Product Review: Just the Cheese, Crunchy Baked Cheese, Nacho

Never has cheese tasted less cheeselike

Last night when my order arrived, we crowded around the box and brought forth this small, tiny bag from the well-cushioned packaging. As a hush sounded around the few, I announced a taste testing for all, and, brandishing this bag like the Statue of Liberty holds her torch over all who are weary and looking for something delicious (OK, well, maybe liberty), I popped open the bag and held the wares out for happy children.

Faces of happy anticipation changed to notsomuchness with the taste test. Cue Psycho shower music where once Sound of Music promised to frolic across the fields of the Alps. Reeee Reeee Reeee Reeee

I never thought I’d live to see the day when I had to give a negative review to anything with cheese in it. I mean, it’s cheese, and cheese is life. And since I’m from Wisconsin, and mothers raised their children on cheese curds, you have to at least give a shot to a product that shows promise. And hello? Cheese?

I have learned three lessons here.
1. It might be from Wisconsin, but …;
2. Buy one product from a company and try it before dropping cash on two. Remember the Popped Cheese?
3. Don’t buy nacho flavored anything if you’re not sure what that even is.


I will say that unlike its sister product, the Popped Cheese, you do get more bang for your carb buck here with this product. Unlike the other product, you can have 9 small nuggets per carb instead of only five. Still, the stuff looks a little like small ufo’s and not like the gorgeous, little puffs on the cover of the packaging.

The cheese has a nice, initial cereal-type crunch, but this leads quickly to an incredibly dry product in the mouth (I have to take big sips of liquid in between each small piece), and the nacho flavor quickly disappears, leaving one with the unpleasant twang of overcooked cheese. I would recommend these as perhaps an accoutrement to salads or soups, but as a standalone snack, this one leaves me high, wry and dry.

Rating: ♥
Price: $2.39 for 2 ounce bag
Usefulness: On salads (think croutons), on soup
Negative: Not a terrific taste/texture, long list of ingredients, expensive for one serving.
Found at: netrition.com
Website: https://www.specialcheese.com/

Disclosure: I purchased this product myself, and have received no remuneration in any way for this review.