+++ Advertisement: This post was created in cooperation with NOA plant-based products. Thank you for the products! +++
One of the two new green varieties
NOA is expecting a baby More precisely, a new variety of the plant-based spread, which is still relatively new to supermarkets, will be available from March 1st, 2017. I have already written in detail about NOA, the brand, and what it's all about in my NOA article It was reported a few months ago. But what's the deal with this so-called offspring?
Until now, NOA was available in "only" four different varieties (hummus, herbed hummus, bean and pepper, and lentil and curry). Now a new variety is being added. Why am I not finally revealing which one it is? Well...hmmm...because I don't know myself. While I had the great honor of being one of the first to taste the three ingredients that make up the new NOA variety, the flavors and ingredients behind them simply weren't revealed. However, some crucial and defining NOA criteria are still shared by all of the now soon-to-be five varieties: They are all vegan, non-GMO (not just "free from" GMOs), gluten-free, plant-based, and ideal for dipping, cooking, spreading, and enjoying.
Maybe a pretzel will make it easier? 😉
Of course, none of this really helped me with my little problem. What varieties were in front of me? Two green ones and one red one. Naturally, I started by tasting them on their own. One variety at a time. Again and again, comparing them to the varieties I already knew (even by name). I couldn't really make any progress, just kept tasting and comparing. The base was clearly legumes and herbs. But what else? After a closer look, it was clear that the two new green varieties differed due to the addition of herbs. They tasted the same otherwise, but I couldn't immediately identify them. My first guess with the green variety was basil, pesto, or olive. I kept putting a tiny bit in my mouth, but I became increasingly uncertain. You know how it is: the more you try something, the harder it becomes to definitively say what you're actually eating.
NOA simply cannot be left behind…
So I formed a "NOA blind tasting elite" and, together with several friends, sampled our way through the NOA range. When we were finally so confused – at least in terms of taste – that we briefly doubted whether Lentil Curry wasn't actually Curry Carrot and Hummus Herb didn't taste a bit like chives and cheese, we gave up. But of course, not without a unanimous verdict: Basil and Basil Herb. We polished off every last bit of NOA from the pots, and only then – the session wasn't over yet – did we turn our attention to the red pot. After a few hours with NOA, my eagle eye immediately noticed that this variety also contained herbs. It seems two new herb-flavored varieties have been developed. For me, the red pot was clearly paprika! Others were absolutely convinced it was tomato, and one female tester simply kept coming up with "red hummus" ;-). I took the reins and decided on a paprika-herb blend. In my opinion, that would make sense, since the existing bean-paprika variety is already quite spicy, and perhaps a milder paprika variety should appear on the shelves.
Incidentally, it's also the ideal snack for a beer garden.
Okay, so after my extensive tasting and what felt like 10 cups of NOA, the new varieties are: basil, basil-herb, and paprika-herb. If I'm wrong about all three, I'll just blame my fellow testers or delete the article. 😉 My clear favorite after the extensive tasting was definitely the green "basil with herbs" – regardless of whether it's actually basil. 😉 I really hope NOA decides to launch this variety. So, it remains exciting.
If you really want to know what's in it and whether it's really that difficult (…or if I'm just being dense…), then you'll have no choice but to buy the new NOA flavor, which is the one I ultimately chose, yourself (available in stores from March 1st, 2017) and try it. But no cheating! Ideally, have someone get you the flavor, cover up the name, and form your own taste test panel. 😉 I'm excited. One thing is already clear – flavor components aside – no matter which of the three flavors I ultimately choose, all three taste amazing, and I've fallen even more in love with NOA.
The new „red“ variety
And now for a little something extra. You've been good and read to the end. That means we can assume you're either interested in vegan and/or healthy eating, or simply interested in new and exciting products on the market. Bravo! That's what I like to see, and that's why you can now win something great – together with NOA, of course. Naturally, it's green – just like NOA! (Competition ended, terms and conditions deactivated)
Tested product: 3 new varieties of NOA spread
NOA: NOA GmbH&Co.KG, Karwendelstraße 6-16, 86807 Buchloe
Website from NOA
The four existing varieties of NOA spread – varieties: Lentil curry, bean and bell pepper, plain hummus, herbed hummus
Leave a Reply