Members can also shop the Foodzie marketplace to order one off products featured for a limited time - right now I see bacon jam, pickled figs and walnut oil - not the typical offerings at giant superstores the likes of Walmart. Now that I am a Foodzie subscriber, it's hard not to want to try all of their offerings. I discover many new things at my local specialty shops but why just limit myself to that when I have an online gourmet marketplace like Foodzie which can further expand my palette? Foodzie has been operation since 2008 and based out of San Francisco - but of course, so many hip companies originate from there not to mention it's one of my food meccas!
For my first tasting box, I received a healthy new year assortment as follows in order with my rankings in order:
1. Sea Salt & Nibs bar produced by Madecasse out of San Francisco. The company was started from Peace Corps volunteers in Madagascar. They offer fair-trade, eco-packaged chocolate bars alongside vanilla beans and vanilla bourbon extract. The chocolate is not too dark and the sea salt ratio is just right to heighten the taste of the chocolate. The added chocolate nibs were also a great addition for texture and taste. In other words, it's damn good. This chocolate bar sadly did not last long in my house so I will be buying more... much more from this company.
2. Quite Cheesy Kale Krunch produced by Alive & Radiant in Emeryville, CA.
Kale is so trendy right now. I am seeing Kale featured in every top restaurant and all sorts of recipes on The Food Network Channel. One reason is it is a winter staple and can pair well with so many different foods. It is also a superfood and a personal fave of supertasters like myself. Look around, you'll notice Kale everywhere. So even though I like Kale, I didn't expect to like this vegan snack as much as I did. It is indeed a cheesy tasting snack but without any cheese. I could instantly tell that it was nutritional yeast and it was used surprisingly well. Even though I was vegan for 5 years, I am still cautious when it comes to cheese substitutes but this does get a thumbs up for both taste and innovation. I found myself craving it and continually coming back to my kitchen for another bite.
3. Granola snacks produced by Somersaults located in Sausalito, CA
Two different types of granola snack packs were included - cocoa and cinnamon. The cocoa ones reminded me of cocoa puffs and the cinnamon ones were reminiscent of cinnamon toast crunch. The consistency was a bit different than these cereals of a more nostalgic time - they have sunflower seeds rolled into them. I liked the cinnamon pack the most which is fortunate for me since the tasting pack included two of the cinammon packs and one of the dutch cocoa.
4. Roasted Almonds produced by Stackhouse Orchards located in Hickman, CA
These were tasty, pure unsalted almonds. Much better than the ones I usually find at the grocery store. I would buy almonds again strictly from this company to eat as a snack, put in a salad or top on a bread or oven-baked dish.
5. Sun-ripened Pu'er tea produced by Five Mountains located in San Francisco, CA
This is my first time trying Pu'er (or Puerh) tea or . It is a mellow yet flavorful green tea which ferments after its leaves are dried. Twinings, which is my favorite source for tea (and go to the UK site, not the US site for better selection), does a better job than myself of describing what makes Pu'er so special:.
After plucking, the leaves are laid on drying trays & withered to remove some moisture and make more pliable. The leaves are then rolled and laid out and a heady mixture of warm air, aromatic juices, bacteria & enzymes leads to oxidation (a natural reaction that affects strength & colour). Oxidation is stopped by firing (with hot air) when the leaves are the right (brown) colour depending on the region. The leaves turn black as they dry... and finally, are sorted or graded by size. Puerh comes from Yunnan province in China.
I will be trying more of this type of tea and from other companies to compare. In looking at the Five Mountains website,, their presentation of their tea looks very appealing and the packaging I received also featured beautiful, long tea leaves so I will be sampling some of their other offerings.
6. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from Kelapo in Tampa, FL.
I have cooked with coconut oil in the past and I will say that it works for specific meals like Thai food but to me, it always has a bit of a coconut flavor which I don't want with most of my foods. I would recommend using coconut oil in a recipe like this one. Heated oil is frankly always going to be a little unhealthy so I am going to stick to my wonderful selection of olive and nut oils for cooking.
7. Chocolate Cherry Granola bar produced by 18 Rabbits in San Francisco, CA
This wheat free granola bar tastes good but the consistency was too hard. It should not take this much effort to get through an energy bar. By the time I was done gnawing through, I had burned enough calories to want another. I decided to eat more almonds instead.
And I had an extra gift which was put in my package since it was shipped a little late. I am glad it shipped late so that I could experience the rich Raleigh pecan, nougat, Boubon caramel. It truly is as amazing as it sounds! Very rich so I would reserve it for special occasions or when I've been really good.
I recommend that reviewing Foodzie's blog and Tumblr account for more information and to get an idea of the products they offer. Items offered on Foodzie can be purchased elsewhere like the company's direct site, Amazon and other marketplaces. Foodzie is a great way to get introduced to new foods but I will always encourage people to comparison shop for the best deal - I'd rather pay 2.99 at Ikea for Lingonberry jam than the $7.99 specialty shop price. There is a similar site http://lovewithfood.com. They have a similar look and model and are even featuring the same snack, Somersaults that was included in my food pack this month. I do think that Foodzie has more unique offerings after comparing the two sites. I do like that Love With Food donates money to charities with purchases. Looks like the trend is catching on with other sites like Foodoro which does look like an appetizing competitor. If there are other companies with similar models, feel free to comment below. And thank you again, The Ginger. If anyone wants to be a good friend, then get this subscription for someone you know who really appreciates the flavors which life has to offer.
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