CATEGORY
Granola with Raisins
2007 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER
Kellogg Company
What Makes a Great Granola with Raisins?
Granola—a simple combination of toasted oats, nuts and other sweet ingredients—is a tried and true breakfast cereal enjoyed by children and adults alike. With raisins in the mix, you’ve got a naturally sweet, crunchy and chewy combination. Serve it with milk or yogurt in the morning, or take a bag of granola with raisins on your next hike. It’s also a great topping on ice cream and fruit salad.
Our chefs define high-quality packaged granola with raisins as having a variety of visual ingredients, such as spices, nuts, grains and dried fruit. The low aroma should have a complex character featuring toasted oats, honey, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, warm spice and sweet notes. Aroma off notes from packaging or other unwholesome ingredients should not be detected.
For granola with raisins, taste balance is achieved when moderate sweetness is the leading basic taste. Lower levels of saltiness will follow, along with sourness from the raisins and other possible ingredients such as cranberries. There should be no bitterness.
In the flavor profile, moderate oat flavor should be the leading flavor. Next will be raisin flavor, also at moderate levels. Other flavors, including added spice, fruit and nuts, should be at low to moderate levels. The oat flavor character will be complex with the toasted oat, honey, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, warm spice and sweet aromas carrying though to the flavor. There should be no flavor off notes detracting from the overall flavor.
The raisins should have a fairly moist and plump texture that is not dried or shriveled. The granola should have a crunchy chew without being soft or mushy. Finally, it should have a moderately long dissolve and a good "bowl life," which is the measure of how long a cereal stays crunchy in milk. High-quality granola should stay nice and crunchy in milk or yogurt, even when left to sit for two to five minutes. It shouldn’t get soggy during the normal amount of time it takes to finish a serving.
Product Category Definition
The category judged was defined as packaged granola with raisins for the consumer market, not including granola without raisins, granola bars or other cereals.
Other Leading Brands:
Cascadian Farm, Quaker Oats Co., Back to Nature, Sunbelt, Heartland
ONE-STEP IDEAS
For cookies in a snap, stir 3 cups of granola into 1 pound of melted almond bark and scoop tablespoon portions onto a baking sheet to cool.
Sprinkle over yogurt to add crunch to a healthy snack.
Toss with nuts and dried fruit for a quick trail mix.
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TASTING
TERMINOLOGY
PRODUCT
FUN FACTS
- Granola is a breakfast food and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nut and honey baked until crispy.
- Originally, granola was called “granula.”, it was renamed in 1876.
- A main ingredient in granola, oats are normally planted in April and harvested in September.
The ChefsBest Award for Best Taste is awarded to the brand rated highest overall among leading brands by independent professional chefs.
