Snacktopia: Recent Episodes
Tastebase
Snacktopia is a podcast by Tastebase where we dive deep into the snacks that you enjoy, possibly even now as you’re listening. We will be chatting with founders of snackfood companies about their culinary creativity and hearing stories about bringing their snacks to life.
This podcast is being launched in conjunction with our carefully curated snack food box, "Snack & Chill". You can get yourself a box at www.tastebase.com.
This company has taken collagen boosted protein bites and plant-based, superfood nut butters and made them into a decadent yet good-for-you treat. The most amazing part about these kinds of butter would definitely be the vibrant colors that you get surprised by when opening one of the packets. The two founders have a bit of a gripe with the traditional protein bar industry and have done everything they can to make this treat the protein bar for those who don’t like protein bars.
You’ve probably heard of and/or tried snacks like pringles, potato stix, and planters cheese balls. Snacks in this category are called canister snacks. In this episode, we get to chat with someone who is pushing to give pringles, the OG of canister snacks, a run for their money. Matt from the Good Crisp Company has created a snack that is better for you without sacrificing any quality in taste. As he said, their three pillars are good taste, good ingredients, and good vibes.
AWSM Sauce is not your typical sauce and condiment company. They are here to "shake up" the competition. With a focus on sustainability and reducing plastic waste, Carl & Paul are on a mission to put AWSM Sauce into the hands of every consumer in the market. How might they be able to do that? Just listen in and find out.
A climatarian is a person who campaigns to diet in such a way that reduces their carbon footprint. This can be done in many different ways. Some people choose to not eat meat, some choose to not eat processed foods, and some choose to eat crackers. Yes, that’s right, if you want to take a little step in becoming more climate-conscious, you can grab yourself a box of Moonshot Crackers and do your part!
Alcohol alternatives and functional beverages have been making a splash recently in the US, but it’s now proven to be a worldwide category. In just a few short years the functional beverage market is predicted to be a $175B market. Some of these functional beverages can help with overall mood, can help regulate your body, and can provide a clean alternative to alcohol as a social tonic. Louie from Peak Moods explains a bit about his vision for how a functional beverage can ‘stack up’ to the competition and lead the way with this nootropic stack.
Off Limits cereal is not your average cereal. The founder created some offensively delicious flavors with just as amazing mascots to go along!
"In a world full of rules, we do what's OffLimits. Unlike what you find in the cereal aisle, we give the middle finger to breakfast as we know it. We're bringing you all the fun & flavor with none of the artificial ingredients commonly found in cereal. Our offensively delicious flavors and band of mascots are here to help you play with your food.
So, go ahead. Break the rules."
You drink it every single day. You need it to stay alive. Water is a commodity. Even sparkling water is a commodity, yet this founder took it upon himself to create artisanal sparkling water with flavors that no one would ever think of doing. Now, where did this wild idea get him you might ask? Shark Tank! Yes, Shark Tank with Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, & Lori Greiner. They closed a deal with Robert himself valuing their business, Aura Bora at $1.3M. Let’s hear what makes the beverage different!
Did you know that on any given day in the U.S., 50% of adults drink at least one glass of soda? A wild fact, and scary if you think about how bad soda can be for you. However, could soda be good for you? If you haven't tried OLIPOP before, your first thought might be, "What? No. It can't... can it?" Those who have been enjoying OLIPOP across the country, though, know differently. OLIPOP likes to say that it made a product that "tastes like the soda you grew up sipping, but with the added benefit of the microbiome and digestive health support." Ariel Vaisbort, head of CX and Community for Olipop, enters Snacktopia to chat about the next generation of soda and snacks and why picking what flavor soda the company creates is really determined by you (yes, you!) Take a sip of this episode, it's good for your gut health and good for your brain.
Here's a sad fact to start a podcast: wasted food is one of the largest drivers of climate change. It's true. It also doesn't have to be this way. Caroline Cotto, COO of Renewal Mill, stops by Snacktopia to talk about how their upcycled flours are trying to ensure that next-generation of eaters have a healthy planet and a sustainable future, which starts from the ground up. In fact, Renewal Mill's cookies actually began with a juice shop. The company's CEO had founded Boston's first organic juice company. Each day ended with a mountain of nutritious produce pulp and nothing to do with it. Doing her research, she says that many food makers were having similar byproduct problems and the lightbulb went off. On our podcast, Caroline comes by to talk about why people think upcycled products taste weird and how they make an insanely good chocolate chip cookie from items you'd never expect a cookie to be made from. It's easy to see why they were named a "World Changing Idea" by Fast Company. If you're not convinced yet, we bet you will be after this episode.
We know, the world is stressful. It's part of the reason Snacktopia was created, to give you something non-stressful to do for at least 15 minutes while you eat a snack. This is, basically, the same reason that Jonathan Eppers created Vybes. "There are more demands on us today than at any time in modern history, and it’s wreaking havoc on our mind & body," he says on their website. We can't disagree. His snack, Vybes, is a series of beverages made with cannabinoids, adaptogens, and natural plant derivatives to help you calm down, and we're all for it. He stops by Snacktopia to talk about how CBD has entered the marketplace and why you should be taking it (and, in case you were concerned, how it's very different from THC), and why we all need to find time to relax. Find a quiet space, clear your head and enjoy all the vibes we're giving out here.
Look, when you name your snack brand Noodie, you know the jokes are coming. Founder Isabel Khoo hasn't just heard them all, she's the person telling the best ones (if you need a great laugh, check out Noodie's Instagram, it's a downright dirty delight). Started illegally in her college dorm room - a story you need to hear right here on Snacktopia - Noodie is re-inventing instant ramen. No frying in oil, no artificial ingredients, no empty calories, just taste. Plus, you literally can't miss them since both the box and the noodles are bright green. Isabel enters the world of Snacktopia to talk about how she made these new naked noodles for naked people, yes, clothes are optional while eating your ramen (just try not to burn yourself). Do like Noodie and grab life by the bowls as you listen to this fantastic episode.
What kind of person names his snack brand Trash Nuts? The same kind of person who puts the worst reviews for his snack right on the front of the box. Ron Adair steps deep, deep into Snacktopia where he talks about his smoked almond snack box. It's easily the lightest snack we've had on the podcast. "Trash Nuts have a stupidly simple ingredient list: Almonds. Real Wood Smoke. Salt. That’s it (unless you count love)," they say on the website, and we do. However, there's a joy in these snacks that's hard to measure in ingredients alone. Here, Ron talks about how he was almost pushed, kicking and screaming, into creating this snack brand, the weirdness of being a food creator, and how you can't take anything too seriously, especially food. It may just make you want to create a new snack yourself - or at least grab a box of nuts and enjoy some serious trash.
For many people around the world, salted egg yolks are a predominant flavor in their favorite snacks, found in everything from cakes to buns to custards. You may be in this group. Or, you might be scratching your head and asking, "Salted egg what?" If you're in the latter, fear not! We've invited Tochi founder Marc Seah into Snacktopia to give us the lowdown on this international snack craze. In fact, Tochi was created when the three founders went to Asia and found salted egg yolk everywhere. "We tasted the flavor in seafood dishes in restaurants to biscuits and crackers on grocery shelves. It seemed almost every delicious delectable was featuring this exquisite flavor...and we couldn’t get enough of it!" he said on the brand's website. Here, he talks about why this flavor is so unique, how Tochi is bringing it to the US through things you know like potato chips and popcorn. Like salted egg yolk itself, the interview is sweet, savory, and makes you want more, so dive in.
Snacktopia is a podcast by Tastebase where we dive deep into the snacks that you enjoy, possibly even now as you’re listening. We will be chatting with founders of snackfood companies about their culinary creativity and hearing stories about bringing their snacks to life.
This podcast is being launched in conjunction with our carefully curated snack food box, "Snack & Chill". Get yourself a box at www.tastebase.com.