Spice Beast

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I was recently approached to give my observations and impressions of a line of spices being offered to folks in the health/bodybuilding life style, I am both an executive chef and bodybuilding enthusiast. The product boasts a healthier profile that grocery store offerings. The products are Organic, Non-irradiated, Gluten free, sugar free and boast no preservatives. They also state “boldly” on the label “16 G Protien”. I will first evaluate the products based on label information only, I will then use them in a variety of ways giving personal opinions as I do… I may be somewhat qualified to give my opinions..lol…
I was sent four of the Spice Beast flavors to evaluate… Ocean’s Seven, Power Mex, Meat Madness and Beast Prep. They were shipped very securely and well cushioned. The labels are quite eye catching. Contents are listed clearly and suggestions for use given. I find the nutritional facts labeling to be a bit small and hard to read but I have old eyes.
The first thing you notice about the Spice Beast seasonings is the packaging. IT”S GLASS!!! This is stellar. Plastics can degrade the flavor profiles of spices over time. The glass container also gives better protection with regard to humidity changes and therefore the “shake” ability of the spices within. The products have good color, upon opening they were aromatic and pleasant, old spices pick up a musty in the jar smell and sometimes are “plasticky” none of that was present with these glass jars. A quick taste of each revealed a different distinct flavor for each. All seem to remain well mixed with the exception of the ocean’s seven, as it is the blend which contains the greatest amount of “leafy” ingredients’ this is expected as it will settle during shipping. A few good vigorous shakes and the product was again well mixed.
So, how do they stack up against other seasonings? None of the four contains any fat, no surprise there. What is surprising is the lack of any anti-caking agents, artificial colors or preservatives. The label boasts 16g protein, but that’s NOT a per serving amount so may be a bit misleading. In actuality there is .13 g per serving and 16g in the whole container. The protein added is organic pea protein, good quality, and it will act as the anti caker keeping the mix from sticking together in humid conditions, a pretty smart way to go. A big surprise to me was the low sodium content of the spices. All four range between 74 mg and 230 mg per serving, as a comparison the same serving of Lawry’s season salt would run 380 mg sodium. All are listed at 1 to 2 calories per serving, here’s the danger…. How many of us will measure out ? tsp? This is the size per serving listed. Now that may be plenty on a 4 oz chicken breast but how many of us are taking in protein only 4 ounces at a time? So these numbers would be speculative depending on your current diet.
So far I am impressed…. I will be cooking with them daily and will update you on my findings…

A1
 
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I wonder about pricing as compared to store bought seasonings?
I live in Montreal Seasoning and Dales Marinade.
 
I wonder about pricing as compared to store bought seasonings?
I live in Montreal Seasoning and Dales Marinade.

I'm sorry to say I can't answer this one, as a trial they simply sent me the four, let me see what they say...
 
MEAT MADNESS...

spice #1
The blend tastes very mild but has body. The flavors blend well, none over powers the others. The flavor is pleasant and warm.

started by using the recommended 1/4 tsp. To keep things level I used 4 oz. portions

Chicken... the 1/4 tsp. seasoned the chicken well, tasted good, left me wanting a little more something

Pork... the 1/4 tsp. seasoned the pork ok but I felt a touch more would have been better, again very pleasant taste

Beef... here I felt that doubling the portion of seasoning was necessary, but keep in mind that at 151 mg sodium per serving the 302mg used was still far less sodium than 1 portion of Lawry's at 1/4 tsp.

Salmon...here I was left wanting a bit. The rich oil content of the salmon didn't work well with the seasoning, I'm thinking that a lighter fish, bass or cod may accept the flavor better.

The big surprise... This seasoning was EXCELLENT on grilled vegetable!!!! zucchini, eggplant, asparagus and tomatoes all tasted vibrant and fresh, I mixed the spice into olive oil to toss the veggies before grilling.

Over all I liked this flavor, it is a great base from which to build. If you go a little heavier than the recommended serving size I think you'll have better results
 
I'm not sure if I should link to there home page here.... I'm actually reviewing as requested by suppz.com but I can say that they appear to be priced between $9.99 and $13.50 for a 5.5 oz jar..
 
That sounds somewhat expensive for that quantity. Or am I wrong? Not sure what 5+ ounces looks like.
 
Beast Prep... spice #2

The blend tastes very mild but has body. The flavors blend well, Garlic takes the forefront in the blend. The flavor is pleasant and warm.

started by using the recommended 1/4 tsp. To keep things level I used 4 oz. portions

Chicken.... the 1/4 tsp portion did well, for my tastes a bit more would have been perfect

Pork... the 1/4 tsp was pleasant, the flavors against the pork were great! but again I think a bit more is needed

Beef... the 1/4 tsp was not enough, I used a second portion and the results were significant, the spice blend was perfect for the beef

Sea bass... the 1/4 tsp was a good match, just enough spice to taste but let the flavor of the fish come through..

Grilled veggies... the 1/4 tsp was again mixed in oil and the veggies tossed in it before grilling. It was a good match to the veggies, gibing a pit of body.

The Beast prep would be a great blend to try if you are a food purist, that is to say you like a little flavor but want the natural flavor of your food not to be masked. I found that with this blend the flavors came out at 1/4 tsp but didn't pop until the second tsp was added.
 
That sounds somewhat expensive for that quantity. Or am I wrong? Not sure what 5+ ounces looks like.

5.5 oz. is a bottle relatively large compared to other blends. the bottle is about 4.5 inches tall and about 4 inches around. My guess is that even with daily use it would last about a month even being heavy handed, this is speculation though. I went shopping here in WI yesterday, a 4 oz. bottle of Lawry's cost about $3.50

That was a good observation. I'm doing an evaluation for them and input is greatly appreciated!
 
Yeah, after I asked I went and checked the average size of tarragon, ground cumin, ginger, etc, .37oz, 2 oz. 4oz was the quantity in the bottle.
 
Both of the two I've logged so far have good flavor, excellent as a matter of fact. I think the downfall is that I am testing them against the labels suggested serving size. None of us is truly going to measure a 1/4 tsp. and then use only that. Last night I had a burger on the grill using the Meat Madness, can't say how much I used just shook till I felt it was right.... and it was a damn good burger.

To the average guy though you gotta look at the price. If your really hard core down with eating the healthiest you can you already know your paying through the nose for non GMO, non irradiated foods.....
 
I had never heard of this company or its products, thanks for the review.

They do seem pricey imo

I sprinkle Bragg's 'Premium Nutritional Yeast' Seasoning on lots of meals.
 
Im a dales meat marinade, Montreal Seasoning, and complete seasoning user. Loaded with sodium I'm sure. But they make meat taste so good. Veggies too.
 
all good choices gentleman, there sodium content is significant though...
 
Spice #3 Ocean's seven

By far the most complex blend sent. The ingredients being a mix of leafy herbs and fine ground spices needs to be shaken before each use as the ingredients tend to settle. My advice would be to store this one upside down on its lid, that way the lighter flakier ingredients wont be bunched up on top.

This is also the seasoning with the lowest sodium profile of all the spice blends.

chicken... the 1/4 tsp was nice, a bit mild but very flavorful, I saut?ed the chicken, baking may work better. There is a nice balance to the herbs.

Pork.. the 1/4 tsp wasn't quite enough, the pork's flavor came through but some of the underlying flavors in the spice were lost. Another shake and I was happy

Beef... didn't try it the label didn't mention it

Veal.... the 1/4 tsp seasoned this nicely, very full flavor very complimentary to the veal

Sea bass.... this is where the seasoning had its shining moment. the flavor was rich and delicious, the 1/4 tsp was probably enough but I dusted it just a bit more, very enjoyable.

Shrimp... another winner....
Tuna steak.... very nice

Grilled veggies... and again nice flavor at the 1/4 tsp but a touch more really made the dish

To date this is my favorite. the blend is well balanced, even though the sodium is way low it seasons the meats chosen nicely, very complimentary without masking the taste of the protein...

THIS ONE GETS A BIG THUMBS UP!!!!!!
__________________
 
Let me apologize for the gap but was busy with the holiday

Spice # 4 POWER MEX

The blend stays mixed well, it has a peppery earthy taste. Only 88 mg sodium. this is surprising because of the fullness in the seasonings flavor. My initial thought is that the blend would benefit from a bit of dry cumin or cilantro. During the trial I added a pinch of both and the result was very pleasant.

chicken... oddly the suggested 1/4 tsp flavored this nicely, the cumin and cilantro addition made the taste leap towards traditional Mexican food

Pork... here I added a touch more as the pork seemed to mask the light flavor, very pleasant got the same flavor result adding the cumin and cilantro

Beef... this was very successful but at twice the recommended serving size, I felt goo about it though as the sodium was still way under 200 mg. didn't need the added spice

shrimp.... touchdown, and with a squeeze of fresh lime juice the dish excelled
Halibut... spot on again adding the citrus juice, fresh tomato brightened the whole dish

as just a bit of fun we substituted this spice in our pico recipe, the result was outstanding...

I liked this blend very much, I do think though to get that truly MEX flavor cumin would be a nice addition
 
I've tried worse stuff that's for sure. The owner is a little disappointed, he expected a "wow this tastes good" review and got me instead...lol... but I promised I'd review this stuff honestly. Its good! but not strong enough at the suggested serving size, so that skews the number of servings per bottle as well as the sodium and protein claims.

I will definitely use the rest happily, and I'm jaded, guys with less training will find this stuff great...It does afterall really taste good when you use enough.
 
Epilog

My overall impression of the product is very very favorable. As a professional I am rather stingy with praise and I tend to be a touch too analytical, but I see the real value in this product line.

First, as individuals who care what goes into our bodies you can’t beat that these products are an Organic, natural, non-GMO, non-irradiated, gluten free, sugar free and no preservative added product line. Now let’s all be honest, we pay extra for eating this way. It's much harder to produce products of this quality and so they cost a tad more. The introduction of Pea protein as an anti-caking ingredient is genius!

Second, not all lifters have made a lifetime career creating food. Having the variety that this line puts forward makes it easy to season meals differently without a lot of time and effort. All the spice blends were very flavorful and very enjoyably different. If you read my whole log it appears that I wasn't happy with some, that is untrue! In my desire to be fact oriented I used the products as per the serving size listed on the bottle. Let’s be real though, when seasoning a meal how many of us will measure a 1/4 tsp??? No One!!! But as the sodium content of the product line is so low in comparison to other over market products I feel confident that the extra sprinkle of spice is still far healthier than those others.

Third, the pea protein. Although the overall gram/serving addition is small I think the important thing to note is the manufacturer added a healthy ingredient to solve a problem that is all too often corrected by adding substantial amounts of chemicals. I have had the blends open on a counter in my home for two weeks now and they are still as easy to sprinkle as the day the bottles were opened. Pea Protein... Genius!!

Fourth, the use of a glass bottle instead of plastic is awesome. No chemical transference. No alteration of flavor. Better protection against humidity and temperature change. It's a quality oriented extra step that this guy appreciates.

Finally and most important....FLAVOR! The blends deliver! None of the blends were overpowering, none had a single ingredient over shadow the rest, none had a bitter aftertaste. The blends are all very versatile. They are easy to use and as such add a little variety to your meal prep. Prep meals as you always have, leaving the spices out though, now you can shake on the flavor of the day as you eat, so although it’s the same chicken as yesterday it has a new appealing flavor.

So in the end I give this line two cheffly thumbs up!!!!
 
Interesting. I put spices in everything I eat including my shakes. Too bad these are not available here.
 

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