Alvalle Zumo de Tomate (Tomato Juice)

I've always enjoyed tomato juice and it has been one of the few kind of juices that one can find without too many "strange stuff" added.

This tomato juice from Alvalle is proposed in a 750ml cardboard packing featuring an attractive layout.

According to the maker, the juice is made with fresh tomatos (95%), extra-virgin olive oil (1.8%), lemon juice and salt.

As you can see, the ingredients are as good as one can ask for, although I like the tomato juice with a bit of pepper, but lets taste it: this tomato juice has a lighter colour that the ones that I'm used to, which I believe means more quantity of tomato than usual, something manifested by it's thickness.

Its flavour is not what I expected, since for my taste it lacks a "je ne sais quois" to make savoury (maybe a bit of pepper) and besides I had the impression that a slight taste of cardboad was noticeable.

I believe that Tropicana Alvalle S.L. has elaborated this tomato juice with the best intention to bring a good natural product to the consumer and although I didn't appreciate it (especially for the supposed cardboard taste), I cannot suggest to avoid it due to the quality of its ingredients.

Maybe they should use different agricultural procedures and develope better fruits.

Having your opinion about this juice would be very important to the readers of this blog.

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Quaker Cruesli Chocolate

I know the Quaker Cruesli brand for more than 20 years and has always been one of my favourites.

Some years ago they introduced the chocolate version into this breakfast cereal line, but only now I decided to try it since I may like chocolate, but for breakfast I prefer other flavours.

My outlook was positive, but at the same time I was aprehensive since the chocolate could mean that I could find it too sweet.

So, I opened the package and put some Cruesli on a plate (some chunks may seem to big, but that's ok), to which I added milk (cold or room temperature).

The cereals, which are mainly constituted by oats, revealed themselves crunchy as is usual with this brand and the bits of dark chocolate, supplied in a generous quantity, have a good flavour.

The chocolate doesn't have that pronounced flavour usually found in chocolates, in fact I suppose that most cereal brands are the same, which in my opinion is a good thing because it would make it too sweet for a breakfast cereal.

Other included ingredients are: wheat, cinnamon, dried coconut and molasses.

Cruesli Chocolate from Quaker Cruesli will satisfy kids and grown-ups who like breakfast cereals and chocolate.

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Grove Fresh - Apple & Mango Organic Fruit Juice (Grove Organic Fruit Company)

Recently I saw a brand of organic fruit juice that I haven't seen before here in Portugal.

Since I like things as natural as possible, especially what I eat and drink, the product deserved my attention.

The apple and mango mix seemed a good combination and after skimming through the ingredients' list (94% of pure organic apple juice and 6% organic mango puree), I thought that it might be a good idea to give it a try.

Usually apple juices tend to be too sweet for some people and the mango balances that quite well, besides handing its characteristic flavour.

That is for me one of the most relevant facst of this organic fruit juice.

Although pleasant and certainly deserving a positive note, I feel that something is missing and in my opinion what is missing a more fruity taste.

I believe that this is something that Grove Organic Fruit Co (Grove Fresh) and most companies of its kind would have some difficult to improve because fruit nowadays, even organic, doesn't taste as it used to, namely due to the use of green-houses and lack of enough sunlight for a good photosynthesis.

However I suppose that the orchards from which the apples are picked for this juice are not in green houses and catch natural light, so maybe the region where they're from is not as good for fruit as lets say a mediterranean or tropical one.

Nonetheless I can advise you to try this juice, not only for its good taste, but also because it's an organic juice.

One positive thing that I must mention is that the contacts are easily available, something that transmits that they care about their customers' opinions.

Carrying the Soil Association logo on its pack (the brand displays it since 1993), this apple and mango juice is made by Grove Fresh Ltd, UK.

Please note that the juice reviewed in this article is part of the rebranded Grove Fresh, now Grove Organic Fruit Company.

Nonetheless the only difference that I've noticed is the percentage of the mix (the one on the website has 91.5% apple juice and 8.5% mango puree.

A case study about this company founded in 1994 by John Taylor, can be read here.

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