Kiwi Seasonings - Wild Basil and Seaweed product reviews

I admit to being a bit slack on getting to this product, partly because I just wasn't too sure how best to test it, and also because, after deciding to try another flavour with fish, I thought this one might go better with chicken.

I chose a couple of plump chicken breasts and, learning from my mistakes with the other flavour, chose to just mix this with a little flour to help it stick, then pan-fried it. Alas, I didn't have any of the Paul Holmes Olive Oil, so I can't comment on that, but a little sampler bottle of Alfa-One Rice Bran Oil I was given up at the Food Show did the trick.

Being a great fan of Basil Pesto, but never having tried wild basil, I wasn't too sure what to expect... and I really wasn't too sure about the seaweed either, but figured that if I could handle Giapo's Seaweed and Green Tea gelatto, this wouldn't be too bad either.

The flavour is hard to describe... tasty, subtle, a little strange at first, but settling to something quite pleasant once you give it a chance... or something you will never try again if you can't handle that slightly salty-iodine taste from the seaweed. As with all food things, it's a very personal interpretation... and since I refuse to come across as some snobby food critic who think their opinion is the only one that matters, or they have some inside-line to the universal tastebuds library... all I can say is that this will NOT be a taste you feel so-so about - it's a "YEAH!" or "NOPE!" one for sure.

Overall, a most interesting set of experiments, testing these. I also tried stirring a few tablespoons of this through a casserole - wasted. Couldn't taste it at all. I sprinkled a few pinches of this over a hot pasta salad... not bad, but it changed the flavour too much for the rest of the family to like it. From my perspective, this is best used as a roast sprinkle or pan-fry coating... but that's just me. I encourage you to experiment for yourself and see what magic you can pull from it.