Tag: Condiment

REVIEW: French’s & Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream Truck

Rachel 4 Comments

French s Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream

You really get to know who your friends are in the moments after you yell across the office, “There’s a French’s Mustard Ice Cream Truck pop-up today for National Mustard Day – who’s going with me?!?!” 

I thought I’d drag my co-workers, kicking and screaming, into my novelty-flavored world. I dared them into trying Wasabi and Spicy Chicken Wing Oreos. I buttered them up with Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kats. But there I was, standing solo on a hot Rockefeller Center sidewalk, gleefully spooning bright yellow, mustard-flavored ice cream into my gaping maw. I couldn’t miss something as potentially horrifying as this.

French s Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream 2 Truck

My co-workers missed out, because, defying all odds and expectations, French’s Mustard Ice Cream was GOOD. 

First things first – based on color alone, there was no question this was mustard ice cream. French’s and Coolhaus ice cream perfectly replicated that signature shade. The serving was a good size for a free sample – about a scoop and a half. It came with a Coolhaus pretzel cookie that was absolutely delicious. 

French s Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream 3 Cup

My first impression when the ice cream hit my taste buds was “vanilla plus something.” The mustard flavor was far more subdued than I expected. There was none of the sharp tang that the condiment is known for. It took a moment for the mustard flavor to even land on my palate, and even then, it took a back seat to the milk/cream/vanilla. I wondered if anyone would correctly identify it if they didn’t already know, or have the visual cue of the color.

Overall, I thought it was an enjoyable ice cream that I might actually buy again if it were in stores.

French s Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream 4 Empty

In case you weren’t in New York/Los Angeles, or had something more pressing to do with your day (can’t imagine what would qualify), the French’s website has a home recipe you can use to recreate the magic of the Mustard Ice Cream Truck, albeit without the intoxicating perfume of Manhattan in the summer. I decided to give it a whirl. 

It’s a no-churn recipe, so you don’t need an ice cream machine, just a blender. It came together in under five minutes, but needed a few hours in the freezer. I left mine overnight and it was a good scoopable consistency in the morning. 

French s Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream 5 DIY

Taste-wise, it was on-par with the truck ice cream, but the texture was more like a frozen whipped topping, because it’s essentially a whipped cream base. I think I added a pinch more mustard than the truck, because I noticed it more here, but it’s an easy and pretty accurate copy of what I had on the street.

I have to hand it to French’s for creating a quirky, fun food instead of just another “experience” that’s all about taking Instagram photos with their logo.

And guess who’s going to work tomorrow with a batch of mustard ice cream and a bunch of spoons?

Purchased Price: FREE / DIY
Size: N/A
Purchased at: French’s & Coolhaus Mustard Ice Cream Truck
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available.

REVIEW: Heinz Kranch Saucy Sauce

Meghan 3 Comments

Heinz Kranch Saucy Sauce

What is Heinz Kranch Saucy Sauce?

Standing proudly as Heinz’s latest crazy condiment mashup, this special saucy sauce combines two of America’s favorite condiments – ketchup and ranch dressing – and puts them into a single, convenient squeeze bottle.

How is it?

As much as I loved the taste and novelty of Mayochup, I can’t seem to get behind Kranch in the same way. On the surface, both agglomerations sound like solid, if not slightly-too-similar ideas. Mayonnaise is an integral ingredient in ranch dressing, and both spreads have long-standing reputations as all-purpose accoutrements.

The problem is that Kranch’s practical applications are much more limited than Mayochup’s. I like ketchup. I like ranch. Even so, I can’t think of many foods I would enjoy with both ketchup and ranch.

Heinz Kranch Saucy Sauce Plated

Although Kranch doesn’t taste bad, per se, I could never figure out a single food I liked it on. It was too ketchup-esque to use as a dip for fresh veggies, but also too much like salad dressing to make a good sidekick for chicken nuggets and alphabet fries. I didn’t like it as salad dressing and thought it made a terrible sandwich spread.

Heinz Kranch Saucy Sauce Chicken Nugget

Is there anything else you should know?

Since this is now Heinz’s fourth take on mixing condiments that everybody has at home and calling it something new, I’m beginning to think the company is just on a quest to dominate shelf-space in the condiment aisle. At this rate, grocery stores are going to have to carve out a special enclave for the growing saucy sauce family.

Conclusion:

Given its limited applications and simple composition, Kranch doesn’t deserve the space it’ll hog in your refrigerator. Rather than buying this, I’d recommend saving your $3.00 and mixing some ketchup and ranch at home.

Purchased Price: $2.98
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 19 fl. oz.
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 tablespoons) 100 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of total sugars, 2 grams of added sugars, 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Heinz Mayomust and Mayocue Saucy Sauces

Leonard 6 Comments

Heinz Mayomust and Mayocue Saucy Sauces

What are Heinz Mayomust and Mayocue Saucy Sauces?

After the brilliant or infuriating (depending on who you ask) debut of Heinz’s Mayochup, the company has branched out to other mayonnaise condiment mashups with the launch of Mayomust and Mayocue. Following Mayochup’s lead, and as the back of the bottles tell me, these combine the delicious taste of yellow mustard (or classic BBQ) with mayonnaise and a special blend of spices.

Full disclosure: I loved Mayochup. Everything about it tickled me pink (perfect considering the pinkish nature of the product) from the genius name to the social media frenzy all the way to the actual sauce. I was of course very excited to try these new additions to the growing saucy sauce family.

How are they?

Mayomust is a light yellow color and has a nice whipped consistency, but the taste is not what I was expecting. It’s heavy on the mayo with a bit of mustard at the end of the bite. It seems like the ratio should have been adjusted on this one because a better name would be Mayomu.

Heinz Mayomust Saucy Sauces

It’s as if someone used a bottle of mustard but then accidentally refilled it with mayonnaise and it picked up the remnants in the container. It’s kinda like a deviled egg filling but without any eggy goodness or pop of heat. And with vinegar being the second highest ingredient, there’s a little bit of tang, but it ends up more sour tasting.

Mayocue is a light brown color and, when I took the cap off, the smell instantly reminded me of something right off the bat, but I couldn’t figure out what.

Heinz Mayocue Saucy Sauces

A second later it hit me – this is freakin’ Chick-fil-A sauce! My olfactory system was 100 percent correct when I tried it, and I should’ve known since I have investigated recreating it at home. This saucy sauce tastes exactly like that golden delicacy I am completely head over heels for. Both the mayo and BBQ work harmoniously for a delicious sauce that is equally creamy, tangy, and smoky. Unlike the mustard in the other one, I could taste the BBQ here.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Both of these have a special blend of spices like the original Mayochup, but it is hard to tell if Heinz’s blend of spices is the same across the board or perhaps they adjust it accordingly for each sauce. The ingredients list doesn’t help either as they all contain one component listed simply as SPICES, so who knows.

Heinz Mayomust and Mayocue Saucy Sauces with Chicken Strips

As you can see from the picture, I tried these with some good ol’ fashioned chicken strips to help with my judging and even included my special sauce cup to show you how much I love sauces with my food. They both held up well with the chicken as they are thick.

Conclusion:

For these wacky condiment mashups and their success you ultimately have to decide if they stand on their own as a new entity that warrants being in its own bottle. With Mayomust, I kinda wanted to put it aside and run to the refrigerator so that I could indulge in both mayonnaise and mustard separately. Each part seemed to bring the other down.

With Mayocue, the combo ends up being greater than the sum of its parts as I was like, “What’s mayonnaise?” And who needs straight up BBQ sauce? So, pick up the Mayocue if you love Chick-fil-A sauce and skip the Mayomu unless you’d like a decorative mayonnaise.

Purchased Price: $4.59 each
?Size: 16.6 oz. bottle (Mayomust) 16.7 oz. bottle (Mayocue)
?Purchased at: Amazon.com
?Rating: 5 out of 10 (Mayomust)
Rating: 10 out of 10 (Mayocue)
?Nutrition Facts: (2 tbsp) Mayomust – 160 calories, 16 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 280 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein. Mayocue – 140 calories, 14 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugar and 0 grams of protein.

QUICK REVIEW: Heinz Mayochup

Meghan 11 Comments

Heinz Mayochup

What is Heinz Mayochup?

Initially only available in the Middle East, this mayonnaise-ketchup hybrid has finally come to the States.

Are you familiar with fry sauce, fancy sauce, Zax Sauce, or even mayoketchup? Great, because this is basically the same stuff as all of those, sold in a no-mess squeeze bottle!

How is it?

If I had to guess, I’d say mayonnaise and ketchup are probably America’s two most beloved condiments, and people have been combining the two for ages. At the very least, I can say this having come from a family that’s always enjoyed a combination of the two spread onto saltine crackers.

Considering Heinz’s position as the purveyor of America’s best-selling ketchup, I don’t think it’s any surprise that its Mayochup is anything other than pretty awesome. Sweet, salty, tangy, and just a bit sour from the vinegar, it takes everything that’s great about Heinz’s ketchup and marries it together with the velvety texture that characterizes a quality mayonnaise.

Heinz Mayochup 2

Given how versatile mayonnaise and ketchup are on their own, I can see using this as an all-purpose condiment. It’s excellent squirted on fries, spread onto crackers, and smeared on sandwiches, among other things. Better yet, it saves you the trouble of having to drag both condiments out of the fridge when your food needs a flavor boost!

Is there anything else I need to know?

Heinz Mayochup 3

Mayo-based sauces tend to be a little on the viscous side, but this stuff is super thick! As in, thick enough to hold its shape thick. It’s great on bread and stuff, but might be a little hard to scoop up like a dip without causing whatever you’re dipping in it to break or bend.

Conclusion:

Even if you’re part of the population that’s never enjoyed a ketchup/mayo combo in any of its many interpretations, Heinz’s Mayochup definitely deserves a spot in your fridge. Once it’s there, you’re going to find yourself reaching for it more often than you think. Trust me.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 16.5 oz. bottle
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 tablespoons) 160 calories, 16 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 4 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 3 grams of total sugars, 3 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread

Matt 6 Comments

Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread

Hybrids are all the rage right now. Half-electric/half-gasoline cars are zipping around our roads, bakeries are selling Cronuts by the dozen, and scientists have successfully merged blobfish DNA with the human genome to create a hybrid known as “Kim Kardashian.”

It was only a matter of time before mankind witnessed a fusion of two of the most delicious foods: cookies and butter.

Okay, okay. Cookie butter isn’t technically a hybrid of cookies and butter, but it’s close enough. If you believe otherwise, I encourage you to watch the forthcoming televised debate on the topic between Paula Deen and Cookie Monster: Speculoos Exposed.

Strangely, Jif’s new Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread doesn’t actually label itself a cookie butter, even though “cocoa cookies” are one of its main ingredients. It seems similar to Trader Joe’s Cookies & Creme cookie butter, which I shamelessly ate straight from the jar. This Jif spread needs to be just as delicious if it’s going to be worth my time.

Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread 2

Cracking open the lid reveals a swirl of cookies ‘n cream and hazelnut spreads, with a scent evoking Oreo cookies and Nutella — a good sign, for sure. Texturally, it’s not as thick as Nutella, or even peanut butter, but the consistency is standard for a cookie butter.

I held myself back from voraciously attacking the jar and tasted the two spreads individually.

Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread 3

Light gray and speckled with little black bits of cookie, the cookies ‘n cream spread is incredible for one reason alone — it tastes like melted Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme candy bars. Jif really nailed this flavor. The cookie bits mixed throughout provide a satisfying crunch without feeling too gritty, complementing the spread’s blend of chocolate flavor and sweet creaminess.

Sadly, the hazelnut spread is a disappointment. In comparison to Nutella, the gold standard of all hazelnut spreads, it feels too oily. Though hazelnut can be detected in its flavor, the cocoa flavor is stressed and reminds of cheap chocolate. In addition, as the hazelnut spread is swallowed, it lingers in the back of the throat, resulting in a mild stinging sensation that’s more unsettling than that song Hulk Hogan wrote for a dying child.

Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread 4

I tried the spread on a waffle, fresh from the toaster. As the hazelnut and cookies ‘n cream parts of the spread mixed together, the flavors merged, making it hard to notice the hazelnut spread’s undesirable qualities. Sadly, the creamy aspects of the cookies ‘n cream component were also drowned out, resulting in an uninspired cocoa flavor. I don’t think I would be able to identify the blended spread as cookies ‘n cream in a blind taste test, as it’s closer to a cheap Nutella knockoff with a heavier chocolate flavor.

That dang hazelnut swirl ruined everything. Jif really would have been better off marketing an entire jar of the cookies ‘n cream spread by itself.

I guess I’ll have to get my fix of cookies and butter somewhere else. Ya know, I’ve been meaning to try out a recipe I found in an early copy of Paula Deen’s next cookbook: “Southern-style frozen butter patties dipped in Oreo cookie crumbs.” Mmm, I can taste my arteries clogging.

(Nutrition Facts – 2 Tbsp. – 210 calories, 120 calories from fat, 13 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)

Item: Jif Cookies ‘n Cream Hazelnut Spread
Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 13 oz.
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pros: Cookies ‘n cream component tastes like the Hershey’s candy bar. Spread has a satisfying crunch from cookie bits. Paula Deen debating a Muppet.
Cons: Spread feels oily. Hazelnut component tastes cheap, leaves stinging sensation in back of throat. Hazelnut ruins the cookies ‘n cream flavor when they combine. The fact that Hulk Hogan’s music album never went platinum.