January Degustabox

My family enjoys our monthly Degustabox delivery, which is full of tasty surprises. This monthly food and drink subscription box is a good way to discover products which have only just appeared in the shops or those which might have been around for while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Each parcel is a mystery parcel as you don't know what you will find inside. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet and would like to have a go, I have a whopping £6 off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time) - just use a code 5EBZSJ when you place an order.

What did we receive in January box? Let's have a peek:

Crunchy Finn Crisp Original crispbread is a thin sourdough rye crispbread. Excellent as a base for all those Scandi snacks like smoked salmon with soured cream and dill, or pickled beets. Made with only natural ingredients, it is rich in fibre, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Low in fat, it has a distinct tangy flavour.

Crunchy Finn Crisp Original crispbread

Jordans Country Crisp Fruit & Nut is a lovely breakfast granola. Jordans is often our first choice of granola for breakfast, their range is extensive and varied. This new Fruit & Nut is a mix of crunchy golden oat clusters with a generous helping of fruit and nuts. A super addition to a tasty range.

Jordans Country Crisp

Yushoi Snapea rice sticks (lightly salted) were my personal Discovery of the month. Totally addictive, these tasty baked sticks are made from green peas and rice and seasoned with a sprinkling of salt. They are high in fibre, contain no MSG or artificial colours or flavours. At 91kcal per serving, they make a delicious snack or when you're feeling peckish.

Yushoi Snapea rice sticks

They are just lovely, and I keep an eye on the local shops, but haven't seen them locally yet.

Yushoi Snapea snacks

Amoy's New Taste of Asia range comes in convenient pouches. It offers an exciting selection of Asian sauces to rustle up a quick and easy meal, from classic Thai Green Curry to dishes like Malaysian Laksa and Thais Massaman curry.

For a Malaysian Laksa you will need:
180 g prawns
200g mixed vegetables (corn, green peas, carrots)
150g oyster mushrooms
1tbsp soy sauce
1 pouch of Amoy's Malaysian Laksa sauce
Stir fry the prawns, mixed vegetables and oyster mushrooms with a bit of soy sauce for a few minutes, add a Malaysian Laksa sauce and stir well. Cook for another couple of minutes. Serve hot, with noodles or rice.

Malaysian Laksa sauce was tasty, and it was super easy to prepare a quick dinner.

The second pouch contained Thai Green curry cooking sauce. This classic sauce in a pouch is a handy ingredient for any kitchen pantry, when all you want is a quick and easy meal.

Slim Noodles are gluten free, fat free, sugar free and what free. They're also a source of fibre. At 9kcal per 100g, they are great for those who try to lose weight (calorie-wise). You need to rinse them well first before cooking for a couple of minutes in a wok. The initial smell as you open the packet is slightly off-putting, almost fishy. But once rinsed and cooked, they taste neutral. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the texture either, but on the plus side, they are filling and very low calorie. I served them with Malaysian Laksa prawns (see the photo above)

Clarks range of syrups is extensive and varied. My family loves Clarks maple syrups, and whenever I make pancakes (which happens every Saturday and Sunday), I offer my guys a choice of syrups including the Carob fruit syrup. This is a naturally sweet low GI syrup, made from the Mediterranean carob plant. It has a bit of an acquired taste, not bad at all, but we do still prefer the maple syrup. It is suitable for vegetarians and vegans and diabetics as part of a controlled diet.

Conscious Chocolate promises only the best ethically sourced, raw, organic, premium ingredients. It is made with cocoa solids, cacao butter, agave nectar, cacao powder, coconut butter, vanilla, cinnamon and Himalayan salt. I'm sure the likes of Gwynnie P are all agog about the raw chocolate bars. And it even has a Himalayan salt too, hallelujah!
My problem with raw chocolate products is that they often taste powdery, and have an unpleasant aftertaste. Give me a proper smooth and creamy bar of Lindt, Divine or Green & Black's any time. We all had a bite of the Conscious Chocolate bar, but even my chocolate-loving family politely refused to have any more. Sorry, that's a No from my people. I might use it in cooking, maybe in cookies in brownies.

DB's Discovery of the month - Crobar by Gathr is a revolutionary natural energy bar made with cricket flour, as well as nuts and seeds, it is gluten and dairy free, but obviously not a vegetarian bar. I confess, I didn't fancy trying it. I know, I know, where is my spirit of adventure?! Sorry, I draw a line. Crickets and any other creepy-crawlies might be very popular snacks in different cuisines and cultures and promise to be a superfood of the future, but just the idea makes my stomach churn in protest. I did ask a friend who's usually a very willing guinea pig for all my food posts, whenever she is visiting, but she couldn't eat. She honestly had a bite, chewed it and spat it out, saying it was like eating hay or straw.

Crobar by Gathr

Tsingtao beer is recognised as the finest beer in China. It is very smooth and easily drinkable. Interesting trivia - Tsingtao was founded by The Anglo-German Brewery Co in 1903 in the seaport of Qingdao in North Eastern China. It is still brewed there, using pure Laoshan Mountain spring water.
It is a perfect accompaniment to any Chinese meal.

Tsingtao beer

Coldpress Golden Delicious is a cold pressed (not heat pasteurised) apple juice. This is one of our favourite juices, albeit on a pricey side, which I buy at least once a week in a bigger size bottle. We absolutely love Coldpress Pink Lady, it is pure delight. Coldpress Golden Delicious is another super variety, which tastes so fresh and sweet flavoured.

As you can see, it was a mixed bag this month, or should that be a mixed box?! Some products were splendid and delicious, some less so, but overall, it was an interesting selection, albeit challenging.

Discsloure: I received the monthly box for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.