A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a new flavor tasting panel for YAWP! Bars at Weaver Street Market. I was really excited to be invited by Rebecca and Nathalie, since not only are YAWP! Bars Paleo (and delicious), but they’re also a locally made product. I love supporting small businesses as much as possible, and it’s really cool that a Paleo small business has popped up nearby my new home.
I had first experienced YAWP! Bars at the Ancestral Health Symposium, where they were given out as samples in our sweet gift bags. I had no idea when I tasted them that they were being produced just down the road in Hillsborough, NC, but I knew I liked them. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out they were made locally, and even more excited when the bars started popping up in my University cafes. Finding healthy food at the public health side of campus is challenging to say the least, and it’s nice to know there are Paleo options available in a pinch when I’m stuck on campus at meal time.
During the tasting, we got to try three different flavors that were potentially going to be made into available products. I personally liked all of them, but here are some of my thoughts on each:
Orange Cranberry
This flavor had freeze dried cranberries and orange oil as the two major hits of flavor. I was glad that they used cranberries that were free of added sugar and oil, since most dried cranberry ingredients use those to change the flavor and texture. The first thing I thought of was Christmas, since orange and cranberry are a traditional combination at my family’s holiday dinners. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of orange flavored things, but I know there are many people that love the orange-cranberry combination who would really enjoy this bar. They are trying to determine the best ratio of cranberry and orange to make the bar as tasty as possible.
Rosemary
This was an unexpected flavor choice but one that I really liked. My first thought was that it tasted like a cup of Earl Grey tea, which is one of my favorite tea flavors. However, Rebecca and Nathalie thought it might be difficult to sell a rosemary flavored bar, since most people associate rosemary with meat and other savory dishes. Rosemary is also a strong flavor that probably needs to be balanced with sweetness in some way. Some of our ideas were to add honey or dried fruit like figs or apricots. Personally I think it tasted pretty good as-is, but I also think rosemary and fig could be a really awesome flavor combination. I’m excited to see what the ladies decide to do with that flavor!
Mocha
For obvious reasons, this flavor was a big hit with the tasting crew. The major ingredients were cocoa powder, ground coffee, and ground vanilla bean. It was really delicious! I think it would be a great treat for coffee lovers who would like a biscotti replacement, or Paleo eaters who miss mochas and other flavored coffees. Some of the tasters suggested using a different type of coffee to take away some of the bitterness, but we all agreed that it was the best flavor of the three that we had tried. I really look forward to seeing this flavor on the shelves – I couldn’t get enough of it!
I want to thank Rebecca and Nathalie for inviting me to be part of the tasting panel. I really enjoyed learning about the process one goes through to develop a food product like that, and I hope I can be involved in their business efforts in the future. I’m also just excited for new YAWP! Bar flavors to be available on the shelf in the future!
What kind of flavors do you all like in a snack bar? Which of these flavors sound the best to you? Give me your feedback in the comments below!
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