A flavor that’s sure to scare away the children and make your grandma say, “Yum!” Tom’s Farm Honey Red Ginseng Almond might just be the most bizarre flavor of all of the almonds made by Tommy to date. The earthy and slightly bitter taste of ginseng root is one-hundred percent an acquired taste. Other than grandma and grandpa that have had decades of cumulative damage done to their taste buds, many struggle to find enjoyment in its flavor, despite the health benefits. Kids find the smell off-putting and the taste as bitter and repulsive as children’s medicine. I, myself, actually kind of like the flavor, but I’m probably in the minority. My wife always accuses me as having the palette of an elderly Korean male, which isn’t exactly inaccurate… I personally tend to look past unappetizing flavors, if there is a health benefit to be gained. In the case of red ginseng, there are plenty of remarkable benefits that have been well-researched, so it makes snacking on these almonds a no-brainer for people like myself. So, if you’re looking for a strange new world of flavors to try or seeking out a tastier way to get a healthy infusion, keep on reading for my review below…
Packaging:
I picked out another 30 gram (~1.06 ounce) package for today. It’s tall and slender enough to pocket, which again, makes it useful for a travel snack. I also ended up getting cheated out of another gram or so of almonds with this package. The package weighed in at 29 grams instead of the 30 grams on the label. I believe the almond count that I’m owed us up to 6 now. It’s pretty much the same ol’ song with Tom’s Farm. The almonds in the package are always slightly less than you would expect.
I like how this package presents the different ways that Koreans might use red ginseng. This might be unfamiliar to many people around the world, so it gives a bit more context for people that have little contact with Korean culture. You can see the ginseng being made as tea, a syrup / reduction, and least time consuming way, just having the whole ginseng root by itself.
There’s also a dumbbell featured in the background of this image. The well-known health benefits of red ginseng include its use as an adaptogen for helping the body adjust to stressors and its potent antioxidant capabilities. As far as I know, red ginseng doesn’t exactly increase strength, but at least this highlights its health benefits.
If you didn’t already know what red ginseng looks like, there’s a giant piece of it in the center of the image. The almonds located in various places around picture are looking fit with their sweatbands that hold pieces of ginseng root. The almond that takes center stage is clearly showing off a bit by flexing his little almond biceps.
The colors are bright and the imagery suites the theme of these almonds well. Unless you can’t get by the taste, eating these almonds will probably be a slightly more delicious way to consume your ginseng. We could all benefit from adapting better to our modern stressful environment.
Flavor:
Tom’s Farm Honey Red Ginseng Almond are probably good for you, minus combining sugar with fats. I’m really impressed by the taste of the red ginseng flavor. It surprisingly works well with the flavor of the almonds. If you’re unfamiliar with the flavor of ginseng, the best way I can describe it is an earthy taste of dirt, plus root. The flavor is completely unique, which makes it even more special to find as a light dusting on almonds. There isn’t a thick external shell today with these almonds, only a fine powdery cover of ginseng. These almonds aren’t overly sweet, like many of the offerings from Tom’s Farm. The sweetness comes mostly from the almonds, but I can’t taste the honey directly. And, honey is a hard flavor to mistake… To give you a feel for the flavor, it begins with the earthy and slightly sweetened flavor of red ginseng that finishes up with the almond flavor. The almond flavor is well-pronounced within the flavor profile and pairs exceptionally well with the ginseng to create a pleasing flavor that’s simply, “adult’s only.”
Aroma:
Oh, wow! These little almonds are pungent! There’s an almost lethal level of red ginseng aroma about these nuts. They also have a slightly sweet smell, that might actually be a contribution from the honey, even though you can’t really taste it. On a similar note, you can’t smell the almonds either… There’s a strangely pleasing aroma of red ginseng that adults will love and children will cower in fear to. If you’re familiar with the more Asian or Korean-style energy drinks (not your typical western Red Bull or Monster), these almonds smell just like those ginseng-infused drinks found at the convenience store.
Verdict:
I must be getting old, because I love the flavor of these almonds. I find the earthy root flavor kind of appealing for some reason… It’s strangely satisfying! Also, like I mentioned above, these almonds are definitely an acquired taste and certainly not for everyone. If you have children, they’re not going to touch a single one of these almonds, so don’t plan on buying these for the kids. Unless you would like to sprinkle them around areas you don’t want the children getting into. Honey Red Ginseng Almond will make a the ultimate deterrent! There might be some health benefits to eating these almonds as well. The package listed 70mg of red ginseng “essence” on the cover. Don’t ask me exactly what “essence” means, but if its real red ginseng, you’re bound to get a bit of a boost from these. I guess for the verdict today, if you’re looking for a new, bizarre flavor or would like a tastier red ginseng snack, these almonds might be for you. If you’re just looking for something delicious to snack on, you probably want to avoid these, unless you’re familiar with the taste of ginseng.
Are you a fan of ginseng? What do you think of the flavor? Do you take ginseng for any health benefits? Let me know in the comments!
If you’re interested in hearing more about Korean snack nuts or instant ramen, check out my on-going series, Noodle Story: An Exploration of Korean Instant Noodles and my other series, I Think I’m Going Nuts: An Eyeful of South Korea’s Little Snack Nuts, here on Medium.
