I recently had a chance to taste two Slovenian bio hazelnut spreads and wanted to record my notes for future reference. Both are basically the same – 60% hazelnuts with coconut sugar and cocoa as the only other 2 components. Both are also advertised as eco, vegan, lactose free (no.2 notes that means <0.1g lactose per 100g), gluten free and both are marked as handmade in Slovenia.
- Lešnikov namaz (Hazelnut spread)
- Manufacturer:
- 20 Chocolate
- Weight:
- 200g
- Expires:
- 23-10-2020
- Certification from:
- SI-EKO-003 (Bureau Veritas)
- Ingredients:
- hazelnuts, cocoa beans, coconut sugar
- Energy per 100g:
- 2373kJ/572kcal
- Fat / saturated per 100g:
- 43,1g / 5,4g
- Carbohydrate / sugars per 100g:
- 29,2g / 27,4g
- Protein per 100g
- 12,6g
- Salt per 100g
- 0,16g
- Bio lešnikov namaz (Bio hazelnut spread)
- Manufacturer:
- Lizin Vrt
- Weight:
- 190g
- Expires:
- 02-03-2021
- Certification from:
- SI-EKO-002 (IKC UM)
- Ingredients:
- hazelnut paste, cocoa paste, coconut sugar
- Energy per 100g:
- 2560kJ/618kcal
- Fat / saturated per 100g:
- 49,0g / 8,7g
- Carbohydrate / sugars per 100g:
- 31,0g / 24g
- Protein per 100g
- 9,42g
- Salt per 100g
- <0,01g
So even though they look the same based on the big claims on the container, they are quite dissimilar with the second one using more fat (8,7g vs 5,4g) and less sugar (24g vs 27,4g) resulting in higher energy value. I’m also a bit annoyed that it is 10g lighter even though it seems it’s using the same container.
Taste wise and texture wise I prefer the first one – it tastes a bit sweeter and creamier. I’ll see if the second turns creamier with time. Oddly, the second has a somewhat bitter taste as if the hazelnuts were a bit over and not really perfect. Might be a batch issue or an overall quality issue, who knows. Either way, I’d buy no.1 again, keeping no.2 in mind only as a backup.