Tag: giveaway

I’ve got a fabulous culinary treat for you all today with my review of the April Irish Taste Club box plus an extra special coupon for 10% off when you sign up (use code therapy10).

The awesome folks from Irish Taste Box, graciously sent me a box to review for you all.  I love international food boxes so I was excited to give this one a shot.

A little about the sub:

“Each month, Irish Taste Box will send  7-9 sweet and savory products including handmade chocolate, artisan jams and chutneys, baking mixes, and specialty condiments sourced directly from Ireland’s finest independent producers. Each box will feature an explainer card giving exclusive recipes for our products and the inspirational stories behind their producers. It’s like an Irish farmers’ market direct to your door!”

Irish Taste Box is based in the west of Ireland and one of their core values is to help small Irish producers get a new route to market and a chance to showcase Ireland’s best outside of the island.  For many or the included products/producers the Irish Taste Box will be the first time they have been sold outside of Ireland.

The cost is $44 per month, $120 for 3 months, or $420 for 12 months.

I love learning about small makers and trying new foods so I’m excited to dive into this one.
The lovely packaging includes a detailed card, explaining each items and including recipes and hints on how to use the products.

O’Donnell’s Mature Cheese and Onion Crisps
(Estimated Retail: $1.80)
Description: “You call them potato chips in the US.  We call them crisps in Ireland.  Either way, no-one can quibble over the taste of these beauties.  They’re the real deal wmade with cheddar from the Little Milk company in Tipperary.  Who can resist finishing the whole bag once they’ve opened them?  Why not go really native and try them in a white bread sandwich with Your Daily Bread kit?  Now you’re talking!”.
Verdict:  Where can I find more!
These were so very delicious.  When we ate them my boyfriend turned to me and asked “Where can we get more of these?”  Unfortunately these seem hard to come by.  I did hunt down what appears to be a match over at foodireland.com, but it is out of stock.  I’d love to see Irish Taste Club start offering an option to buy the foods from boxes on their site.  As an aside, why is it that America is considered such a fatty country with the worst junk food, when the UK puts chips/crisps on white bread and turns it into a sandwich? Although Taco Bell does put Doritos in like everything, so okay.…you win this round.

Follain Whiskey Marmalade
(Suggested Retail: $7.99)
Description: “What is it about proper marmalade with just a jigger of the ‘water of life’ in it that makes you want to eat it by the spoon straight from the jar? Follain jams and preserves are mad with masses of fruit so they taste as close to homemade as you can get.  Try this one in our Marmalade Bread and Butter Pudding recipe and you’ll have lots left in the jar for toast at breakfast time.”
Verdict: Hit!
My mornings would probably be a lot better with a touch of whiskey in my breakfast.  The included recipe for Marmalade Bread and Butter pudding sounds intriguing, but I may end up using this instead for a shortbread tart recipe that I make.  Oddly enough I found this product available at Walmart, so if I fall in love with it, it should be easy to replenish.

Red Rooster Coffee
(Suggested Retail: $???)
Description: “Ready to taste the best small batch roasted coffee in Ireland? It’s a blend of three different beans from Colombia, Ethiopia and Kenya.  They got a four-page letter from one grateful customer for what they call their ‘all-rounder’ coffee.  You don’t have to go that far, but a comment on our Facebook/Twitter might get you a free bag in your next box.”
Verdict:  Like!
I’m not a huge coffee drinker, so I passed this one along to my Mom. I do think it was a great item to include and that most subscribers would really enjoy it.  It looks like you can order from Red Rooster but you’d have to buy two bags and that would cost you $20 American, but I’m not sure of the size, so I couldn’t really guess at a retail value on this.  The included card also listed “5 rules for a perfect cup” and #1 was never put your coffee in the fridge.  So many people have told me that’s the best place to keep coffee but it seems they were wrong.  My sub boxes teach me something new every day.

Harnett’s Blackberry Vinaigrette
(Suggested Retail: $5.77)
Description: “The Harnett family’s oils are justifiably renowned for their great flavors.  They’ve been growing oilseed rape and hemp on their land for 400 years.  There they have combined their award-winning rapeseed vinegar and local Armagh blackberries to make a dressing that’s perfect for winter salads.  We also love it drizzled over grilled fish and roasted vegetables”.
Verdict:  Hit!
Vinaigrette’s are my go to salad dressing and I’m exciting to try some from a farm that’s been growing on their land for 400 years. Time to stalk my Pinterest boards for some summer salad recipes that feature blackberries.

Our Daily Bread Soda Bread
(Estimated Retail $5.48)
Description: “The Irish tradition of yeast-free breads goes back millennia.  Soda bread is eaten for breakfast topped with sausage, bacon and egg and toasted at any time of the day.  This kit takes out the faff of measuring and weighing.  We think it’s a great idea and we love that you bake it in the container.  It’s home baking with the hassle.”
Verdict:  Love!
I love baking so an Irish Soda bread kit is right up my alley.  The estimated retail is the value of just this one bread, but in order to purchase this from the link provided, you need to buy sets of 3 and shipping outside the UK/Northern Ireland would cost you a bit more, so it’s not entirely accurate for cost.

Irish Atlantic Chilli and Paprika Sea Salt
(Estimated Retail: $9.99)
Description: “The Wild Atlantic Way is a rich larder.  The sea salt form this company is gathered from the western shores of Ireland and some is sold au naturel.  They also smoke it and add herbs and spices like these.  The Chilli and Paprika variety is great as a seasoning on just about anything but we particularly like it with pasta and on grilled fish, chicken and meat..”
Verdict:  Hit!
I love getting seasonings in boxes.  It’s a great way to get the flavors of another locale and you get so much use out of them.  I think this will pair really well with chicken recipes.  The included card had a recipe for flavored butter using this salt as well.

Cocoa Bean Rose and Pistachio Chocolate
Description: “We’re a nation of explorers and we’re always finding new flavor combinations on our travels. This combination has a Middle Eastern vibe which we love.  It’s like Turkish Delight without the goo, so say the good people who make it in Dingle, Co. Kerry.  Eat this in big chunks straight from the packet, with a cup of coffee.  It won’t last!”
(Estimated Retail: $3.55)
Verdict: Exactly like Turkish Delight, disappointing
Turkish Delight sounds so amazing and wondrous and mysterious.  Like a candy that promises happiness and wish fulfillment.  Sadly, it sounds so much better than it tastes, which is like gelatinous roses.  Unfortunately this bar is just as disappointing. It has too much rose and not enough pistachio, which leaves it without much crunch and tasting like someone spilled perfume on chocolate.  I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn’t for me.  It’s definitely a unique product though and I had fun trying it out.

OVERALL

Verdict:  Hit!
This box really gave me a feel for what kind of food folks in Ireland produce and enjoy.  I thought the box had a nice mix of sweet and savory items, and the included recipes and hints on how to use the products really added to the experience.

It’s very hard to get an overall estimated retail value because so many of these items would need to be purchased internationally with higher shipping, or in sets of multiple items.

I received this box for free, but it would have cost me $44.  I think that’s fair price for all the items it included.  You’d be hard-pressed to find artisanal handmade food products in the US, in each of the categories represented, that total $44.

People always assume that I’m Irish (or Scottish) and I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland so I can finally learn what it’s like to blend in.  Until I save up for airfare, this box was a great way to get a little taste of Ireland in my NJ apartment.

Do you enjoy trying new foods from different countries?

SUBSCRIPTION THERAPY NEWS!
We’ve still got a great giveaway for a free Orglamix May box.  Enter between now and June 13^th!  Check here for all the details.

THE BACKSTORY
Each month, Irish Taste Box will send  7-9 sweet and savory products including handmade chocolate, artisan jams and chutneys, baking mixes, and specialty condiments sourced directly from Ireland’s finest independent producers. Each box will feature an explainer card giving exclusive recipes for our products and the inspirational stories behind their producers.
It’s like an Irish farmers’ market direct to your door!

Cost: $44 per month, $120 for 3 months, or $420 for 12 months.

Coupon Codes: Use therapy10 for 10% off