In our basket | The Press

It’s shopping time! Our team selects for you new products to put you – or not – in your mouth.

Milk chocolate… without dairy products

After having revolutionized the world of coffee, oat milk is now conquering the world of chocolate. Canadian fair trade company Camino has just launched two new plant-based chocolate bars: creamy chocolate oats and hazelnuts and salted caramel. In addition to being both creamy and crunchy to the bite, they have the advantage of offering an alternative to 85% cocoa dark chocolate for those who want to avoid dairy products! These have a cocoa content of 43% – to be precise – and you have the total illusion of biting into a bar of milk chocolate… when it is actually oat milk. The list of ingredients is short, and note that the oats used to make the bars are gluten-free. For now, they can be found online at the Camino site, but they will be appearing on the shelves of health food stores very soon.

Creamy Chocolate Oats and Hazelnuts and Salted Caramel by Camino Dairy-free, gluten-free and Fair Trade certified.
Suggested price of $5.50 per unit for 80 g, available from mid-May in select health food stores or available online now for $58.10 plus tax for 14 units.

La Lichée launches a vegan caramel

Another innovation in the field of delicacies usually filled with dairy products: the vegan caramel from La Lichée. It has all the taste of granny Gertrude’s butter caramel (the grandmother of one of the founders), but without said butter. It is rather the coconut that forms the basis of this amazing product, which manages to keep the same texture, the same color and a taste quite similar to that of the other caramels in the range. You have to like the aroma of coconut to appreciate this caramel, but it will undoubtedly be a replacement solution of choice for the vegans of this world, whose recipe has been refined over two years by the team at La Licked.

Vegan coconut caramel by La Lichée.
Dairy-free and vegan.
$10 for 275 g, available online and at many La Lichée outlets.

Healthy snacks

MadeGood’s healthy snacks have been unanimously adopted by all family members, young and old. This Canadian brand has an interesting line of granola bars and sweet and savory snacks — all organic, vegan, and gluten and allergen free. If we particularly appreciated the crispy squares made from brown rice, we had a particular crush on the biscuits (with vanilla aroma) which literally melt in your mouth. Hard to believe they’re made without an ounce of butter, but they are; in addition, they contain ground chia seeds and extracts of vegetable origin that make them a snack that is both delicious and vitaminized. On the savory side, we succumbed to the puffed star-shaped crackers, offered in three varieties (sea salt, cheddar flavor and pizza flavor) and made with equally healthy ingredients. Like what snacking does not necessarily have to rhyme with guilt…

Crispy squares, cookies and star-shaped puff crackers by MadeGood.
Vegan, organic and gluten-free.
Starting at $4.99, available online or in grocery stores and mass merchandisers.

Cameline, open up

Sesame lovers will certainly be delighted to discover this Quebec alternative recently brought up to date: camelina oil, a local product prized by local chefs such as Jérôme Ferrer, Normand Laprise or Colombe St -Rock. Its roasted version this year won first prize at the Bocuse d’Or Sirha Innovation, a prestigious international distinction. Its advantages ? A strong taste reminiscent of peanuts, sesame and hazelnut, attractive nutritional properties (antioxidants, omega-3 and vitamin E) and a beneficial culture for agricultural land. We tested this roasted oil on salads and sushi, with satisfaction; it is also an excellent candidate for Asian dishes. We can also get raw camelina seeds to disseminate them as we please.

Roasted camelina oil by Signé Caméline.
Local culture.
Starting at $11.99 for a roasted camelina oil duo (150 ml sizes), available online and at several points of sale.