Review: FoodShouldTasteGood Chips
This is a case where the name pretty much says what you need to know. We first had some of these chips at some neighbors and quickly became ... well, hooked is probably too strong. But we did start buying them. They are crisp tortilla with good body for dipping and great taste. I've had the multigrain and olive versions. The latter has strong olive flavor in a round tortilla chip. The multigrain are also tortilla chips, but hexagons also made with brown rice flour, flax seeds, oat fiber, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and soy flour. There are also jalapeno and chocolate varieties.
The company name is the same as the chips: FoodShouldTasteGood. You can buy them online, but check your local merchants before paying for shipping and having to get 12 bags at once. And if you need a dip, here's an herbed hummus recipe I posted back in may.
The company name is the same as the chips: FoodShouldTasteGood. You can buy them online, but check your local merchants before paying for shipping and having to get 12 bags at once. And if you need a dip, here's an herbed hummus recipe I posted back in may.
Labels: chips, FoodShouldTasteGood, hummus, review
