Curious about what goes in to making new flavour 2die4 Activated Nuts? Read on for exclusive insights from our innovation team – and discover our two new nutty masterpieces – Chilli & Ginger Activated Cashews and Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar Activated Almonds.
Twenty years ago, when the original owner of 2die4 Live Foods first began experimenting with nut activation from his kitchen in Byron Bay, little did he know his bespoke range would expand from plain nuts activated in Australian Sea Salt, to a range of flavoursome sweet and savoury creations loved by thousands.
From cinnamon maple and tamari, through to masala and cacao, over the years, each irresistible flavour combo creation is carefully crafted and thoughtfully developed for maximum enjoyment - and crunch! So how are these tasty snacks made?
Concept to Creation
The actual process, from concept to the creation of a new activated nut flavour, can take anywhere between 3-6 months. Our amazing product innovation team say formulating new flavoured activated nuts is one of the favourite parts of the food manufacturing process. So how does the process work?
- The idea of adding new flavours to the 2die4 range is activated.
- A recipe is developed on paper taking into consideration taste, texture, aroma and appearance the new activated nut will deliver to customers.
- The team gets together and begins crafting samples for several test groups to evaluate and give feedback on – a totally fun part of the job!
- A range of flavour variations is tested and evaluated.
- Feedback from the evaluation goes into refining the final product, taking into consideration the look, feel, smell and of course taste of the new activated nut flavour.
- Packaging is designed for the new nut flavours.
- The new activated nut flavour is launched!
Did you know?
On average, it takes up to five samples to refine a new activated nut flavour … but in some instances, there can be up to 30 or more samples made in order to discover the perfect activated blend!
Minimally Processed, Maximum Flavour!
The 2die4 ethos has always been to create amazing products using organic ingredients, minimally processed and activated for optimal health benefits. Our process of activation alone involves long soaking the nuts in salted water before slow drying them for up to two days to help remove some of the phytic acid, making them more digestible and adding a superior crunch!
New Creations
With every new healthy flavour snack creation, the product innovation team spends a substantial amount of time exploring and researching new trending flavours and ingredients. They then look at what nuts would pair best with the chosen flavours – for example: creamy cashews work well smoky flavours while almonds pair beautifully with tart and salty ingredients.
Chilli & Ginger Activated Cashews: For this exciting new nutty combo, the team paired activated cashews with smoky Korean chili and rounded it out with notes of lime, onion, garlic, black pepper and ginger – sounds like the perfect stir fry right? Before settling on this amazing flavour combo however, the team actually started out with five flavour variants, including chilli lime cashews and coconut chili flavoured cashew, however chilli and ginger were the clear favourites among our testing and tasting teams. After multiple flavour adjustments, the recipe was finally locked in and ready to be added to the activated cashews.
Fun Fact: To help perfect the flavour, after the cashews are long soaked, the spices are added to the cashews before being slow dried for 22 hours!
Salt and Apple Cider Vinegar Activated Almonds: In this instance, the 2die4 team wanted to combine the great flavour and health benefits of apple cider vinegar with a seed or nut. After much debate, Australian activated almonds were paired with the goodness of Apple Cider Vinegar and the results are tangy, crunchy and oh so delicious!
Want to try the new flavour creations – click the link below, you won’t be disappointed!
