Ryvita

Ryvita. Oblongs of dry cardboard you only eat if you’re really trying to lose weight and starving yourself. Or that is the connotation. It’s not something I’ve ever been out and bought – I don’t really think they’re made of cardboard, they have simply never appealed.

But the nice people at Ryvita thought I should give them a go, so they sent me four packets to try, along with some recipe suggestions. My other half was equally as pessimistic but we both sat and had them one lunch time. And we have to admit, we liked.

We went for the “Hint of Chilli” ones first, combining them with some pretty nice Boursin (review coming up another day). And we were impressed. There was indeed a hint of chilli, and the texture was good – combined with the soft and moist cheese these made a really good lunch, and we ate several! We also tried them with different sorts of cheese, along with beetroot, pickles and some gorgeous red onion chutney. They’ve actually become our Sunday evening supper of choice instead of cream crackers. How’s that for a turn around?!

Once the Hint of Chilli ones were gone (which didn’t take long) we moved onto the others. The Sunflower Seeds and Oats ones were good, they had a slightly different flavour and texture thanks to the ingredients. The Pumpkin Seeds ones were also good, but to be fair we’re not really loving the dark rye ones, I don’t think I’ll be purchasing those. The Hint of Chilli remain our favourite and are on my shopping list. I quite fancy trying the Sweet Onion ones and also the Mediterranean Herb ones too. I won’t bother with the original ones – I think they’re a bit bland in comparison.

I do think it’s all about the toppings, though. Ryvita is still dry, you need something moist on top. Cheese works exceptionally well, and if you add something sweet like grapes or sharp like beetroot you’ve got a lovely combination. Or you could go for something like salmon and sour cream, or coronation chicken – anything with lots of flavour that has some moisture with it. There’s loads of suggestions on the Ryvita website that should keep these interesting and appetising for a long time to come.