I love a good sandwich and anything that helps me make a great sandwich is great. So with the idea of making the best possible sandwich; you could call it a hero sandwich, I decided to go with my gut (or more specific packaging) and give Veggy Friends a try. After all it's called Veggy and Friends, I love both of those words and when you put them together, even better.
I don't remember what the meat alternative to these products taste like. I don't remember the flavor nor do I remember the consistency but that doesn't matter too much, something is either good or not. And this product is good, really good.
What gives me a pause (only a brief pause) but one that makes me hesitate is in the ingredients. Natural flavors almost always give me pause; however, when the natural flavors are in products that come from a good and ethical company then, okay, cool. However, Carrageenan does give me another pause. Carrageenan is used as a binder or emulsifier in foods and comes from seaweed and in some tests done it has been linked to higher rates of inflammation in one's body.
But let's put that aside for now and only look at flavor and consistency.
I almost always start with consistency. Why? If something doesn't have the right feel in the mouth than no matter how good the flavor is, you won't really enjoy it. And truthfully where most vegan sandwich meats go wrong is in their consistency. However, this isn't a problem with Veggy Friends. Their product is damn near perfect! It rolls, bends and folds back into shape, exactly how one would hope. When eaten, it rips apart without crumbling and it has no traces of gumminess or thickness that resembles eating tissue paper. Nor is it too light, there is something of substance to the product.
The flavor too is damn near perfect. I couldn't tell you anymore what the meat versions taste like but the flavor of these products is brilliant. Both products are distinguishable from each other, salty without being too salty, flavorful without being over the top. It is actually really amazing what the folks at Veggy Friends were able to do. A very balanced and amazing product. If I were to have to pick between the two, I might lean slightly towards the salami but that was true when I used to eat meat. There is just more depth of flavor. And again Veggy Friends does an amazing job giving the product depth without going overboard.
Overall, this product is fantastic, brilliant and highly recommended. Flavorful with perfect consistency and amazing packaging.
