In my last order I wanted to try out the new bars, but I missed the part of the shop where you could order singles, and I wasn’t about to buy a whole box of bars that I potentially didn’t like, having learned my lesson on caution from the last round of bars I tried from Huel. But then I read a comment on here, saying that there was a singles option… #rant start
When you only have 2 versions of a bar, why the frick don’t you list box and singles options under the actual product tab?? It makes 0 sense to me from a UI perspective, I mean, this must be some blunder that this isn’t done better. #rant stop
The product pictures for the bars look great and the description equally so.
Product image vs. real life
So the “caramel” to bar ratio isn’t quite living up to the nice product images, but what about the taste?
They are remarkedly similar (chocolate caramel and peanut caramel) in taste, with the distinction on actual chopped nuts in the peanut one. They are better than the previous versions of Huel bars I had tried, those I could hardly finish, these are one step up from that.
There is still a weird aftertaste I can’t quite pinpoint, nor discern and describe in any meaningful way, other than to say it’s there.
I live in the countryside and after each harvest, hay is left over on the fields to dry, before being baled and it’s sort of that smell of drying hay that I can taste(See I told you it was weird)…
Texture is very similar to what I remember from the older bars, albeit a little softer, but it almost reminds of me a proteinpowder, with very little liquid mixed in. Like if you would make a batter out of a proteinpowder.
I won’t be rebuying these, I’d rather go with a granola type bar for a quick snack.
TLDR; Ok-ish, best version so far, caramel ratio and look is quite disappointing and product images look a lot better than real life.
Here are some more images, showing just how little caramel is in there, throughout the bar. Idk if this is a production issue or if this by design…
You’re welcome and sorry it isn’t more positive, I know you are trying.
I would probably look to use freezedried fruit as flavoring. I use it when making icecream and even a little, easily masks some of the less pleasant flavors of making vegan icecream.
The main isssue I have with the bars I’ve tried from Huel so far, is that the base flavor of all the “healthy” stuff you put in there to hit your nutritional values, have an off putting flavor that needs to be masked(in my opinion) and while this new version is a step up as I mentioned, there are still some of those off notes in there, things I don’t even associate with food, which isn’t ideal, when it comes to something you want me to pay for and actually eat
As mentioned before, I’ll gladly sign up for testing and giving you some feedback on products.
I’ve been vegan for 15 years now(before it was cool) and I’ve done a plethora of veganizing the things I used to like to eat and experimenting with food, from making my own seitan steaks, icecream(from coconut, nuts and seeds), cheeses(from month long fermenting of nuts with real cultures)
I’ve even started my own amateur mycology “lab” so I can grow exotic mushrooms that I can’t buy anywhere, which have opened my eyes even further to plantbased flavors as different mushrooms really have vastly different flavor profiles.
The marketing photos definitely sex them up a bit, but I feel the taste of them matches the visuals The photos lead you to believe the caramel is like a Mars bar, which it definitely is not in real life. However, the only time I didn’t enjoy one of the new bars was when I ate one a few mins after delivery, so it was still hard (still not as rock solid as Huel’s old brick-like bars though).
Personally, I thought the Peanut one was alright – enjoyable, not really gooey. But man oh man, I adore the Chocolate Caramel ones. You know that old guy in Spongebob Squarepants who yells at everyone in the street? That would be me, trying to express to people how gorgeous the Chocolate Caramel bars are. Just ordered singles of the 2 new flavours – will update you after delivery!
Not to derail this thread, but I’d be curious to see and hear more about your mushroom lab.
Yeah the caramel is pretty much none existent in the bars, but more over texture and taste is just a bummer for me, as mentioned, it feels like a proteinpowder batter bar covered in chocolate
I’ve been growing for about half a year now and as I usually do, I went completely overboard to the point I now have a grow tent in my living room and about 60 different mushroom cultures, some cultured from found specimens in nature, others bought from around the world.
Currently growing 20 odd different species, including different oyster strains, pioppino, chestnuts, lions mane, beefsteak, a handfuld of different agaricus species, nameko, umbrella polypore, chicken of the woods, shiitake, maitake, fukitake, shiemjis, enokis and a couple more I probably forgot about
These look incredible! Your home must be very interesting to live in. I feel like if the lions mane began rapidly reproducing, humanity could have some trouble with tribbles.
Insane how many different cultures you have. Love it. Is there a particular resource you used to get started? And any particular species of fungi you consumed and now never want to consume again?
Thanks I’ve gotten so many comments from friends and family about my mushrooms shelves and not to mention the growroom in my living room, so yeah, definitely something out of the ordinary. Yeah, I am reminded of a very old horror movie called “Critters” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLjm6-F0jJw
Once I started diving in, I found out that there were so many cultures available out there and I also started a lot from mushrooms I’ve found. We have our own forest, so that has been great in supplying specimens for cultivation.
I started on youtube north spore, fresh from the farm fungi, renegade mushrooms, phillygolden teacher, field & forest products, southwest mushrooms and probably some more I forgot about. Then I’ve used the gourmet section of shroomery.org, which has a ton of knowledge and research papers.
Everything that I’ve grown so far has been a success in terms of taste and it’s so versatile. The big lions manes can become steaks(which I did for my last birthday) and was a huge success with everyone, and they couldn’t believe it was mushrooms. I vacuum packed them a day ahead in a nice marinade with herbs and spices and then cooked them before serving
The king trumpets can be sliced and seared just like scallops or shredded, smoked and mixed with spices and bbq sauce for a pulled pork type.
Mushrooms really does have that nice unique umami flavor that you really can’t get anywhere else but in meat.
The photos lead you to believe the caramel is like a Mars bar, which it definitely is not in real life. However, the only time I didn’t enjoy one of the new bars was when I ate one a few mins after delivery, so it was still hard (still not as rock solid as Huel’s old brick-like bars though).
