Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Those of you who know me know that I don't eat pasta or carbs and am forever on a quest to find noodle substitutes that don't feel like a compromise. A couple of years ago I bought and reviewed a turning slicer, the World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer which I still love and use frequently to turn assorted vegetables into great noodle alternatives. Recently someone mentioned these kelp noodles and I decided to give them a try. Oh my, these are phenomenal in every way. Don't like to cook? Don't worry, these noodles don't require cooking. You CAN cook them, but you don't have to. It has only been a couple of weeks since I've found them so I haven't tried a large assortment of recipes but everything I have tried so far has been fabulous. Cold noodles with sesame sauce was a hit with everyone. These noodles are slightly chewy like pasta but they are also kind of crunchy like bean sprouts. They are thin like regular spaghetti and crystal clear like cellophane noodles. In and of themselves they have a delicate and refreshing taste with no weird smell like some of those other noodle alternatives. They are a wonderful size and texture and they hold thick sauces really well. Everyone who has tasted the cold noodles with sesame sauce has moaned with delight and licked their plate clean. I've also tried these noodles with a ramp pesto (slightly spicier than a basil pesto) and they held up so well with that sauce, too. The Ramp pesto was another crowd pleaser. If you are on a lo carb diet or lo calorie diet or a raw diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, or lo cholesterol diet, these noodles are a must have item. According to the package nutritional info, there are only around 20 calories in a pound of the noodles. There is no sugar, no cholesterol and only 1 carb per serving (3 servings in the bag). And they are made from sea kelp so they have lots of good nutrition. To be sure, I was VERY skeptical when I first tried them. I can be VERY squemish about new foods, particularly some of these weird, healthy alternative foods. I also have a very sensitive stomach that revolts easily when it is displeased with my menu choices. I was so afraid that they would smell like old shoes or taste like that horrible stuff you have to drink before a colonoscopy, but to my surprise and delight, there is no smell and no weird taste to get used to and my stomach has remained quiet and satisfied. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if they are too good to be true. The cynic in me is waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Its not simply that these noodles don't smell or taste bad, its that they actually are so so so GOOD and they are fun to eat. They have a clean and refreshing quality to them. I am enjoying coming up with recipes to showcase them but honestly I am not sure if I can top the sesame sauce. I have yet to try them with traditional Italian pasta sauces, but I have a feeling they would be great with a hearty marinara. They are a natural for all sorts of Asian cuisine. I bet they'd make an amazing base for Pad Thai. If you do try them and find recipes you like, please post back here and let me know. So, to recap (for those of you who don't like to read a lot of text): no cooking required (but you CAN cook them) taste great unbelievably lo calorie lo cholesterol lo carb no sugar versatile healthy holds up well to sauces no weird taste, texture or smell much much much better than shirataki noodles (in my opinion) The Bottom Line: If you use these in place of pasta I am pretty sure you wont feel like you are settling for second best. These are a class act. Their only flaw seems to be the somewhat steep pricing, but isn't this true of all relatively new foods?