OP
OP
They are seasoning dependent for sure,kind of like tofu, but I love the texture and the way they absorb flavors.
Soy curls?
- Thread starter sallyomally
- Start date
sleepydvdr
Forum Legend
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2012
- Reaction score
- 236
I got the Mother Earth TVP sampler pack in today. I am actually impressed. Unlike regular TVP, which overly crunch and has no taste, these are quite different. I cracked open five packs so far and can eat them straight up.
Veggie Burger: least favorite so far. It is quite chewy and tastes like soy sauce with a hint of ginger. But I'm not saying it's bad, just not the best one of this group.
Ham Bits: tastes like bacon bits (with slightly less salt). But these have a good crunch, which would actually be very good topping a salad.
Chicken Chunks: slightly sweet and does have a slight chicken flavor. Chewy with a slight crispiness, almost like some types of non-meat jerky I have had before. I keep going back to this one. It might be my favorite so far. Maybe because it's kind of like jerky.
Sausage Bits: if you have had LightLife sausage, image that fried up until crispy and dehydrated. That's this stuff.
Pepperoni Bits: they have a nice crunch to them. They don't taste like pepperoni, but they are up there with the best faux-pepperoni I have ever tasted.
Like I said, these are really good straight from packets. I think this company is kind of for those survivalists who stockpile food in underground bunkers, so they probably figure they should make this stuff edible just like it is. From what I have tasted so far, they have succeeded. I'll report more as I keep trying the other flavors.
Veggie Burger: least favorite so far. It is quite chewy and tastes like soy sauce with a hint of ginger. But I'm not saying it's bad, just not the best one of this group.
Ham Bits: tastes like bacon bits (with slightly less salt). But these have a good crunch, which would actually be very good topping a salad.
Chicken Chunks: slightly sweet and does have a slight chicken flavor. Chewy with a slight crispiness, almost like some types of non-meat jerky I have had before. I keep going back to this one. It might be my favorite so far. Maybe because it's kind of like jerky.
Sausage Bits: if you have had LightLife sausage, image that fried up until crispy and dehydrated. That's this stuff.
Pepperoni Bits: they have a nice crunch to them. They don't taste like pepperoni, but they are up there with the best faux-pepperoni I have ever tasted.
Like I said, these are really good straight from packets. I think this company is kind of for those survivalists who stockpile food in underground bunkers, so they probably figure they should make this stuff edible just like it is. From what I have tasted so far, they have succeeded. I'll report more as I keep trying the other flavors.
OP
OP
sleepydvdr
Forum Legend
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2012
- Reaction score
- 236
I cracked open the last of the bags and have been sampling them. Here's my opinion of the rest of them:
Plain TVP: not much flavor, kind of tastes like Fiber One cereal.
Chicken Bits: unlike the Chicken Chunks, this one is crunchy and lacking in flavor. This one has a bit more flavor than the plain TVP, but not by much.
Beef Chunks and Beef Bits: both taste the same, which is to say they are so mildly flavored, they aren't much better than the plain TVP.
Bacon Bits: these taste quite good and are not crunchy like most faux bacon bits. These are kind of soft, like real bacon.
Taco Mix: it tastes like taco seasoned TVP, which is to say it has a strong cumin flavor with just the slightest hint of heat (not much).
Sloppy Joe Mix: Overpowering cumin flavor with a bit too much salt. Perhaps cutting this one with a little regular TVP would help tame it. Or just go with the Taco Mix, which is very similar but not so strong.
As a side note, I tested the flavor of the ham bit and bacon bits compared to my Bac'Uns (name brand) faux bacon bits. I preferred the Mother Earth flavors over the Bac'Uns, but just by a little. As a reminder about the Mother Earth brand, the ham bits are crunchy and the bacon bits are chewy. Both taste great, it just depends on what texture you might prefer.
One last thing for anyone considering ordering from them: with each order, they offer to give you 2 samplers for free. The samples are 1/2 cup in size, which is a decent bit.
Conclusion... my favorites, in this order: chicken chunks, ham bits, sausage bits, bacon bits, pepperoni bits, taco mix. I don't really recommend the other flavors.
Plain TVP: not much flavor, kind of tastes like Fiber One cereal.
Chicken Bits: unlike the Chicken Chunks, this one is crunchy and lacking in flavor. This one has a bit more flavor than the plain TVP, but not by much.
Beef Chunks and Beef Bits: both taste the same, which is to say they are so mildly flavored, they aren't much better than the plain TVP.
Bacon Bits: these taste quite good and are not crunchy like most faux bacon bits. These are kind of soft, like real bacon.
Taco Mix: it tastes like taco seasoned TVP, which is to say it has a strong cumin flavor with just the slightest hint of heat (not much).
Sloppy Joe Mix: Overpowering cumin flavor with a bit too much salt. Perhaps cutting this one with a little regular TVP would help tame it. Or just go with the Taco Mix, which is very similar but not so strong.
As a side note, I tested the flavor of the ham bit and bacon bits compared to my Bac'Uns (name brand) faux bacon bits. I preferred the Mother Earth flavors over the Bac'Uns, but just by a little. As a reminder about the Mother Earth brand, the ham bits are crunchy and the bacon bits are chewy. Both taste great, it just depends on what texture you might prefer.
One last thing for anyone considering ordering from them: with each order, they offer to give you 2 samplers for free. The samples are 1/2 cup in size, which is a decent bit.
Conclusion... my favorites, in this order: chicken chunks, ham bits, sausage bits, bacon bits, pepperoni bits, taco mix. I don't really recommend the other flavors.
OP
OP
