I’m a bit of a snack lover. What’s more, I’m a bit of a cheese snack lover.
As I write, I have two packets of crispy cheese snacks on my desk (both opened, but clipped shut so they stay fresh), I often have single Babybels rolling around in my handbag. And I had cheese at lunch. And at breakfast.
I love cheese snacks so much, one of my best friends gave me two packs of Mini Cheddars labelled ‘Charlie’s emergency Cheddars’ for Christmas.
I know, I have a problem.
So the offer from Amazin Grazin to try their new cheese snack packs was a no brainer. Even if, when they arrived the flavours took me aback a bit. Each box is filled with four seed filled cheesy snack bars, smoky chipotle, berries and cherries, and date and honey.
Yeah, I raised an eyebrow too. I mean, chipotle chilli and cheese? Yep, so problem, all over that. But berries and cherries? Date and honey? I was definitely uncertain – I mean the concept isn’t that weird, we have fruit in cheese anyway, Wensleydale and cranberry for example. And we serve slices of apple, and grapes with cheese, and some richer cheeses with honey. So none of it was that odd really. But still… The proof would be in the pudding.
So let’s start at the beginning, with smoky chipotle.
Ok, cheese and chilli are no strangers, and even with the pumpkin and sunflower seeds is not that unusual – I’m a big fan of the sweet chilli Cathedral City snack bar (told you I have a thing for cheese), and this is almost as good. There’s heat, smoke, crunch and cheddar. Tasty. Lots of protein, good fats, and it’s pretty filling for a little bar of cheese.
Onto the second, date and honey.
To be fair to Amazin Grazin, I don’t like dried dates, so this was not going to be a favourite anyway. Unless they’re blitzed into oblivion in a stick toffee pudding, or are in my nan’s date and walnut loaf (I still have the recipe somewhere), it’s going to be a no from me. In the interests of trying everything twice, I did give them a go. They’re sweet, the honey really comes through and lingers with the cheese at the finish. I can see why some people would enjoy them. certainly the remainder disappeared from the office fridge, but it’s a no from me.
To our final version, the berries and cherries.
The last of the trio was even fruitier. At first bite there’s something almost fruit yoghurty about the flavour of these – when they fruit hits the lactic acid, but it soon settles into cheese with fruit. Much like the whole cottage cheese and pineapple thing (why does this exist?), I’m not convinced. I mean, they were better than I expected, and most definitely better than the date and honey ones, but my brain just struggled with the idea of fruit in my cheese bar.
Overall, I think I’m pretty convinced, I’ll stick with chilli in my cheese bars, thank you.
Or cheese and pickle.
Or just plain cheese.
Hmm. Cheese.
