Twigz – Smooth Cheddar Ranch
I’ve mentioned before that I have somewhat of a love hate relationship with pretzels as a whole. That isn’t to say I haven’t had good ones. In fact, pretzel pieces by a specific brand are one of my favourite snacks. But traditional pretzel sticks are one of my least enjoyable ones. They’re sort of the filler snack in my mind. You know when you get a snack mix and there’s all sorts of shapes and flavours in it? Surely you are like me and think, dang this mix has too many pretzels. That should sum up how I feel about pretzels as a whole.
These pretzels are not unlike the generic pretzel twists, other than that these are longer, larger and have a noticeable twist throughout. That twist gives it some more surface area to let the seasoning adhere to more surface area, and the extra nooks and crannies mean there’s more opportunity. More chance for seasoning to get into the piece.
The texture of these is like a generic pretzel, but these don’t seem as snappy or dusty, for lack of a better term. I imagine it has to do with the density. These are a bit more dense and not as airy as the cheaper ones. These are substantial.
Flavour is pretty solid here and it’s a good, punchy cheddar. The tangy flavour of the cheddar is probably helped by the ranch, but if you told me this was just a cheddar flavour I would think nothing more. The ranch flavour does get overpowered by the cheddar, but overall it’s got a nice, cheesy salty quality to it that I find quite enjoyable. The seasoning is pretty caked on so I imagine they found a way to have it stick. Most pretzels tend to have a shiny outer shell that seems to make it difficult for seasoning to adhere, so this one is unique in that it sticks and it’s nice and even.
I hate to admit that these are sort of bringing me around to pretzels. I’m aware these are very different from a traditional pretzel, but I think every bit helps to bring me closer to the dry mouth gods, and this is a step in the right direction. Or would it be the wrong direction? I guess that question is simply a matter of perspective. Either way, give these a try because it’s highly likely you will enjoy them.
