Taste Test

“Sampies!” Aka, free samples, is the first thought that comes to my mind when my husband suggests we go to Trader Joes.  Isn’t it the best when you get to try a food (or anything for that matter) without having to invest in the whole thing?  But really, I enjoy tasting foods at any time.  It can be a little dangerous for me with food allergies, but as long as the ingredients are good to go, I’m all about a little taste test. I especially love the idea of comparing similar foods.  Comparing and contrasting the textures, the look and form.  It’s like being in your own little test kitchen.  

Often when I look down an aisle in a grocery store and I see how many different types of crackers there are, or pizzas, or even sauces and I think, “which one is the best?” A lot of the time we buy what’s on sale or we get what we have always gotten from the store.  But, every once in a while we get something new, just to see if we like it better.  Sometimes it’s great , but other times we get burned, wishing we had stuck with the usual.  The usual.  How boring is that?!?  Even though I don’t like to get burned, I would rather try something new and hate it, because then I know more about what I like.  Plus the next time I try something new, I might love it!

While this isn’t in the works just yet, I am pretty sure one of these ideas below is going on the calendar. A great idea for a spring get together…a taste testing party.  Everyone brings an assigned item, or they could sign up from a given list.   There would be an abundance of “sampies.” If you don’t like it, no worries! It was only a taste, not a whole box. There’s just enough to go around, so no left-overs.  And, depending on what’s being sampled, there is potential for quite a party!

Here are my top five testing items I would like to try out:

1. Local IPA’s/Beer

We have a ton of local breweries where we live and there is ample access to microbreweries around the country.  But, how do you know that you want to invest in a whole four or six pack?  There are specialty stores where you can just get a can at a time, but they are usually four or more dollars each.  That adds up quick!  However, if everyone brings a six pack and divides it up to shot-glass size portions, that’s a lot of variety for a little $$.

Another reason why I think a taste testing party for beer would be great is that I have a hard time nailing down what it is about a beer that I like.  Maybe I should, but I currently don’t write down notes about why I liked particular beers, I just remembered that I liked them. It’s even harder to remember when it’s a week or two between beers.  So I find myself going “ahhhh” when the shop-keep at the craft beer store asks what I look for in a beer.  Quick comparisons within hours of each other rather than days would definitely allow someone to figure out what they like. 

2.  Ice cream

Another thing that we have a lot of in New England, creameries.  There are five within 10 minutes of our house.  Seeing that each of theses places has 30 or so flavors, I would limit the testing to the classics (chocolate and vanilla) and maybe one standout from each creamery.  Throwing two or three store-bought brands into the mix would make for the ultimate taste test.  Is it worth it to wait in line during the summer, or should you just grab your icy treat at the store? We’ll find out soon enough!

3.  Pizza

New England is not known for its pizza like Chicago or New York, but some of the local joints have put their own spin on the pie, creating a devout customer base.  We don’t have Papa John’s, used to have Papa Gino’s, but we do have Dominos.  So with a few store-bought brands, Dominos and a couple of the local joints, you have the makings of a great tasting for families.  What parent of a finicky eater doesn’t want to know which pizza their child will eat?  The best thing about pizza, there is a pie for everyone. 

4.  Vegetables

If you are thinking that it’s a crazy idea to taste test vegetables, I imagine you have been scarred by a veggie experience in the past.  Sand in your kale? Bug in your salad? Frozen block of spinach? My parents were very frugal and practical. I can still see the block of spinach sitting in the microwave bowl before dinner from when I was a kid.  I wasn’t open to spinach again until my mid-twenties.

Once you get past the fact that bugs are an inevitable part of life and that when cooked the right way vegetables can be delightful, you can open up to the idea of a taste testing of vegetables. Some are even delicious raw!

The reason vegetables are on my top five taste testing party ideas is that there are so many vegetables and so many ways to cook them.  Exploring them on your own and finding the recipes that work for you and your family takes too long.  Once you figure out that your picky-eater eight year old actually loves roasted asparagus (but no other type of asparagus), he’s 18 and leaving for college or the Marines.  The kids may not try as much as we would want them to at the party, but its better than nothing. 

5.  Wine 

I know, wine tasting is so cliche, but so what?  To be honest, I would love to do bourbon, Irish whiskey, scotch testing, but it is harder to do ($$$) and at lot easier to get schnookered. It’s on my list, but further down.   For  longer-lasting party enjoyment, wine is the way to go.  The one criteria I would put in place for this testing would be that the wine has to be from a grape or contain grapes (for blends) that aren’t one of the top sellers (i.e. Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah), just to make it a little more interesting.  Throwing in a bit of cheese testing with this would really hit the spot, too!

I think these would make great party ideas, but if I was just hanging out at home with the family, here are a couple more I would like to try:

  1. Fries: Five Guys vs McDonalds vs Wendy’s vs Burger King
  2. Cheese Crackers: Cheezits vs Cheese Nips vs Better Cheddar
  3. Girl Scout Cookies:  Little Brownie Baker vs ABC Baker (this takes some advance planning!)
  4. Licorice:  Twizzlers vs Red Vine vs Lucky Country
  5. Donuts:  Honey Dew vs Dunkin vs Kanes vs Top Donut vs Market Baske
  6. Malt Balls:  Whoppers vs Maltesers

What taste tests have you done?  What do you want to try? If and when we have this party, I’ll definitely share out the results!  Happy testing and tasting!!