There are those who choose them to keep hunger at bay between one meal and another, those who support them with salads or velvety such as bread substitutes, those who put them in the backpack for a snack outside the home. The rice cakes They have now become a must for those who are on a diet, for those looking for gluten free products or simply for those who want to control the caloric intake.
Reading, crunchy and often considered “healthy”, occupy increasingly wide shelves in Italian supermarkets. But are they all the same? The Gambero Rosso he decided to find out with a Blind test on 26 cakes selected by large retailers.
The test focused not only on the best known brands but also on private labels and both on classic and full rice cakes. In the end, only 8 entered the ranking for quality, taste and consistency. Let’s find out which they are.
Rice cakes, the best
Sater – Bio full rice cakes
In the first place, we find the full rice cakes: crunchy, elegant, with an airy texture and a toasted note reminiscent of Caramello and Popcorn. The taste is clean, neutral but not flat. Produced by a company specialized in organic and gluten free. Price: 1,62–1,84 € per 100 g
Scotti – Bio Gran Selection Lists
Second place for the Scotti, crumbly, light cakes, with a balanced and pleasant flavor. They recall the popcorn, do not stick to the teeth and conquer with a sweet but not cloying taste. Price: € 1.99 for 130 g
Curtiso – Bio rice cakes
Thin and dissolving, with a delicate and clean aromatic profile. Good structure and flavor that recalls white rice and starch. Price: € 1.75 for 130 g
Live Well Selex – Bio Rice Gallette Without Added Sale
Of pearly in color and with distinct beans, they have a neutral and delicate taste, with slight notes of popcorn. The consistency is crunchy, slightly gummosetta but melts easily in the mouth. Price: € 1.19 per 100 g
Naturalsì – Bio -free Bio Rice Gallette Gallet
Made by Sater, they are crunchy and toastarelle, perfect in form. Less incisive in taste, but well performed and suitable for bio lovers. Price: € 1.80
Carrefour Bio – Bio rice cakes
Produced with full rice, these cakes have a delicate taste with paper notes, popcorn and a hint of coffee. The structure is on average crunchy and a little rubbery, but dissolving. Price: € 1.79 for 120 g.
Fiorentini – Bio Rice Gallette Le Originali
Made with full rice and a pinch of sea salt, these cakes offer a clean aromatic profile with notes of popcorn, wood and a touch of caramel. The texture is crunchy and crumbly, but slightly rubbery. Price: € 1.49 for 150 g.
Bio Todis – Bio rice cakes
The cakes produced by Birko are neutral on the palate, with a light aroma of popcorn and caramel. The structure is quite crumbly and crunchy, typical of a standard product. Price: € 0.99 for 120 g.
Gallette yes or not?
Many choose them because they are gluten, light and practical but we must not forget that Rice cakes are processed products, obtained with a production method at high temperatures and pressures, which impoverish the nutritional profile and increases the glycemic index.
In addition, they can contain acrylamide, a potentially toxic substance. Even at the nutritional level then they do not shine, they contain few proteins, the vitamins are almost absent and their calorie intake is often superior to that of bread (with the same weight).
In short, they can be used occasionally but should not be idealized: they are not bread and they are not nutrients like whole grain cereals. The advice? Choose them as an exception, not as a basis for their diet, and orient themselves towards those that offer the best quality, simple ingredients and absence of additives.
