Rachel’s probiotic yogurt is a healthy choice for breakfast, lunch or snacks. It’s so elegant, you can serve it as a casual dessert. Shown above: Plum Honey Lavender. Photo by Susan Fox | IST.
|
KAREN HOCHMAN is Editorial Director of THE NIBBLE.
|
|
March 2008
|
|
Rachel’s Wickedly Delicious Yogurt
Part II: Rachel’s Yogurt Flavors
This is Part II of a two-part article. Click on the black links below to return to Part I.
Flavors Of Rachel’s Yogurt
We really like these yogurts, but first, more beef. Would that the company had just presented us simply with 12 delicious flavors of yogurt. Instead, it has chosen to divide the flavors into two “lines,” the Essence Line and the Exotics Line. Both have the same ingredients and nutrition; the only difference is so arcane as to make no sense to the consumer. But Rachel’s is telling you that kiwi, guava, mango and pomegranate are “exotic”; while the familiar berry, peach and plum are combined with herb flavors to create “inspirational” essences. Hmm. We just want to eat a great yogurt!
One of our favorite flavors. But do we call it
“Glow” or “Berry Jasmine?” The dual
nomenclature did not charm our group of
tasters.
|
If that’s not enough, there’s inconsistency in the nomenclature. Pomegranate Açaí and Vanilla Chai, which sound pretty exotic to us, are in the Essence Line. And Cherry Black Currant, in the Exotic Line, hardly sounds exotic to us. Everyone tripped over the dual-nomenclature system of the Essence line, as you’ll note in the photo at the left. If we ask for them at the store, do we want “Glow” or “Berry Jasmine?” This New Age spa concept—naming yogurts Calm, Relax, Revive, etc.—does come from the U.K. It works in a situation like Airforce Nutrisoda, which is a functional food that actually has legitimate ingredients that do calm you, energize you, etc.
Questionable marketing decisions notwithstanding, at least the folks in product development have made these yogurts taste good. Let’s step away from the confusion and taste some yogurt.
|
Essence Yogurt Line
This line claims these are “blissful blends custom-crafted to suit your mood,” and promises that “inspiration awaits.” What does await are some lovely flavors, off the beaten track. While the flavors add secondary notes, except for the Vanilla Chai, where the chai is the main event, the notes were not evident—but no complaints. The prevailing flavors were, for the most part, excellent, and the quality of the yogurt caresses the palate.
- Calm ~ Plum Honey Lavender. There’s no particular evidence of honey or lavender, but the delightful plumminess is its own reward. A favorite.
- Glow ~ Berry Jasmine. Those who want their classic berry yogurt will find it here, a rich, full-flavored blend of raspberry and blackberry. No jasmine flavor was detected; one would need a lot of it to overcome the strong berry favors. A lovely lavender color, and a favorite.
- Refresh ~ Pink Grapefruit Lychee. We love both grapefruit and lychee, so were disappointed by this flavor. Tasted on three different occasions, it offers a pleasant creaminess and a slightly pink-tinged yogurt. But there’s only the slightest hint of grapefruit, and lychee, a very delicate flavor to begin with, doesn’t have a chance.
- Relax ~ Vanilla Chai. This flavor is a delight, and the standout of the line. An ecru color with specks of spice, and a subtle chai flavor that leaves the vanilla behind, will truly inspire chai lovers that someone got this flavor right.
- Revive ~ Peach Green Tea. It’s peachy...it’s even orangey. Maybe there’s some green tea there. Overall, a pretty flavor.
|
We cheer for Vanilla Chai—or should we be
rooting for Relax?
|
- Vitality ~ Pomegranate Açaí. Pomegranate makes a great juice and sorbet, but in our experience, doesn’t assert itself as well in other foods. This flavor is pleasant, but not a favorite. It does contain actual pomegranate juice and açaí, but in term of how much antioxidant value there is in yogurt, we’ll have to wait until the FDA releases guidelines and manufacturers add antioxidant units to their nutrition labels.
To sum up our personal favorites from this group (in fact, from the entire line): Berry Jasmine, Plum Honey Lavender and Vanilla Chai.
Exotic Yogurt Line
The Exotics are so-called because most of the flavors incorporate “exotic” tropical fruits. Perhaps these are exotic in the U.K. where Rachel’s hails from, but you need to live somewhere pretty far afoot in the U.S. to think of a kiwi, mango, passionfruit or pomegranate as exotic—anyone living in a town with a Latino population can find guava, and Marionberry is just a breed of Oregon blackberry. The flavors include:
- Cherry Black Currant. A pale-lavender yogurt with prevailing cherry flavor, we don’t taste the currants, but perhaps they help balance the cherries.
Pineapple-flavored yogurt is certainly pleasant, if not “exotic.”
|
- Kiwi Passion Fruit Lime. This is one of the more anemic flavors, although pleasant tasting and a pretty, light-lemon color. Focus very hard and you’ll find the slightest hint of kiwi and lime, but no tart passion fruit. It needs to make a statement of any kind.
- Mango Pineapple Passion Fruit. Mango has top billing in this banana-colored yogurt, and there appear to be flecks of mango throughout. But it is the pineapple that takes the flavor lead, seconded by the pleasant tartness of the passion fruit.
- Marionberry Guava. This pink-colored yogurt with a pleasant, light blackberry flavor (Marionberry is a variety of Oregon blackberry). The guava didn’t shine through. Nice as it is, we’d go for the Berry Jasmine in the Essence Line, for a stronger berry hit—unless, of course, your preference is for a lighter berry taste.
|
- Orange Strawberry Mango. Mango must be a tough flavor to infuse, because it keeps getting lost in these blends. You will, however, get good orange and strawberry flavors here.
- Pomegranate Blueberry. We like this blend better than the Pomegranate Açaí of the Essence Line. The blueberry adds more punch.
Try Rachel’s. “Wickedly Delicious” or just delightfully different. We think you’ll like it.
RACHEL’s YOGURT
Twelve Flavors
Certified kosher OU (Dairy)
Available at fine retailers
nationwide.
Price and product availability are
verified at publication but are
subject
to change.
For more information, visit
RachelsDairy.com.
|
 |
© Copyright 2005-
2008
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
|
|
|
|
