In an era in which environmental sensitivity grows and spreads, the choice of fresh and bulk products should represent the norm, a way to help reduce waste and the use of plastic packaging. However, there is daily reality, made of tight commitments and rhythms, which leads many people to rely on packaged saladsready for use and available in each supermarket. But among the many options on the shelves, how to identify the most valid one?
To provide a useful reference to consumers, Gambero Rosso organized a blind tasting test, involving a team of experts called to evaluate 20 different varieties of ready -to -be salads. The evaluation parameters included freshness, cleaning, perfume, consistency, taste and duration of the aromatic notes. .
The types analyzed are two of the most widespread: Large leafy salad and mythical baby leafthat is, the salads composed of smaller leaves. The latter generally include green and red lettuce, spinach and, in the most elaborate mixes, also Rularchia, Valeriana (also called Soncino), Roman cutting and carrots in Julienne. In more sought after or “exotic” compositions There are also Riccia, Scarola, Lollo, Sugar Pan, Care Binning Pan, Red Chard (Billy Dark Green Breaks with bright red stems), together with Asian varieties Like Tatsai and Mizuna, both belonging to the Brassicaceae family, such as cabbage and mustard.
The ranking of the best salads according to the red shrimp
To stand to the top of the ranking was Bonduelleleader brand in the fresh salad sector packaged. Among the six tasted products of this brand, four conquered a place among the first nine, with two references on the podium and a fourth position.
Here, one by one, the nine salads deemed better:
- Bonduelle – delicious bio mix
A biological mix based on green lettuce and red with julienne -cut carrots. It stands out for freshness, care in the selection, intense perfume and a balanced flavor between sweet notes and amarognole. Soft but at the same time crunchy, it is appreciated for aromatic wealth.
- San Lidano – Mistory
250 grams tray with blond and red lettuce, rocket and flac. It requires rinsing before consumption. Although the appearance appears a little tired, the smell is delicate and fresh taste, with a successful balance between sweetness and bitterness and a texture that alternates softness and crunchiness.
- Bonduelle – Allegria mix
Composed of green and red lettuce, Roman lettuce, rocket, flap and carrots with strips, it is a well -structured and tasty set. The flavor is wide, with sweet notes, bitter and slightly spicy, also good chewing. Small negative note: the presence of some lightly dated leaves.
- Bonduelle – Gast tasty mix
A classic mix with green and red lettuce, Roman lettuce, rocket and spinach. Ordered appearance, decisive vegetable perfume and a lively taste, well balanced between sweet and bitter. The rocket adds a pleasant spicy note.
- The pleasure of organic – mixed oriental bio salad
A organic product that combines lettuce, spinach and channels. It is noted for the well -kept appearance and the aromatic balance between sweet and slightly bitter tones. Ideal as a base to season to taste.
- ORTOROMI – Mistastic
Venetian product that offers a mix of lettugnean, rocket and spinach. Brilliant colors, crunchy consistency and well -harmonized taste. The rocket gives a spicy touch that enriches the sensory profile.
- Ready vegetable garden – San Lidano – Lazio vegetable gardens mixed with chives
A mix enriched with chives, rocket, spinach, tatsai, red chard and lettuce. The presence of chives gives personality, as well as rocket. However, freshness and consistency do not reach particularly high levels.
- San Lidano – Eastern mixed
Produced in the Pontine countryside, it combines lettuce, chard, spinach, brassica and rocket. Some leaves appear a bit spoiled, but the rich and varied taste offers sweet, loved and spicy notes, which recall the flavor of mustard, thanks to the mizuna.
- Bonduelle – keep them
Green and red lettuce, Soncino and Spinacino cultivated in Italy with sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices. The appearance is inviting, the leaves are fresh and substantial, but to the taste and smell the intensity appears rather soft, while the consistency is softer than crunchy.
How the Blind Test took place
The references selected for the test were purchased at the Main points of sale of the large retailers in Romethe day before the tasting. During the transport they were kept in thermal bags and then chilled in the cells of the Red Gambero Academy, where the evaluation took place.
The tasting have tasted salads without knowing the brandsattributing a score based on different parameters: level of freshness, visual cleaning, olfactory quality (which reveals the status of vegetables and the possible use of cleaning additives), intensity e aromatic persistence, gustatory balance, consistency and aftertaste. The average scores obtained determined the final ranking of the nine best salads among those heads.
