Today is turning out to be a great Friday – my grape and walnut focaccia just came out of the oven and it smells amazing (more about it on Monday) and I received samples in the mail from Sahale Snacks. I am a nut addict and couldn’t resist the urge to open all of the samples at once.
Sahale Snacks was founded in Seattle in 2003 by two mountain climbers after enduring days of uninspiring trail mix and energy bars. The company states that they follow a simple product philosophy which focuses on using whole foods and “culinary magic” to create healthy snacks.
Granted, I didn’t read about the company until after trying all of the nuts … I just couldn’t wait to tear open the bags. Joe always reminds me how much he detests nuts when I buy them. He’ll nibble on a few, make a nasty face and tell me that I’m crazy for loving them so much.
I started with the cashews flavored with vanilla and dried pomegranate. I ate a few and then passed the bag to Joe. He ate a few, then a few more … then stated they were great. I didn’t really fancy them so much as the sweet vanilla flavored overpowered the cashew taste. Oddly, this is exactly why Joe liked them, “they don’t taste like cashews, they taste good”.
I continued to the Almond PB&J, a mix of almonds, peanuts and a slightly chewy bits/coating of fruit. I expected to dislike it but found the flavor and texture grew on me. I followed it up with a mix of Almonds and sesame seeds (and you know how much I love sesame), but the texture didn’t seem appealing. The nuts weren’t crisp and the flavor was kind of bland.
The final flavor, Soledad, turned out to be my hands-down favorite. It’s a sweet and spicy mix of almonds, dried apple, flax seeds, dates, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper. I can see why it was voted “Best Trail Mix” by the editors of Men’s Health Magazine (June ‘09 issue). I loved the spicy-sweet flavor, as well as the crunchy and chewy mix of nuts and fruit. Very satisfying. Definitely something I would pick up for a long road trip.
Although tempted, I didn’t eat all of the nuts in one sitting. I’ll save a few for this weekend.
What are your favorite nuts or nut snacks? Cashews are my favorite nut and I have frequent cravings for glazed walnuts with sesame seeds.
Update:
I’ve added two cups of the most beautiful, plump raspberries to my Rumtopf Pot
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Certainly an eclectic mix of nuts Allen! And the Rumtopf is looking mighty fine!
I think my favorite are pecans toasted plain in the oven at 250 for about a half hour. Heavenly. It seems to me Sahale had some other combinations of nuts that I’ve eaten, not the ones you mentioned–maybe with pecans ;-) and some black pepper, and of course a little sweetening and dried fruit. Yum.
The nut combinations would beat trail mix handsdown Allen. Am enjoying your Rumtopf forray as well.
I love hazlenuts and almonds! They make a great, delicious, and filling snack!
Wha wha wha?! Joe is nuts (heh). Cashews are awesome. I really like nuts best when they’re by themselves– not in dessert. Then I can’t stop eating them too :)
You are sooooo bad! :) you opened all at once? :)
oh yeah. soledad is one of my favourites. Have you tried the one with the Pecans? it’s really up there too and may be my alltime favourite. I think it’s called Valdosta. Costco used to carry it in huge bags. yum!
I love any nuts but I think I would love to try the Soledad. They all look really good. Next time I’m shopping in the States I’ll buy some. Thanks for the review.