Ahoy Sailors!
Today I would like to give a review of a product I found that I think is very good for stocking on a
boat. I am writing about
food in the
Philippines, and am a "foodie" so I care about good flavor, texture, and
food ingredients.
I have eaten this product and found the product surprisingly good. In fact, it was so good I thought of my friends on CF and so am making this report or review.
See the attached photos for product packages.
This product is an American brand and made in America. I am currently in the
Philippines, and found this in a local grocery store. My cost was just Php 14 (14 Philippine pesos) or about USD $.28 (28 cents). After months of eating local foods, I was ready for a taste of something from
Texas or America, so this brand caught my eye and so I bought it to try. I am glad I did.
The food comes in good packaging, a thick plastic/foil pouch or packet that looks durable and is non rusting, unlike a can. Tear open, so no can opener needed.
Each container hold a
single portion of 100 grams of food. This is enough for a
single serving if you eat this product as a "side" or with other foods. If this is intended to be the sole item of a meal, I think two pouches will satisfy most. If you are really hungry try three.
A good thing about this pouch is that it can be placed in hot
water to heat the food. The label says to let it sit for one minute in hot
water. I found it takes about 3 minutes to heat thoroughly.
Ok, enough about the pouch. What about the flavor and texture?
Hunts Pork BBQ & Beans
The Hunts Pork BBQ & Beans has the best flavor and texture I have ever eaten from any "canned"
commercial product! It is outstanding! I say this after having tried many brands of BBQ beans or baked beans or Pork & Beans. My opinion is this is the best I have ever tasted! But why?
I was really surprised at the quality of the food. I lived for years in
Texas, and the American Southeast, where BBQ beans are a matter of pride for BBQ cooks. This Hunts product reminded me of some of the best BBQ Beans I have had in famous BBQ joints in Kansas City. The sauce has a definite "smoke" flavor, with a nice mix of sweetness and spice (pepper). So the sauce is very tasty. The real surprise was the amount of flaked meat in the sauce. Yes, there are real bits of pork BBQ in the sauce with these beans. So much meat that it really reminded me of restaurant quality BBQ Beans. I was truly impressed.
I made a meal of two pouches, eaten with a few saltine crackers and a smear of some
New Zealand butter (Anchor brand, another sailor favorite). Heated in a pot of hot water. Delicious!
On another occasion I ate two pouches "cold" or simply spooning it from the pouch to mouth. It was still delicious this way too. So, this product would be good for those times when you are on watch and want something to eat that is simple and convenient to have with no preparation or
cooking required. In fact, it occurred to me this would fit easily and comfortably in a foul
weather coat pocket. And could be eaten without a spoon, after tearing the pouch and simply pouring the contents into mouth. Very simple.
Fat = 3.5 grams per serving (100g)
Protein = 5 grams
Note: this product label says one ingredient is MSG. This is commonly found in processed foods I have seen in th Philippines. Another ingredient is TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein, but that is lesser amount than real pork meat on the label.
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Hunts Chili Beef and Beans
Similar to the review of the product above. See above comments on packaging.
Flavor & Texture?
The texture of this product is more "soupy" or thinner in consistency.
The flavor has a nice "medium" spicyness. Not too hot to leave a burning sensation, just a bit of mouth tingle. But, it is that
chile flavor that makes it taste like a good
chile sauce or soup.
At first I was a little disappointed in the texture, as I had hoped for a thicker chile for a meal.
Flavor?
is the flavor that makes this worthy of
buying and stocking on a
boat. Without a doubt, this small package delivers a good robust "chile" flavor that should satisfy most, especially if you are craving some Tex Mex or Western or Mexican flavors in your shipboard diet. Because this has a thinner texture, I recommend eating this served over some rice or canned beans to add some body. I have tried many canned chiles and this one has a very good flavor, much better than some.
I heated two pouches in hot water, poured them into a bowl, ate it up with a piece of bread and a few saltine crackers. Two pouches was a good serving for a man. Three would have filled me up. The sauce was so tasty I cleaned the bowl with the bread. That is a sign of a good sauce flavor.
Fat = 3 g
Protein = 8 g
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Good tasting food on a boat is one of the most important things for keeping crew morale high, and it certainly beats the alternative. Having a stock of these pouches aboard is likely to satisfy most crew who want something easy to fix, or something easy to eat. Add some more texture with more beans, some crackers and you have a satisfying inexpensive, easy to store, easy to prepare meal.
I hope you found this review helpful.
Re: Good Food, Good Flavor, Good Value, Good Packaging
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