Boca Original Meatless Chik'n Nuggets

This was a surprise -- in more ways than one. I was in a Target today to pick up a few things and not even planning on grocery shopping (except to pick up a loaf of bread), but I decided to peek at the little vegetarian section of the frozen foods to see if there was anything new or interesting. I scanned it from the bottom up (meh, I'm short), not seeing anything I needed, knowing I had still had some burgers, sausage, and bacon at home... I was just about to walk away when the bag of Boca Chik'n Nuggets on the top shelf caught my eye. I have never seen this product since discovering my love of Boca Chik'n Patties, so I just had to try it. I figured it's got to be at least as good as the patties, right?

Um... well... insert confused face and head scratching here.

I was eager to have some of these for dinner, so I cooked up one serving (four nuggets) with some nummy MSF broccoli and cheese bites on the side, piled on a plate with a dollop of barbecue sauce. I wanted to get a pure sampling of the new nuggets, so I tried one first without sauce. It was... weird. I chewed on it, trying to figure out what it tasted like, and couldn't put my finger on it. So I took another bite, and it hit me: it tastes like... FISH? Now you see why I was confused!

As an omnivore, I loved eating fish. The smell, the flavor, the texture... It is still the only meat that I miss (except for the whole used-to-be-a-living-creature part). But there isn't any meatless faux fish that I'm aware of... so finding a vegan product that has a sort-of fish-like flavor -- even if it was supposed to be chicken-like -- is an interesting discovery. I'm still scratching my head over it, though.

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat
Vegan

Boca Original Chik'n Patties

So, this is the third brand of breaded chicken-style patty I've tried thus far. To be perfectly honest, I didn't expect much from it. I found Boca burgers to be very bland and boring, and figured this would be, too. However, I was quite pleasantly surprised.

Actually, the breading on the patty was on the bland side, but for me, the flavor and texture of the "chicken" made up for it. It had a nice, chickeny bite to it, and was actually juicy. I am glad I purchased these instead of the MSF chik'n patties I almost bought tonight; if the breading had a bit more seasoning to it, I think these could actually give Quorn chik'n a run for its money. And for me, that's saying a lot. In fact, because the breading stays on better than with Quorn patties, these might be a better choice for using in a dish that requires sliced chik'n -- salad, tacos, quesadillas, stir fry... Hmm, I'm gonna have to buy some more...

Protein source: Soy, wheat
Allergens: Soy, wheat
Vegan?