Herby Bread Basket snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Information:

garlic crostini, mini basil breadsticks and oregano rice crackers

I received this snack in my January Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

With this savory selection, I decided to choose something a little bit tart and a little bit sweet for an interesting contrast.  I brewed some of this Green Tea Honey and Lemon from Tea of Life.  A really nice choice.

What I Think:

This is tasty.  It’s a hearty, satisfying, savory snack.

The breadsticks are very flavorful.  There’s a big punch of basil flavor.  A nice crunch to these … but also a little bit of a “bready” inner texture that I enjoy.

I found the garlic crostini to be a little “lacking” in flavor after I’d eat one of the mini basil breadsticks mostly because the breadsticks are really loaded with flavor.  To get the most out of the garlic crostini, I found that eating them one after another helped to develop the garlic and buttery taste.

My favorite part of this snack though, is the oregano rice crackers which look like no crackers I’ve ever seen.  They are shaped like … well, imagine if you would a piece of flattened popcorn as it starts to regain some shape.  Or perhaps … they look a bit like a miniature pressed cookie.  I love the flavor of these, and I taste not just oregano but a mixture of herbs to this.  But the best thing about these little crackers is the texture.  I love the texture of rice crackers, and there seems to be a somewhat “caramel-y” taste to these too, making them quite yummy.  I’d like to be able to get a box of these on their own.

My Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this snack, but I don’t know that I liked it enough to give it a “like.”  It’s not something that I immediately felt I needed to do like I needed to do with the chutney snack from this month’s box.  I do like those rice crackers, though and I might like them enough to “like” the snack just to get more of them.

Natural Crisps from 34 Degrees

Product Information:

Using a handful of natural ingredients, 34 Degrees carefully bakes their wafer-thin crackers until they are subtly toasty and overtly tasty.

These flavorful crisps pair well with mild to sharp cheeses, blue cheese, spicy spreads, and orange honey butter. They are great for parties and holiday celebrations!

I received a sample pouch of these crisps in my December Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

I don’t often drink a jasmine tea with the foods that I review, because I find that the jasmine often interferes with the flavor of the foods and I don’t get to explore the foods properly.  But that wasn’t the case with these crisps!  I thought that this Organic Jasmine Tea from Kally Tea was a perfect complement to these crackers – the savory of the crisps contrasted nicely with the sweet, exotic notes of the jasmine.  A really nice way to enjoy these crisps!

What  I Think:

I didn’t pair these with cheese or any type of dip.  Instead, I ate them right out of the package with a cup of jasmine tea, and I found it to be a delightful tea time, indeed!

I love the texture of these!  They’re so light and crisp.

Really tasty.  There’s not a lot to them, they’re SUPER thin and crispy and really … that’s it.  Just a crispy bit of a cracker.  Not overly salty, no extraneous flavor additions … these are kind of like an extra super thin saltine cracker with a little less salt.

But I think that’s what I dig about them.  They are just simple little crackers with a really enjoyable, crispy, crackly texture.

My Final Thoughts:

I am definitely going to be buying these again.  I found them in my local grocery store, and they have a variety of flavors, so I think I’m going to do a little exploration of these crisps, and next time, I’ll try them out with cheese and dips too.

Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips from Food Should Taste Good

Photo from Love With Food.
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Product Information:

A hint of cane sugar enhances the natural nuttiness of the sweet potato in a chip that is a riff on a classic baked sweet potato. Try the chips with a fresh fruit salsa or garlic dip.

I received a bag of these chips in my December Love with Food box.

What I Think:

Over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve been introduced to some snack chip products that are providing some really delicious and seemingly more healthy options to tortilla chips.

Now, as I’ve said on more than one occasion, I’m not a nutritionist, nor do I pretend to be.  I don’t always eat as healthy as I could or should.  Flavor to me is just as important – even more important! – than nutritional value.  If something doesn’t taste good, I’m not going to eat it just because it’s good for me.

I’m liking these Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips.  According to the list of ingredients, corn is still a primary ingredient in these chips.  But what I like about this list of ingredients is the shortness of it:

Stone Ground Corn, High Oleic Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil, Sweet Potato, Corn Bran, Evaporated Cane Juice, Sea Salt

There’s not a lot of stuff there that I can’t pronounce.  There’s not a lot of stuff there at all.  Sure, it might be healthier if the oils weren’t there, and the cane juice wasn’t there.  But, there aren’t a whole lot of chips out on the market that don’t have some oil in them.  That said, these don’t feel or taste oily or greasy.

Instead, they taste light and they offer a satisfying cruch.  They’re lightly salted, with a delicious sweet potato and corn taste.  The product description above suggests serving them with a dip or salsa, but, I like them straight out of the bag too.

My Final Thoughts:

These are definitely tasty.  A product I could see myself buying when I’m in the supermarket now that I’ve tried them.

Alehouse Cheddar Crackers from Castleton Crackers

Product Information:

Castleton Crackers of Vermont never ceases to amaze us with their delicious new crackers. The latest out of Vermont is their Alehouse Cheddar made with local craft ale, cheddar cheese and very mild horseradish mustard. All natural, and hand-made in Vermont.

I received a full sized box of these crackers in my November Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I chose a mild white tea go to with these crackers.  I wanted something mild because I didn’t want anything to interfere with some of the more nuanced flavors of the cracker and I wanted something cooling to soften the effect of the horseradish mustard.  The horseradish is mild, as the description above states, but, it does build a little bit and the white tea helped to cleanse the palate in between crackers.  I chose this China Mutan White Tea from Mark T. Wendell – and the crackers and tea made for a lovely tea time!

What I Think:

I’ve tried a few different Castleton Crackers since I’ve started this blog.  The first package that I tried were the Windham Wheat crackers, and then I tried the Rutland Rye and the Sesame Graham crackers.  Now we have the Alehouse Cheddar Crackers and these are reaffirming for me why I love this company’s crackers so much.

Not only are they a handcrafted cracker that are made in small batches and obviously broken by hand rather than crafted in an assembly line in a factory somewhere, but the flavor of these crackers just cannot be beat!  You just can’t get this kind of taste in a commercially manufactured cracker.  The crackers not only look like they were made in someone’s home kitchen, but they taste like it too!  You can taste the love in them.

As much as I loved the salty and sweet contrasts of the aforementioned Graham Crackers that I tried most recently from this company, I think that these Alehouse Cheddar might be my new favorite.  It’s surprising to me, really, because I’m not a big fan of alcohol, as I’ve mentioned before, but, I love the way the flavors are represented in these crackers.

I taste the cheddar, but it doesn’t hit me over the head with cheesy flavor.  I taste notes of the ale, but the most intriguing note that captures my interest is the horseradish.  It’s not an overwhelming flavor … it’s in balance with the other notes in the cracker.  But, it is a flavor that builds and after I’ve eaten a couple of crackers my mouth is pleasantly warm and I can feel that enjoyable “burn” in the top of my throat and even that hint of a sting near my eyes and nasal passages that one gets from horseradish.  I love horseradish, so these notes were certainly a welcome surprise to this cracker.  I like that it starts out subtle but the heat builds.

My Final Thoughts:

I really like these crackers.  Then again, I’ve really enjoyed all the different crackers I’ve tried from this company … but I think that the unique layers of flavor in this cracker might just make it my favorite!  They have the cheese, they’ve got some ale flavor, and some horseradish mustard … all that you need is a cup of tea!

Sweet Potato Pop Chips

Product Information:

sweet, crispy and a lot of delicious.

I received a .8 ounce bag of Sweet Potato Pop Chips in my November Love with Food box.

Tea Suggestion:

When I munch on salty snacks like these, I like to drink iced tea because they just seem to go well together.  I brewed up a pitcher of this OYGFIB? blend from 52Teas last night, and I enjoyed a tall glass of it with these Sweet Potato Pop Chips.  A really tasty snack.

What I Think:

Wow!

When I first saw “Pop Chips” on the grocery store shelves, I didn’t really think much about them.  Something about them sounded “off” to me … was it like a thin rice cake that is made to taste like potato chips or what?

But it turns out, they’re nothing like what I thought they’d be.  These are actual sweet potatoes (and rice flour) that are air popped to create a crispy, tasty snack that is (in my opinion) just as tasty as a fried potato chip, but without the fried thing going on, because, you know, fried is not only not the healthy way to go, but, it also is greasy and after a couple of potato chips, I tend to find this greasiness rather unpleasant.

These aren’t greasy at all.  I taste the sweet potato, and it tastes the way I expect a sweet potato to taste:  Sweet and savory and delicious.  I think that this has been “seasoned” with a touch of sugar and I can taste a hint of salt too.  That’s it.  I taste a lot of sweet potato flavor, and a little bit of sugar and a little bit of salt.  And a whole lot of YUM!

My Final Thoughts:

These are the new must have as far as I’m concerned.  I’ll be buying more of these.  Fortunately, they have acquired a certain amount of popularity, as I have seen these in my local Whole Foods.  I’ll start checking the other grocery stores as well.  I can’t wait to try some other flavors, when I do, I’ll be sure to update my blog with those taste discoveries.

Salsa Fresca Snack from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Ingredients:

tomato salsa fresca with cheesy sombreros.

I received this snack in my November Graze Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I went with a tall glass of iced tea to drink with this snack.  In the fridge, I had a pitcher of this Jasmine Passion Tea from The Persimmon Tree chilling, so I poured myself a glass of it to enjoy with this snack.  It was a perfect refresher for the palate as I enjoyed this tasty snack.

What I Think:

This snack includes small, round, cheese flavored rice crackers and a tomato-y salsa.  The salsa is very mild, but, I like the fresh taste of it.  There is a sweetness to it and there is a mild pepper kick.  There are lots of chunks of tomato, peppers, and onion.

The crackers I thought would be more like chips before I munched on one, but, they are definitely crackers.  They have a nice crunch to them, and I like that they are rice crackers.  They have a lightness to them that I enjoy.  The cheesy flavor is less noticeable when you eat one with the salsa, but when you eat a chip on its own, I taste more of the cheese.  It’s still not a strong “cheesy” taste.

My Final Thoughts:

I added these to my “like” list.  I really like the sweetness of the salsa.  Sure, I do like a good, zesty salsa (I usually go for the medium heat), but, the sweetness of the red pepper and the tomato is really delicious and as a tomato lover, I found myself loving every bite of this salsa.

Olive and Rosemary Bruschetta Snack Mix from Graze

Photo from Graze.
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Product Ingredients:

mini tomato breadsticks, rosemary and garlic cashews and kalamata olive croutons

I received this bruschetta snack mix in my first Graze Box!

Tea Suggestion:

I thought that a sweet, brothy green tea would be ideal to serve with this savory snack mix, so I chose this Konacha Green Tea from Aiya.  A really delicious pairing!

What I Think:

This is pretty tasty … certainly different!

The mini tomato breadsticks are really good.  I can taste the tomato and I love tomato!  The rosemary and garlic cashews add a nice texture and a yummy nutty taste to the overall mix, and I like the seasoning on the cashews.

The Kalamata olive croutons are probably my least favorite part of this mix, but I don’t dislike them.  I just find that it takes a couple of croutons – one after another – to really taste the Kalamata olive flavor.  I mean, I can taste the olive flavor, but, it seems to be a little obscured by the … I don’t know, maybe it’s the texture of it, because my mouth seems to want the olive texture when it tastes the Kalamata olives.  and instead it gets a hard, dry crouton.  I guess I just want a little something … different than the crouton to deliver the olive flavor.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this snack mix … a really neat alternative to the typical snack cracker.  I don’t know that I’ll “like” this one though, I think I’ll wait and try some of Graze’s other savory selections before I put a “like” on this one.

Orange Dried Fruit Crisps from Simple & Crisp

Product Information:

These natural orange crisps from Seattle, Washington are a delicious cracker alternative. Orange slices add a burst of citrus to cheese plates, cocktails and craft beer. Pair with our favorite cheeses: Jasper Hill Cheddar, Willow Hill Autumn Oak and Cypress Grove Midnight Moon.

I received a package of these dried fruit crisps in my September Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I love the bright and complex flavor of these crisps!  I went with a chocolate-y tea to enjoy with them mostly because the idea of chocolate and orange really appealed to me at the time.  So I brewed up a cup of this Choco Nut Black Tea from the Ambessa Line from Harney & Sons.  It was indeed a deliciously decadent tea time!

What I Think: 

Wow!  These are amazing!

At first … I was … a little hesitant.  These are very thinly sliced pieces of orange that have been dried.  Peels and all!  I even see bits of seeds in some of these slices, and that just … seemed … weird.  But then I kept reading praises of these on Knoshbox’s facebook page so I decided to break open the package and give ’em a try.

And they’re really, really good!  They’re crispy, a little bit chewy, and even a little bit juicy once you bite into them.  I can feel that “burst” of juicy flavor – even if I don’t feel the juice itself – when I bite into the pulpy section of these crisps.

It’s a very bright and invigorating sort of taste on the palate … my palate seems “energized” when I eat these.  It is sweet, tart, and a little bit bitter.  A really interesting contrast when eaten on their own, these also made a nice “cracker” for cheese.

I didn’t try these with the above suggested cheeses.  Instead, I tried them first with a bit of room temperature goat cheese and found this to be a nice pairing.  The tangy quality of the goat cheese brought out not only the tangy notes of the orange, but also the sweetness.

My Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed these.  I was skeptical at first just because … I wasn’t sure how I’d like the orange peels (well, specifically the pithy part), but they add a hint of bitterness to the bright citrus sweetness.  I really liked these with the goat cheese.

Toasted Sesame Seed Graham Crackers from Whitney’s Castleton Crackers

Photo from Knoshbox.
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Product Information:

Castleton Crackers does it again! These all natural, hand made crackers are unlike any graham you’ve had before; toasted sesame seeds are baked in to create a unique, nutty flavor that will tempt you to devour the entire box.

I received a box of these crackers in my July Knoshbox.

Tea Suggestion:

I’ve been on a bit of a chai kick lately … probably because the cooler weather of autumn inspires it!  When I enjoyed these crackers as is … I chose to prepare a chai latte using this Star Anise Masala Chai from Blue Lotus Chai.  I loved the way the spicy chai contrasted with the salty sweet crackers.  When I ate these crackers as S’mores, I went with something more basic, like this Lapsang Souchong from the English Tea Store.  This was a perfect pairing, because the smokiness of the Lapsang gave the gourmet S’more made with the roaring heat of the broiler in my oven a bit of that campfire authenticity.  Yum!

What I Think:

These are crazy good!  They have the naturally sweet taste of a graham cracker, with a savory salty note and nutty sesame seeds.

They are crunchy and tasty … and they satisfy not only that hunger that tends to have one grabbing for cracker snacks, but they also satisfy one’s craving for both salty and sweet.  These are really unlike any graham cracker I’ve ever tried.  I like that they’re not too salty – just a delicate sprinkling of salt to these.  And they’re not too sweet – the salt cuts through some of the sweetness to bring balance and deliver a not-too-sweet sort of snack.

I’ve sampled these a couple of different ways.  First, I tried them right out of the package with a cup of tea.  They were very good that way.  Then I tried them with some cheese spread.  The saltiness of the cheese brought out the more savory qualities of the cracker but did not completely overpower the sweeter side of the graham.  This made for a very unique and tasty experience.

Finally, I decided to get out the Elephant Ear Marshmallows from 240Sweet that was also included in this box, and I roasted the marshmallows atop some chocolate which I placed on a couple of the larger crackers in the box for a unique twist on s’mores.  Yummy!  Using these crackers as the base of s’mores (especially when a sugary marshmallow like the Elephant Ear Marshmallows are used) is when I really got to appreciate the salty notes of the cracker … It was a salty sweet TREAT!

I also tried these with some Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co. and it was out of this world good.  (My review for this chocolate peanut butter will be posted tomorrow!)  Again, I liked the way the salty and sweet interacted here.

My Final Thoughts:

However you choose to serve these … these crackers are really good.  The best graham crackers I’ve ever tasted.  I was reading the box and noticed that they also have lemon ginger flavored graham crackers … those sound insanely good, too!  I think I’m going to have to try those at some point!  Maybe Knoshbox will be good to me and have a lemon themed box someday … and include these as part of that box.  Hey … Knoshbox, are you listening?

Original Multi-Seed Crackers from Crunchmaster

Product Information:

This gluten-free rice cracker is packed with tasty toasted seeds: sesame, quinoa, flax and amaranth, resulting in a crunchy cracker with excellent texture and nutty flavor. Enjoy them solo or with your dip, spread or cheese of choice.

I received a bag of these crackers in my July Goodie Box.

Tea Suggestion:

I thought that these would make a decent alternative to a sweeter tea time treat.  I ate these crackers with a cup of Razzleberry Flavored Genmaicha Tea from 52Teas, The natural nutty tones of the tea worked nicely with the nutty quality of the crackers, and the sweet-tart berry notes brought in a nice, treat-y element without going too sweet.  The tea was much tastier than the crackers, though.

What I Think:

These are very crunchy … almost to the point of being a bit more dense than I would like them to be.  I prefer a thinner, crispy cracker as opposed to a thick, crunchy one.

I can taste the seeds, and they give the crackers a very enjoyable texture and nutty taste.  But … they taste … healthy.  Let’s face it … we all probably would prefer to be eating healthier and making more sensible choices when we’re snacking, but, when we are snacking, we don’t like to be reminded by the food we’re eating that we’re not indulging.

These don’t feel indulgent.  They aren’t “delicious” … they’re edible, certainly, and I didn’t hate that I was eating them, if that makes sense.  But they didn’t excite me all that much either.  I wasn’t thinking to myself:  “oh yeah, I gotta go get me some of these.”

My Final Thoughts:

I liked these crackers alright, but, as far as gluten-free, multi-seed type crackers, I preferred the Mary’s Gone Crackers snack crackers that I reviewed recently.  These just … aren’t as tasty.  They’re alright, but, not anything I’d rush out to buy again.