Tom’s Farm actually remembered the “-s” for the Wasabi Peanuts! I’m very impressed that “Tommy” finally passed primary school English class. What an achievement!
Sorry for that… I’ll try to be a bit nicer from now on… I swear!
Anyways, I promise I’m done harassing the people at Tom’s Farm for today, because these wasabi flavored peanuts are absolutely scrumptious! The wasabi flavored almonds from Tom’s Farm were average at best, but these are something! There’s a reason why the Japanese have wasabi peanut snacks. Peanuts work in almost perfect harmony with the flavor of wasabi. So, I guess I’m saying that I’m glad that Tom’s Farm decided to release their own version. It’s also nice to see a different type of legume being used instead of only almonds once again. I hope they can keep the ball rolling with new flavors to sprinkling on peanuts, because these are promising!
Packaging:
This is one of the largest packages I have reviewed to date from Tom’s Farm. Coming in at 118 grams and just shy of the 120 gram (4.23 ounce) weight listed on the packaging, I would say that this pack of wasabi flavored peanuts will make a decent snack for 2 or 3 people. I liked these so much, I actually ended up crushing the entire pack in two sittings, while catching up on CES2021 highlights on YouTube. They were the perfect snack!
Today’s package might also be the wildest artwork I have seen yet. There’s actually quite a lot to talk about. I really love it. This art really shows the lifecycle of the peanut in a nutshell (Yeah, I just did that…). On the bottom right, we’ve got two baby peanuts still partially in their shell and absolutely helpless without arms or legs. What’s even more odd is that the adult peanuts are singular in their shell. Does that mean those twin baby peanuts are going to fuse into a single lifeform? Wild… I mean, the one next to them is bursting out of his shell alone… Did he consume his brother or sister? I find this perplexing, but interesting none the less. Next, we have the toddler peanut getting his first dab of wasabi flavored hair. Also, in this bizarre peanut universe, some choose to wear pants made of shells and others just run around in the nude…
Other than the peanuts, this art also shows the different preparation methods of wasabi. We have grated wasabi, which gives the peanuts their hair, straight wasabi root, and a wasabi smoothie. I’m not quite sure about the last one, but maybe it’s actually the low quality wasabi you get from a squeeze tube? I’ll definitely stick with the actual grated root instead…
Flavor:
These wasabi flavored almonds remind me of all of the great wasabi snacks you can find in Japan. Wasabi Peanuts deserve to be up there with the best of them, because these are really, really good. The flavor is slightly sweet like the wasabi almonds from Tom’s Farm, but these aren’t nearly as sweet. I think this is because the peanuts have a more savory or umami flavor to them. Without a doubt, peanuts pair better than almonds with wasabi. The flavor is infinitely more balanced and enjoyable. The wasabi kick is also much more pronounced in these peanuts. The experience is more enjoyable because of it, especially if you like your wasabi to hurt, like myself. The wasabi coating is a dusting and not a dense shell, which is perfectly in line with Wasabi Almond. The initial flavor is slightly sweet on first bite and quickly transitions to the flavor of wasabi. This, of course, is followed up by a kick of wasabi, especially if you take your time and suck the powdered coating of first. Finally, the bite gives way to a strong flavor of peanuts, which rounds out the sweet and slightly spicy flavor of the wasabi with its deliciously savory flavor profile. Dang, these are good!
Aroma:
Tom’s Farm Wasabi Peanuts have a deceptive wasabi flavored coating on these nuts. There’s not much of a smell at all, to be honest. However, don’t let these wasabi flavored peanuts fool you. They will give your nose a tiny sting to let you know you’re eating wasabi after you eat them. I can vaguely smell the peanuts, but I just might be fooling myself once again. The wasabi is near odorless, so watch your back, err… nose!
Verdict:
In my opinion, Tom’s Farm Wasabi Almond is just as good as most Japanese wasabi snacks you can find on the market. There’s a decent kick of wasabi, but I still want even more power behind my wasabi spice. It should nearly bring me to tears to be enjoyable, but these just don’t quite get there. The almonds don’t either, so if you’re looking to pick one option from Tom’s Farm, I would go with the peanuts. The wasabi kick is stronger with the peanuts and the overall flavor combination just works better than the almonds. These are the wasabi nuts you are looking for! I recommend you just skip the almonds and pick up these peanuts instead. You won’t regret it! I promise.
So, what do you think? Do you think you would prefer peanuts with wasabi or almonds? Do you love the taste of wasabi or is it not for you? 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.
