Weird And Wonderful Christmas Foods Of 2015, Including 'Brusselmole' And Chocolate-Cherry Sandwich
Weird And Wonderful Christmas Foods Of 2015
Rachel Moss— The Huffington Post UK
|
We're used to retailers creating unusual products to gain our attention, but this year's festive foods really are something else.
From sprout-based guacamole to chocolate sandwiches, Christmas 2015 seems to be the battle of the ridiculous.
Here are just a few of the weird and wonderful products out there:
Open Image Modal
Supermarket giant Tesco sent the internet into meltdown when it unveiled its chocolate and cherry Christmas sandwich, complete with cinnamon bread.
While some asked Tesco bosses whether they had been "hitting the sherry" others said they couldn't wait to try the adventurous concoction.
Open Image Modal
East London chip shop Sutton & Sons is offering customers the chance to buy deep-fried Brussels sprouts this festive season. A portion of the battered balls will set you back £2.50. If that's not for you, you can also purchase a deep-fried mince pie.
Shop owner Danny Sutton said: "I’ve never been a huge fan of Brussels sprouts, so we tried battering them for the Christmas season and they are a great way to get everyone to tuck into those boy scouts."
Open Image Modal
Not content with confusing us with sweet sandwiches, Tesco has also mixed dinner and dessert by creating duck-filled éclairs.
In a statement given to HuffPost UK Lifestyle, Fiona Carter, new product development manager at Tesco said: "We wanted to create an innovative party snack for our customers this Christmas – something that would be both delicious and the talking point of Christmas get-togethers and parties."
Well, your guests will certainly be talking about them...
Open Image Modal
Back in October, M&S launched Brusselmole for winter 2015 - and we still haven't quite gotten over the shock.
If you missed the Twitter hype at the time, Brusselmole is a festive version of guacamole where the avocado has been replaced by sprouts.
Open Image Modal
Okay so these aren't actually edible, but we couldn't create a list of weird food-related Christmas products without mentioning Pringles' 'Pigs In Blankets'-scented candles.
Gourmet popcorn makers Joe & Sephs have created a bag that "tastes just like mince pies" for winter 2015. The popcorn is coated in caramel, brandy-infused fruit and almonds to mimic the flavour of the classic Christmas treat.
If that doesn't tickle your fancy, other limited edition flavours include Mint Choc Chip and Brandy Butter.
Open Image Modal
Sainsbury's has given the traditional Christmas cake a makeover with its Taste The Difference Bow Cake.
The fruit cake, which comes with a recommended retail price of £18, is decorated with a large edible bow made from sugar and gold leaf.
Just don't eat the plate while you're at it.
Open Image Modal
Quirky chicken restaurant BIRD has stuffed all your traditional components into a burger to celebrate Christmas.
Available from 17 November to 3rd January, the ‘Christmas dinner in a burger’ consists of cranberry-glazed fried chicken, layered with sage and onion stuffing and panko-crusted fried brie. The Christmas delight is topped with a bacon-wrapped jalapeno popper - a spicy alternative to pigs in blankets – and accompanied with a crunchy side portion of freshly-made parsnip crisps.
It's available at both BIRD Shoreditch and BIRD Islington, if you're feeling hungry enough.
Amy: I'm a big fan, there's a lot of brie and it's melted just enough. The outside is nice and crispy. The chutney is really good - the right amount of sweetness. 9/10
Tasha: This is kind of like a savoury mice pie, *smug smile*, I like mice pies. It's simple, I'd maybe like more filling, but it's still really tasty. 7/10
Rachel - I feel like a naughty kid eating dessert before dinner. It's a great alternative to turkey and I really like the flavour, but I think it might taste overly sweet if you ate the whole thing. 7/10
Starbucks Turkey Feast Flatbread (02 of14)
Open Image Modal
Tasha: It's a really nice ratio of turkey, stuffing and cranberry - I'm all about that ratio. 8/10
Amy: It's good, I like the fact that it's a flatbread because it has loads of filling and you won't be too full from bread to enjoy it. 7/10
Rachel: This one's scrummy - as Mary Berry would say. The flatbread is nice and crispy where it's been toasted and the stuffing is lovely. If I'm being fussy I'd like a bit more cranberry sauce. 9/10
Caffè Nero Four Cheese And Cranberry(03 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: It's like a heart attack in a panini, but the bread is really nice. It reminds me of the garlic bread you get at Zizzi. I could eat that chutney from a jar. 8/10
Tasha: You can't go wrong with cheese. It's not overbearing and I like the crispiness of the panini against the oozing inside. 8/10
Rachel: This smells amazing. I think it's my favourite so far. The cheese is soft, the bread is crunchy. I don't actually care that it's not that Christmassy, it's an absolute dream. 9/10
Ash: Ooh I like the rocket in the brie one. Everything else is rubbish though. The stuffing in the turkey one is vile, the sage is so overwhelming. 4/10
Tasha: Can you really call two things a selection? The brie one is the most boring Christmas sandwich in the history of Christmas sandwiches and the turkey tastes really artificial. 3/10
Rachel: All I can taste is cheap, white bread. I wouldn't buy either of these sandwiches again. 3/10
Tesco Finest Turkey Feast(05 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: You can definitely tastes the turkey, it's quite a strong poultry taste. The stuffing is not as offensive as some of the others. I wouldn't eat a whole one, but I don't mind it. 5/10
Tasha: The bread is solid. The meat is hard. Does it even have any butter in it? 5/10
Rachel: It's almost like the bread has been purposefully dehydrated - how have they even made it that dry? I think you'd need a sip of tea after every mouthful to make this remotely enjoyable. 4/10
Pret a Manger Veggie Christmas Lunch(06 of14)
Open Image Modal
Amy: Urgh *puts sandwich down after one bite*. It just doesn't go. It's like putting dinner between bread. Is that butternut squash? What's it doing in a sandwich!?3/10
Tasha: The butternut squash chunks are way too big for a sandwich. When I bit into it it squeaked. 2/10
Rachel: It's like they've packed half a veg stall between two slices of boring bread. And the chutney makes it bizarrely sweet. 2/10
Pret a Manger Christmas lunch(07 of14)
Open Image Modal
Amy: It looks worse than it tastes. The turkey isn't too dry, although it doesn't wow me. 6/10
Tasha: Mmmm, the turkey in this one is really nice. The bread tastes fresh. I'm really enjoying the cranberry. 6/10
Rachel: I like the stuffing, it's got a good amount of seasoning. It's so nice to have some fresh salad too, it breaks up the meat and cheese fest. 8/10
Costa Goat's Cheese And Sweet Balsamic Chutney (08 of14)
Open Image Modal
Tasha: Urgh no, it's like the devil has shat in a sandwich. 0/10
Ash: That cheese is revolting. The bread is revolting. The chutney is revolting. 3/10
Rachel: As the only person here who likes goat's cheese, I don't think this is that bad. It is stingy on the salad though which makes the cheese overpowering, even for someone who usually eats it. 5/10
Costa Gluten Free Turkey And Bacon Wrap(09 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: Oh my God it's actually really nice. There's a good amount of sauce, they haven't been stingy, although it could do with more bacon *finishes off wrap*. 8/10
Tasha: I like the fact it's in a wrap and it's great than Costa are offering something gluten free on their Christmas menu. Bravo folks. 6/10
Rachel: This tastes really fresh and has a good amount of salad. I'd actually buy this one again and I don't tend to pick up gluten free food. 8/10
Greggs Christmas Lunch Sandwich (10 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: Mmm! The turkey is really moist and the stuffing isn't overpowering. The bread tastes really fresh. Definitely the best turkey one we've had I think. 7/10
Tasha: I don't know how I feel about mayonnaise and cranberry in the same sandwich, but it is nice overall. The brown bread means you don't feel too naughty eating all that bacon, too. 7/10
Rachel: It's not a looker but I'm pleasantly surprised, it actually tastes pretty nice. The turkey is juicy and and the bread tastes fresh. Nothing to write home about, but it's a good, classic Christmas sandwich. 7/10
Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Orange And Whisky British Ham And Wensleydale(11 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: I can't work it out, I think it's too sweet - I do like the cheese though. I think I like it..do I like it? *Eats remainder of sandwich to decide*. 6/10
Tasha: It tastes like a ham and marmalade sandwich, which in itself is a bit funky. I don't think I've had anything like it before and I don't think I want to again.4/10
Rachel: There's a lot of bread for the filling but you can tell that the ham is really good quality. The orange is an unnecessary edition. 6/10
Sainsbury's Turkey With Pigs Under Blankets(12 of14)
Open Image Modal
Ash: It looks cheap and nasty, like one of those All Day Breakfast sandwiches that always make me feel a bit ill. Eww look at the sausage skin, I bet it has low meat content. It tastes cheap, plus sausage and cranberry is just wrong.4/10
Tasha: Where's all the green? There's far too much meat involved. Maybe you'd be happy with this if you were severally hungover.... Ugh, I've encountered gristle. Nobody wants a gristly sausage. The big bad wolf would run away from those pigs. 4/10
Rachel: It taste's really cheap. The sausage has a horrible after taste, like a fart in your mouth. Grim. 3/10
EAT Festive Roast Roots (13 of14)
Open Image Modal
Amy: This is a nice vegetarian sandwich but the only thing that's Christmassy is the cranberry. Bit of a misleading name really. 5/10
Tasha: It's like Moroccan cuisine meets Christmas dinner - it doesn't go. All they've done is taken some Moroccan veg, added in some cranberry sauce and topped it off with bird seed. 3/10
Rachel: I'm not not a fan. The herbs and seeds stick in your teeth and the overall texture is grainy, almost like a sandy sandwich at the beach. There's also too much bread for the filling. 3/10
EAT Festive Full Works(14 of14)
Open Image Modal
Amy: It's just too much, they've clearly gone for quantity over quality and all the ingredients are squished together. A soggy, soggy mess. 4/10
Tasha: This is like opening a disappointing present at Christmas. The bread has taken on a weird texture where it's been refrigerated for too long. I can't actually fit it in my mouth - it's so big. 4/10
Rachel: The sandwich is falling apart and it doesn't taste fresh. I'm not sure what they've done to the turkey but it reminds me of school dinner meat. No one wants to eat that twice. 4/10