Product Review: Coconut Bacon

COCONUT BACON!!!
by Phoney Baloneys

Coconut Bacon with the Vegan stamp right on the front of the package.

 

Before going vegan nearly a year ago, I had attempted to be vegetarian several times (and fruitarian one disastrous time, but more about that later). I always said, "I could be vegetarian forever if it weren't for bacon." Yes, I was one of those annoying people that couldn't give up bacon and was very vocal about it. When I chose a vegan lifestyle, there were some foods that I craved horribly for the first few months: Cheese, Mayonnaise, and Bacon. Thankfully, the stores around me started carrying Daiya and Vegenaise to take care of those first two cravings, but I couldn't find any vegan bacon anywhere. All the "fake meats" at my local store were made with egg or contained whey, so I couldn't eat them. Gradually Gardein and other vegan burgers were added to the stores. But no bacon.

Only a little left at the bottom of the bag!

 

I had seen coconut bacon on YouTube when The Vegan Peach mentioned them in a food haul. Recently the Fresh Market in Mandeville began to carry these wonderfully salty, smoky, bacon flavored bits of dried coconut. I fell in love. They really do taste like bacon when you first bite into them. Then there is this rush of SALT and SWEET that punches your tongue until you are reaching for that glass of water. This is my one complaint about this product: it is very salty.

It is meant to be a condiment topping for salads, pastas, potatoes, casseroles, bakes, and other fun foods. Everyone knows that we are going to buy it and eat it straight from the bag. Because it is so salty, I will probably attempt to make some at home so I can try to cut down on the sodium.

Here is a picture of the coconut bacon on top of my potatoes. It tasted the best on them with the daiya and the peppers.

Potatoes with Onions, Red Bell Pepper, Daiya, and Coconut Bacon.

 

I think the packaging is cute and I love the little pig info on the bottom of the bag. I'm not that big a fan of plastic, but I understand that it would make it much more expensive to package it in glass jars.

I give this product 5/5 stars. It is really great as a topper for dishes and to halt those cravings for salty and crunchy foods.