Route to India Yoga Pops

I've seen popped lily seeds on the market before.  But I haven't been particularly drawn to them, in part because their marketing is often ... so focused on being over the top healthy, in very specific ways that don't quite appeal to me in general.  And seemingly, always about yoga?  That part makes no sense to me.

"Ayurveda-inspired super seeds for yogic nourishment. Turmeric's curcumin offers antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. Balances elements: Kapha, Pitta, Vata."

Yeah, that. 

"Our ethically sourced super seeds are hand harvested from ponds in Bihar India and then painstakingly hand beaten to pop by the womenfolk of these farmers."

This also doesn't particularly make me excited for them.  So much manual labor!

"These ancient super seeds taste crunchy and delicious like popcorn but they are also known for their functional benefits and have been used for centuries as part of Ayurveda, the Yoga Of Food. Our crunchy artisanal snacks are a great alternative to popcorn with half the carbs and twice the protein."

But I finally decided to give them a try, as, after all, they are a crunchy snack, and I you know how much of a snacker I am, and, well, they compare them to my ultimate snack of choice: popcorn.  If it matters to you, they are also gluten-free and vegan (among many other things).

I tried four flavors, three savory, and one sweet-ish: curry, truffle, tandoori, and caramel.  They all had the same form factor, which I actually really did enjoy.  They are slightly crunchier than popcorn, they take seasoning well, and come in slightly assorted sizes.  All of these characteristics make them an *excellent* snack.  The only problem?  I didn't really care for the flavors themselves.

Tandoori Masala.

The first flavor I tried: tandoori masala.

A mixed experience for me.  As noted above, I loved the form factor.  So crunchy!  Yet airy!  Like popcorn, but, better!  And the pieces were really nicely coated.  Some a bit bigger than others.  Yes, eating this was enjoyable.

The flavor for me though was not the best.  They had a slight bitterness that I wasn't sure if it was the lily seed taste itself, the seasoning?  I think the former.  The seasoning was very heavy in the turmeric, too much for my tastes as I don't really care for turmeric in general.  They did taste fairly generic "Indian".

So, great form, not the right flavor for me.  Low ***, as I still finished the bag, but I definitely didn't want more.

Curry Dusted.

Next up, a very similar flavor, "curry dusted".  I'm not really sure what was distinctly different between these and the tandoori masala, although the turmeric seemed slightly more muted, and they didn't have added sugar.  The seasoning was still fairly generic "indian" flavor.

The pieces were the same as the others, great crunch factor, assorted sizes, well coated in seasoning.  Still not a flavor I get excited for, but, I really do like the form.  Again, borderline ***, maybe a bit better than the previous as they didn't have the bitterness from the previous flavor or at least had more seasoning to mask it.

Truffle Tantra.

The final flavor is the one I expected to like the most.  Truffle!  But it turned out to be my least favorite.  The spicing was more mild than the others, so it allowed me to taste the lily seed a bit more, and the bitterness I wasn't really a fan of.  It did have a nice earthy truffle flavor, but more dominant was the porcini powder, and ... I don't generally care for porcini flavor.

Sadly, my least favorite, although I really do like the form factor, and these might be good if you really enjoy porcini. **.

Caramel Jaggery.

The final flavor is a less savory flavor, caramel jaggery, and they look quite different, the coating considerably thicker.

These were the hardest to wrap my head around.  To start, I didn't really taste caramel, and they weren't really a sweet offering exactly, just, less savory.  They were also strangely softer, which made them not quite as pleasant of a actual piece to eat.  And wow, the cardamom.  These were incredibly cardamom flavored.  Which I wasn't expecting at all.  Had they named them perhaps "Cardamom Jaggery", I think my expectations would be more aligned with the product.

So ... not the sweet treat I was expecting, strange texture, and overpowering cardamom, but ... certainly fascinating, and I didn't hate them exactly.  **+, my second to last favorite.