Product Review & Giveaway: SeaSnax

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Vegan Cuts asking if I would be interesting in reviewing a product for them. (For those unfamiliar with Vegan Cuts, they're an online shop that offers limited-time bargains on vegan products, kind of like a Living Social or Groupon for vegan stuff.)  I like free stuff and quite frankly am always thrilled to learn that anyone who isn't in my immediate family has even heard of my blog, so I agreed to write the review.  I was provided the products for free, but all opinions about the products are my own.

So without further ado, the product I was given is...seaweed!  SeaSnax "Roasted Seaweed Snack" to be specific.   I'll admit, I was a little let down, having seen other Vegan Cuts reviewers posting reviews of things like, say, chocolate.  But I'm usually game to try new things, and I do like sushi nori, so when my samples arrived I dove in.

I tried 4 kinds of SeaSnax (Toasty Onion, Spicy Chipotle, Original, and Wasabi), as well as a package of SeaSprinkles "Seaweed Snack Clusters." The SeaSnax are thin, crispy sheets of seasoned seaweed.  They come in a single-serving-sized packages, and the seaweed is stacked in a plastic tray inside the package. With only 14-16 calories per package, they are more suited for times when you just feel like putting something in your mouth than for times when you're actually hungry.

SeaSnax

The texture of the snacks is pleasantly crunchy, although I found them a bit messy to eat, as little flakes of seaweed crumbled off the sheets and got on my clothes.  As far as the flavors go, I did not enjoy the wasabi, but then again I don't like wasabi so that was no surprise; those who enjoy the nostril burn will probably like these just fine.  The original flavor is seasoned with olive oil and sea salt, and I appreciated the simplicity of the ingredients and the fact that the seaweed flavor wasn't masked with other flavors.  The onion and chipotle flavors were pretty lightly seasoned as well; the onion in the onion flavor gave me only a mild onion aftertaste, and the spicy chipotle had only the faintest bit of heat, more like a memory of something spicy.  Overall, I enjoyed all three non-wasabi flavors, and could see them serving someone well as a healthy way to satisfy the craving for something salty and crunchy.  However, I would prefer if the snacks came with less packaging or in packs larger than single-serve, since I don't think it's worth creating so much waste for so little caloric energy.

SeaSprinkles

The SeaSprinkles are clusters of shredded seaweed, seasoned with agave, sesame, and salt.  The package recommends either snacking on them or sprinkling them on soups or salads.  These were more visually appealing to me than the SeaSnax and were less messy to eat since they didn't crumble apart.  I also appreciate that they come in less packaging (lacking the plastic tray) and with 60 calories per package are slightly more substantial than the SeaSnax.  Unfortunately, the sweetness of the agave flavor paired with the seaweed was jarring to me, so while I didn't find these inedible, I also wouldn't try them again unless they came out with an unsweetened variety.  They did, however, have a satisfying, almost granola-like crunch.

If you want to try SeaSnax or SeaSprinkles for yourself, you can get a 10% discount on your order (excluding shipping) by using the code "BLOGFRIEND" when you purchase from Vegan Cuts by October 31, 2012.  OR, you could win a sample pack here.  I was sent extras of all the products I tried, so I will be sending one lucky winner a package with all 4 flavors of SeaSnax plus a pack of SeaSprinkles.  To win, enter a comment below telling me your favorite way to eat seaweed, or whether you've ever eaten seaweed as a snack. A winner will be randomly selected and announced on Wednesday, October 24 at 5PM Pacific Time.

The random number generator has spoken, and the winner is #7, Kelly G.  Congratulations, Kelly!  I'll be emailing you for your address.