Wagu wors to vegan bites: we taste test 24 new finds on supermarket shelves

SA’s five largest retailers each shared a handful of new items on their shelves for a blind tasting.

We asked a group of enthusiastic (and hungry) 2nd year Food and Beverage Operations management students at The School of Hospitality & Tourism at UJ to put them to the taste test.

Here is what they thought:

NEW FROM FOOD LOVER'S MARKET

WAGU BEEF BOEREWORS

Price: R69.99/kg

What our taste testers said:

• Kabelo: The best. Juicy and tasty. This is a 'wors' to go with. Juicy and flavour is too awesome. I'm happy.
• Nokwazi: Very tasty and very juicy. The filling has a quality flavour to it.
• Mujinga: Tender, nice and flavoursome.

WAGU BEEF BURGERS

Price: 4 x 100g patties for R59.99

What our taste testers said:

• Mujinga: Flavoursome product, perfect seasoning, well balanced.
• Rudzani: Tastes really good, the seasoning and salt is well balanced. The burger tender and juicy.
• Simphiwe: Seasoning good, aroma is that of a good beef burger. Only thing lacking was a little more time on grill, I prefer it more well cooked.

VEGETABLE KEBABS

Price: R34.99

What our taste testers said:

• Simphiwe: Needs seasoning, there's no hint of flavour. Boring.
• Kabelo: The appearance is good but taste is poor as there's no seasoning.
• Nokwazi: Colourful appearance but just no flavour. Needs a marinade.

FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE SLICE

Price: R69.99

What our taste testers said:

• Mujinga: Really dense cake with quality chocolate over the top. There are lots of raisins.
• Rudzani: Could be more moist. Sweet with lots of raisins. Liked the chocolate.
• Kabelo: It looks good, has an appealing chocolate aroma but taste doesn't match the looks.

MINI TRADITIONAL FRUIT CAKES

Price: 4 x 80g cakes for R64.99

What our taste testers said:

• Kabelo: Looks pretty, there's a pleasant fruit cake aroma. It tastes sweet.
• Anthonia: The chopped glace fruit on the top looks pretty but overpowers the actual taste of the little cake.
• Jenny: Pleasant early Christmas treat. Very dark cake but tastes pleasant.

NEW FROM CHECKERS

COCONUT CRUMBED PRAWNS

Price: 300g for R79.99

What our taste testers said:

• Simphiwe: No seasoning on the actual prawn. All it tastes like is coconut. The appearance is inviting but the taste disappoints.
• Tasneem: The coconut is overpowering and it needs more seasoning to advance the flavour.
• Kabelo: The prawns look pretty but the taste is not that appealing. It has a lot of coconut that hides the flavour of the prawn.

READY TO BRAAI BBQ RIBS

Price: 750g for R99.99

What our taste testers said:

• Nomvula: Perfect seasoning, meat falls off the bone. Juicy.
• Mashimbyi: The ribs have a very nice taste. I would have them over and over again.
• Dintle: Well balanced flavours. Not too fatty with a pleasant sweet taste. Tender.

GOURMADE BEEF PIE WITH CARAMELISED ONIONS

Price: 580g for R79.99

What our taste testers said:

• Lerato: The pie is bland and the onion smell overpowering. It is chewy and the pastry is too thick.
• Thabana: The pastry tastes like biscuits. It needs a bit of salt and the meat is chewy.
• Nangamso: The pastry is good though this is not a pie pastry. The filling needs salt and spices. Meat has a bitter taste.

GREEK BAKLAVA

Price: 300g for R54.99

What our taste testers said:

• Nokwazi: I taste the cinnamon, there's lots of sweet syrup and the pastry is nice and crunchy.
• Kabelo: Very eye catching, a bit hard to chew with a sweet but sharp cinnamon taste.
• Dintle: There's a smell of cinnamon, the pastry is nice and crunchy and I can taste all the flavours. Very sweet with nice shiny look.

THE MENU CHOCOLATE & CARAMEL DESSERT MADE WITH BAR ONE

Price: 450g for R69.99

What our taste testers said:

• Itumeleng: The flavours are well balanced but the cocoa is a bit too much and tastes raw. Sugar is well balanced.
• Dintle: Tastes amazing, the chocolate and cocoa are well balanced and the sponge is tender though very rich.
• Simphiwe: Has that chocolate taste, the base brings the mousse together. A bit too sweet but in an amazing way.

NEW FROM SPAR

SRIRACHA SAUCE

Price: R59.99

What our taste testers said:

• Nomvula: The smell is strong, it burns one's nose and is strong at first but leaves the palate quickly.
• Mujinga: Really spicy at the beginning then you get a sweet taste then it dies. Not pleasant on the palate.
• Kabelo: The sauce is nice and complex, the aromas tell the mind that it's going to be too chilli but it tastes a bit sweet but it doesn't last in terms of taste.

CHOCOLATE FANTASY

Price: 397g for R29.99

• Anthonia: More caramel than chocolate and too thick for a pudding. No aroma.
• Tasneem: Very rich and creamy, however, the caramel taste is more overpowering and one can hardly taste the chocolate.
• Nokwazi: Too sweet, too thick with a caramel taste.

PERI PERI CHICKEN LIVERS

Ready cooked

Price: 500g for R39.99

What our taste testers said:

• Simphiwe: It's very hot (spicy) but an enjoyable hot. It could use some starch in the sauce that would neutralise it. Sauce is very overpowering and you can't taste the livers.
• Rudzani: Way too spicy, you cannot taste the chicken livers which are too dry and the texture crumbly.
• Kabelo: The livers are well 'chillied' and the product is eye-catching and mouthwatering.

DESSERT PASTRIES

24 custard puffs

Price: 535g for R49.99

What our taste testers said:

• Nomvula: The pastry just melts in your mouth and the filling is not too sweet.
• Simphiwe: The smell is very inviting, the custard melts in the mouth, the pastry is done amazingly and you can feel all the layers. Just absolutely amazing.
• Mujinga: Perfect product, rich flavours and the custard filling is amazing.

DESSERT PASTRIES

24 Apple & Raisin

Price: 480g for R49.99

What our taste testers said:

• Kabelo: The pastry smells freshly baked but I find it too sweet.
• Nokwazi: The filling is too sweet with a hint of sourness. Crunchy pastry, I can taste the butter and cinnamon.
• Simphiwe: The apple isn't prominent. I'm just tasting the icing glaze and cinnamon. Disappointing.

NEW FROM PICK N PAY

VINTAGE CHEDDAR FULL FAT CHEESE

17 months matured

Price: 200g for R67.99

What our taste testers said:

• Thabana: Love the cheese, melt-in-the-mouth with strong flavour. It's tasty.
• Thabelo: Breaks easily, easy to chew with a strong bite.
• Itumeleng: Buttery taste, salty and strong aftertaste.

READY TO EAT HUMMUS DELUXE

Price: 120g for R29.99

What our taste testers said:

• Daryl: Delicious creamy flavour, I could eat the whole tub.
• Mashimbyi: I enjoyed the lemony taste with the hint of paprika on the top.
• Thabelo: It is creamy with a lemony flavour and needs a savoury biscuit or bread to spread it on.

ANTIPASTO PLATTER

Italian Salami, prosciutto, crudo and coppa

Price: 150g for R89.99

What our taste testers said:

• Thabana: Enjoyed the taste, so nice. Beautiful appearance, layers of thin slices of meat, great used as a wrap or a starter.
• Dintle: Appearance is good but meat is fatty but there's a nice balance of saltiness.

VEGAN CHICKPEA & CORN BITES

Price: 300g for R29.99

What our taste testers said:

• Tanya: Nice bits of corn in a creamy chickpea filling. Lacks seasoning. Convenient snack for vegetarians.
• Lerato: One cannot pin the flavour down, one gets the corn but not sure about the other flavour, which doesn't last on the palate. Needs seasoning.
• Moteme: I can't get the taste. I can see and taste corn but nothing else. Lacks salt.

NEW FROM WOOLWORTHS

CARROT JUICE

Price: 300ml for R23.99

What our taste testers said:

• Mashimbyi: Looks so appetising, it tastes just like carrot. Great for those wanting a healthier lifestyle without the work.
• Thabana: Nice taste, it's sweet. I can taste lots of carrots. It's a little bit watery, but a healthy drink.
• Nangamso: Not too sweet, a hint of saltiness. I could feel the carrot bits on my tongue.

FREEZE DRIED BLUEBERRIES

Price: 10g for R17.99

What our taste testers said:

• Lerato: Doesn't look or taste appetising. There's more air than flavour. However, can be used as a garnish for breakfast.
• Dintle: I couldn't identify the product at first. It tastes sweet leaving poor aftertaste. Inside it's empty.
• Thabelo: It tastes sour but not like a blueberry. I could use it to decorate a cake.

PASSION FRUIT LAMINGTON DESSERT

Price: 780g for R99.99

What our taste testers said:

• Nangamso: It's not too sweet, I can taste granadilla and flavours are balanced.
• Mashimbyi: So yummy, best dessert for a summer day. The granadilla curd in the bottom has a coconut aftertaste.
• Thabana: Tastes so nice, jelly very fruity. Good appearance, it's so nice I will buy it.

ULTIMATE ROOSTERKOEK

Price: R39.99

What our taste testers said:

• Itumeleng: Soft on the inside and nice and crunchy on the outside. Well-balanced flavour, it is very nice.
• Thabana: Tastes just like a croissant, not roosterkoek which is a yeast dough. Crust is tasty.
• Thabelo: Tastes nice, it's not hard to chew. Not too salty or sugary.

BUTTER CURRY

Spiced soya strips in creamy curry sauce

Price: 350g for R74.99

What our taste testers said:

• Moteme: Tastes so nice, great seasoning. Can't believe it isn't chicken but strips of soya.
• Itumeleng: Flavours are well balanced, perfect seasoning, loved the rice.
• Mokoena: Lots of aroma, smells great. Tastes amazing, spices are well balanced. Is this really soya?