The September Degustabox review

I always love it when the postman delivers a new Degustabox and we get the first peek at what is hiding inside. We never know what we will find but there is usually something poking out that makes the Madhouse kids squeal and ask if they can eat it straight away - in this case, the Mentos (but I'm sure you guessed that !).

The best thing about Degustabox is that it is always a nice mix of new products from well-known brands, products that I'd heard of but never tried (and would never have bought, but some of them end up becoming regular buys) and some total wild cards that are a bit hit and miss - not a bad thing because I always like trying new foodie products, even if they don't always appeal ! 

The first thing that leapt out at me was this duo of products from Santa Maria's Latin American Kitchen range : Brazilian Xinxim Peanut Sauce (£1.85), which is a zesty peanut sauce with lemon & ginger, and Coconut & Chili Rice (£1.85), which will go perfectly with it. I'll be adding the sauce to some chicken (and quite possibly some veg, such as baby corn, mange tout, red peppers, onions and mushrooms). Perfect for a speedy midweek meal and definitely more exciting (and healthier) than a frozen pizza !

Staying on the globecooking for busy midweek days theme, I also love the look of this Miso Tasty Ramen Noodle Kit, which contains everything you need to create a tasty meal for two with a few fridge and store cupboard basics (veggies and some chicken or prawns probably). Inside the pack, you get 2 non-fried noodle nests, 2 white miso pastes and 2 seaweed garnishes. You could make a noodle soup or a stir-fry type dish. Either way, in ten minutes you'll have a healthy and tasty dish on the table.

If you opted in for the alcohol version of Degustabox, you'd have received a bottle of San Miguel Gluten Free Beer (£2) instead of the ramen noodle kit, but as I'm a Degustabox reviewer, I was lucky enough to receive both. It's a refreshing, light beer that got Madhouse Daddy's seal of approval.

Moving on to the soft drinks, I loved the cans of Virtue Sparkling Energy Water (2 x £1.35), in both Berries and Lemon & Lime flavours. They contain zero sugar, zero calories, no sweeteners, nothing artificial and the natural energy comes from extracts of yerba maté, ginseng, guarana and caffeine. I can't say I felt much difference in terms of energy but they are very refreshing and have a pleasant taste.

Cheerios Oat Crisp (£2.49) is a product that we reviewed last year (click through for the review) - now available in a bigger pack.

Rice Dream (£1.60) is a brand that I was aware of and we've already tried some of their milk alternatives. I didn't know they had a quinoa version though. I have to be honest, I haven't really jumped on the quinoa bandwagon so it's not something I'd buy, but it was perfectly acceptable when I used it to make custard and overnight oats. Some Degustaboxers got the Ancient Grains version instead.

Green's is a brand I often buy - usually for their cheesecake mix or for baking kits for the kids - but I've never tried their egg custard filling (69p). The kids love little flaky pastry Pasteis de Nata so this will be a real time saver.

Knorr is another brand that you'll always find in my kitchen cupboard but I've never tried their Rich Beef Concentrated Stock (£2.20). I have tried a similar chicken version though and it is really convenient for adding depth of flavour to soups, gravy and casseroles without getting smelly fingers from crumbling a stock cube !

I also always have a few tins of tuna in the cupboard, but Wild Planet Tuna (£3.49) is a new brand to me. They use ethical and sustainable methods - the tuna is 100% pole and line caught (so no danger to dolphins) - and promise tuna that is wildly good for the planet, for you and in taste. Inside the tin is pure tuna and sea salt, with no water or oil added, so you get a fresher, firmer texture than most other brands I've tried. Tasty but expensive.

Green & Black's 70% Cocoa Velvet Edition Dark Chocolate (£1.99) has a nice smooth texture, but we're not fans of dark chocolate so this was melted down and used in cornflake cakes.

And finally, the sharing bag of Mentos Mint & Spearmint Chewy Dragees (£1.19) got a warm reception - they're nice and chewy with a lovely mint flavour - but they did kick off the eternal question of "can we put one in a bottle of coke ... pleeeeease mum?" !

Looking through the papers after putting everything away, I also discovered a voucher for a pack of Seriously Spreadable creamy cheddar squares (£1.75). The recipes on this month's card were for spaghetti bolognese and spinach, beetroot & turmeric rainbow pancakes.

A subscription to Degustabox costs £12.99 per month including delivery, with each box having a value of much more than that, but the great news is, I have a discount coupon code for you which gives you a whopping £7 off the price of your first box, so you'll get it for just £5.99 - just enter code 0BS6T at the checkout.

for more information :

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Disclosure : We received the box in order to write an honest review. As a Degustabox blogger, I receive all of the products that go into the monthly boxes, but subscribers may not get exactly the same selection.