The Soledad nut blend: almonds, flax seed and dates with a touch of balsamic vinegar and cayenne pepper.
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MELODY LAN is a member of THE NIBBLE™ editorial staff .
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August 2006
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Sahale Snacks™
Nut Blends With Ethnic Twists
CAPSULE REPORT: Sahale Snacks is a line of all-natural nut snack mixes made with exciting international seasonings. The sweet-savory combinations are addicting for their fresh, crunchy nuts and chewy, dried fruits; and for the gorgeous colors and shapes that look beautiful in a bowl. The point, though, is that they can be enjoyed on-the-go.
When we looked at the ingredients list of the Sahale Snacks line, we anticipated grab-and-go snacks that were more interesting than the usual store-bought kinds. They include not-so-average ingredients like balsamic vinegar, dried papaya, saké, Moroccan harissa spice, pumpkin seeds and dried figs. After we placed all the flavors side by side and opened them, we hoped for the best and snacked on. Our hopes were answered. The mixes exceeded our expectations: exciting and glamorous nibbles that are equally at home at cocktail parties and at casual gatherings.
Sahale (pronounced sa-HA-lee) is a Chinook* word for a high, lofty place; it has come to infer a secondary meaning of “sacred.” Although these are certainly snacks worth treasuring, the company founders took the name from a peak called Sahale in the Northern Cascades in Washington State, where the product is produced. The company founders were in fact climbing Washington’s Mount Rainier when they got the inspiration for these fabulous nut blends. They may have been climbing one mountain, but the line gives one’s taste buds a gourmet flavor tour around the world.
*A Native American tribe from the Northwest
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The Sing Buri nut blend with soy-glazed cashews, peanuts, pineapple and sesame seeds, dusted with lemongrass and Chinese chili. Photo by Melody Lan. |
The flavors of the spices and seasonings are distinct, the nuts are fresh and crispy, and the dried fruits are sweet and chewy. The separate ingredients complement the whole flavor experience, and as you can see in the photos, the blends are glossy, glazed nuggets that look as good as they taste. They’re in cozy clusters—the tapioca syrup, organic evaporated cane juice and natural sugars from the fruit keep the ingredients together in convenient bites—you don’t have to scoop up pieces to get a sufficient mouthful, they’re already clinging together for you. On top of great taste and visual appeal, each time the bags were opened we were treated to the wonderful fragrance of the spices.
Each nut mix is named to honor the region of an ingredient in the blend, and the combinations with prominent flavor profiles are reminiscent of distinctive ethnic cuisines.
- Ksar is an Arabic word that translates to “fortified villages,” and the word is part of place names across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, North African regions where harissa originates. The sweetness comes from the honeyed, dried figs, which fades into a slightly smoky, “meaty” flavor from the fresh pistachio kernels, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and roasted sesame seeds. When you are just about wondering where the harissa spice is, it gives you a one-two punch for the finale with its fiery heat. It has the most assortment of textures.
†Harissa is a spice made from peppers and tomatoes.
- Sing Buri, a province in central Thailand north of Bangkok, is the nut version of the Chinese dish, Spicy Cashew Chicken. The soy-glazed cashews, rice wine vinegar, black and white sesame seeds and essence of Chinese chili paste (barely any spiciness) remind us of Chinese-style cuisine. Thai flavors are represented through the infusion of lemongrass, the tangy notes from the pineapple and the crunchy peanuts. Saké is listed as an ingredient for
 this mix, but the flavor is barely discernable. Still, it’s a perfect combination of salty, sweet and nutty.
- Socorro is a city in New Mexico, where chipotle is a major ingredient in Tex-Mex cuisine. The smoked jalapeño pepper, along with cumin, accents this blend of mango, papaya, macadamia nuts and hazelnuts. The flavors are much more mellow than the other blends: the cumin flavor is the top note. The dried fruit bits are studded onto each nut, photo above and to the right, as if every piece were hand-crafted to ensure a perfectly balanced bite. Pleasantly addicting, it is the sweetest of the group. Above: mango and papaya bits on a macadamia nut. Photo by Melody Lan.
- Soledad is a town in central California, where almonds are grown. This blend boasts peeled and unpeeled almonds, flax seeds and tender dates, all kissed by the tartness of balsamic vinegar and zesty cayenne pepper (photo at top left). The initial flavors can be mistaken for a Southwestern accent because of the cumin, but after several bites, they reveal themselves to be Mediterranean, an assertive mixture of cumin, oregano, paprika and rosemary. This is the stickiest of the mixes, by far the spiciest, and with the largest clumps.
- Valdosta is a town in the pecan state of Georgia. The most simple and straightforward mix of the group, Valdosta was a finalist for Outstanding Best Seller at 2005 New York Fancy Food Show. The black pepper-flecked, roasted pecans taste like they are drizzled with maple syrup, but it’s just pure brown sugar glaze. The nut flavor complements the slight bite of pepper and the tartness of the sweet cranberries, and captures the flavor of the American South. The added orange zest is more for fragrance than for taste.
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Valdosta nut blend. A top-notch trail mix that will make your fruit and nut experience exciting whether you like your snacks sweet or savory. Photo by Melody Lan. |
“Health Nuts”
As delicious as they are, Sahale Snacks also holds their ground in the nutrition department. They’re made with all-natural ingredients and are GMO-free. All the blends generally contain only nuts, dried fruits, spices/seasonings, organic evaporated cane juice (or sometimes brown sugar or organic honey) and organic tapioca syrup, which acts as a subtly sweet glaze to bind the fruits and nuts together in most of the varieties.
While we tend to reach for snacks that appeal most to our palates—ones that are commonly laden with unhealthy saturated fats or preservatives and high in empty calories, the ones from Sahale provide monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats associated with lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease while satisfying a case of the munchies. And nuts are also a good source of fuel for an active lifestyle since they are full of protein. Each 1/4 cup serving ranges between 10 to 14 grams of fat, most of which come from the healthy nut fats.
Best of all, Sahale Snacks are so versatile and transportable that they all but beg to be incorporated into one’s daily routine. The handsome bags reseal easily and can be kept in handbags, backpacks, desk drawers and lockers.
The mixes are also versatile complements to other foods:
- Add them to cold or hot cereal
 Add them to salads for extra crunch and flavor- Toss them over soups, rice or side dishes like mashed sweet potatoes
- Stir them into yogurt
- Sprinkle them over ice cream, yogurt or cottage cheese
- Bake them into phyllo dough
- Use them to garnish cheese plates, appetizers or main courses
There are some recipes on the company website. Sahale makes snacking something to celebrate...and maybe something new to cook with, too.
SAHALE SNACKS™
Nut blends in Ksar, Sing Buri, Socorro, Soledad and Valdosta
For more information, visit
SahaleSnacks.com
Other sizes and containers are available. Also available at fine supermarkets nationwide. |
Sahale Snacks are available in 2-ounce or 5-ounce bags. |
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Prices and flavor availability are verified at publication but are subject to change.
© Copyright 2005-
2008
Lifestyle Direct Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
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