Pretzels

Gratify Everything Thins

This is my favorite pretzel brand. The Everything Thins contain sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion and garlic.  It is crunchy and bursting with flavor. The pretzels are gluten free, milk free, egg free, and non-GMO, but contain soy.

Gratify Sea Salt Twists

These pretzels have a great crunch and a buttery taste without actual butter. They are gluten free, milk free, egg free, and non-GMO, but contain soy.

Snyder’s Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks and Mini Pretzels

The pretzel sticks and mini pretzels taste like regular pretzels in that they taste buttery. They are also very crispy and have a great crunch. They are free of gluten, soy, dairy, casein and egg.

Snack Factory Gluten Free Mini Pretzel Crisps

The pretzels are super thin and crispy, but dry. They are gluten free and vegan.  

Glutino Gluten Free Pretzel Twists

These are my least favorite pretzels. The taste is plain and not buttery like the other brands, and is very dry. They are free of gluten, milk, and casein, but do contain soy.

No Whey! Chocolatey Covered Pretzels

The pretzels dipped in semi-sweet chocolate are the perfect balance of sweet, salty and crunchy. They are free of all eight common allergens including milk, gluten, soy and nuts.

Crackers and Pretzel Crackers

Van’s The Perfect 10

Van’s is everything you want in a cracker without the gluten and dairy. It is a perfect cracker with a great crunch. It is topped with seeds- flax, sesame, poppy and caraway for an even greater crunch. These crackers are also free of corn, artificial flavors and nuts.

Absolutely Gluten Free Everything Flatbread

These long flatbread crackers taste like saltine. Thin and crispy, they are topped with sesame, poppy and caraway seeds. They are one of the best tasting crackers and long enough for toppings and spreads. They are gluten and dairy free.

Gratify Pretzel Crackers, Tuscan Herb

While the pretzel crackers are a little dry, they have a great Italian flavor. They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free and non-GMO

From the Ground Up Butternut Squash Crackers, Parmesan Flavored

Although not in the name, these crackers also contain cauliflower as a main ingredient. I worried about a sulfurous smell or taste before opening the box, but thankfully that was not the case. Instead, the crackers are crispy and have a great Parmesan flavor, even with being vegan. Additionally, you don’t taste the butternut squash or cauliflower in the same way that you don’t taste carrot in carrot cake due to the other ingredients. They are gluten free, vegan and non-GMO project verified.

CrunchMaster Tuscan Peasant

Like crunchy pita chips, the crackers have a nice Italian flavor with rosemary, garlic, basil, and oregano. They are gluten free, vegan free and made in a peanut-free facility.

Mary’s Gone Crackers, Herb

This is my least favorite cracker. While very crispy, they are so dry, they need a topping. Because the entire crackers are covered in flax and sesame seeds, you can’t see or taste the cracker underneath. Even the rosemary flavor is too much. They are gluten free and vegan, but do contain soy.

Not Reviewed

Lance Gluten Free Peanut Butter Sandwich Cracker – contains milk.

Milton’s Gluten Free Sea Salt Crackers – contains milk.

Conclusion 

Undoubtedly, texture is important in taste. Ole Mouritsen, co-author of the book, Mouthfeel, recalls how in a blind taste test of puréed foods, most people could only identify 30 to 40 percent of them by taste alone. “That usually is a big surprise because you cannot recognize it from the taste alone; you’re actually using feeling in the mouth,” Ole explains. So, if I was part of this experiment and they pureed pretzels, I probably wouldn’t have recognized, or enjoyed them, without their crispy texture. Instead, I’ll just enjoy the loud crunch of these crackers and pretzels.

Fun Food Fact

The phrase “tying the knot” came from the Swiss, who still incorporate pretzels in weddings. Newlyweds make a wish and break a pretzel, in the same way people in other cultures break a wishbone or a glass.

Did You Know?

October is National Pretzel Month (because pretzels deserve a whole month, not merely a day).

Quote

“Mouthfeel is the technical term; we also call it texture. As a technical term, it refers to the sensation of touch and feeling. When most people talk about taste, they don’t mean the taste that is technically on the tongue; it’s just as much in the nose, ears, or eyes. Also, very much in feeling in the mouth. Usually we don’t think about it, unless it’s contrary to what we expect. Suppose we get something which is supposed to be crisp and it’s soggy, or we get a piece meat and it turns out to be chewy, not tender – then we actually notice it. In most cases, we don’t have a word for it. I suppose the word “mouthfeel” is not a common word, but it’s important for the entire taste experience.” Ole Mouritsen, Mouthfeel.