In our basket | The Press

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

Iris Gagnon Paradise
The Press

Humble chips… but very good!

Humble Potato, this is the name of a new Canadian potato chip brand that wants to do things differently. It is the first product powered by the Humble Snacks company, founded by a couple with 15 years of experience in the food industry, Alicia and Jeff Lahey. First, they offer potato chips packaged in plastic-free, compostable bags made with plant-based ingredients. A good starting point! Inside, there are local and organic potatoes, cooked in the traditional way in organic sunflower oil, with their skins on, which both limits waste and offers a real taste of “potatoes”. The seasonings are also natural and organic, and the ingredient list is short. The chips are crispy, light, not greasy at all and frankly very good. The bags emptied just as quickly for the Original, Smoked BBQ and Creamy Dill varieties. Only the sea salt and apple cider vinegar flavor displeased us, with its very pronounced vinegary taste.

Humble Potato. Organic, gluten-free and GMO-free.

$4.99 per bag (150 g), available at IGA and Rachel-Berry.

Local and eco-responsible spreads

Originally from the Ivory Coast, Gogbeu Ouehi and Lydie Ouehi both worked in the cocoa industry in their country. It was a few years after arriving in Quebec that the couple founded Amango Cacao, in 2018, with the mission of offering high quality chocolate, working directly with cooperatives and producer families, with a philosophy of “bean on the shelf” – the beans are therefore roasted and transformed into cocoa paste directly in the workshop of the small company, rue Masson. Amango Cacao recently launched two spreads that delighted young and old alike at our table. Creamy and delicious, the one with maple cashew butter will delight fans. The one with dark chocolate and cashew nuts is excellent in taste and not too sweet. The texture could be chewier, but it heats up quickly when spread on your morning toast.

Amango Cocoa. Vegan, without palm oil and without preservatives.

$13.99 (220 g), available at points of sale, online and in the workshop-boutique.

Make mom happy

Mother’s Day is approaching and here is a great gift idea to offer to accompany a brunch for the occasion: the new rosé kombucha from Silver Swallow, established in Ottawa. We had already been charmed by the original version, all in delicacy and finesse, which is a kind of non-alcoholic option to champagne in its elegant bottle and which is made from white Chinese tea with honeyed, herbaceous and flowery notes. . This new cuvée made with Japanese kamairicha tea, which offers brioche and strawberry notes, is just as successful. A luxury product that will highlight special occasions with chic, good taste and sobriety.

Silver Swallow. Vegan and gluten-free.

$57 for a trio of bottles (750 ml each), available online. Also available at a few points of sale in the Montreal area.

fall into spices

It’s been at least a good year since A Spice Affair spices have made their way into our pantry. And we must say that they have been totally adopted. The Montreal company was founded by Ayman Saifi, a fourth-generation spice merchant originally from Jordan. No doubt, spices, he knows! In his factory in Lachine, he develops blends for all tastes, highlighting the terroirs of the four corners of the world, using top quality ingredients. Entirely natural, its spices and blends are tasty, authentic, fresh, and allow you to cook several tasty dishes without breaking your head. Our favorites among the hundred small pots offered: zaatar, sumac, butter chicken, fajitas, all-dressed bagel, shawarma… But really, it’s impossible not to find spice to your palate among the wide selection created by the company. A favorite !

At Spice Affair. Vegan, no GMOs, no fillers or preservatives.

Starting at $11.99 per jar, available online.