Surely the gods are worth more than this? (Ambrosia Rice With Strawberry Pots)

Member Name: bamamo

Product:	Ambrosia Rice With Strawberry Pots
Date:	24/11/08 (102 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low in fat, fairly cheap

Disadvantages: Bland and strange consistency

What with Ambrosia being the food of the gods, you can be forgiven for assuming that it might, you know, actually taste good in an other-worldly kind of way. Unfortunately, when I picked up a pack of these as a snack, it would seem my hopes were a little too high. While they may make good custard, or even good old plain rice pudding, Ambrosia just can't beat a Mullerice in the flavoured snack pot stakes.

I wanted to try these out because they're slightly lower in fat and sugars than a Mullerice, and as I'm on a low fat diet as you may have noticed from my other food reviews, I'm always looking for ways to cut a bit off here and there.

You can find these in packs of two from most good supermarkets, in raspberry as well as the strawberry flavour I'm reviewing. An 160g pot quite large, and they can be eaten hot or cold. My two pack cost 81p from Tesco, which I think is good value.

Now, I haven't actually eaten them hot which I realise is not great review-wise but I have only popped them in my bag for work to eat cold and have no desire to buy another pack to heat up, as I didn't really get on with them.

Rather than being sauce mixed in with the rice as with other similar rice snacks, the layer of strawberry is at the bottom of the pot, under quite a thick rice mixture. There is a thin but I think fairly gross creamy layer at the top with no rice in it, which reminds me of the skin on a pan of custard and I don't find overly appealing. I recommend stirring everything together before eating for maximum stomachability!

The sauce itself is a smooth, thick syrup with no bits in. It is for me the right sweetness, but quite hard to mix in because of its thicker gel-like consistency. The rice is also quite sticky and "claggy" (I know that's not a word but you know exactly what I mean I'm sure!) and not so much creamy as glued together by the rest of the mixture.

I know I've sounded quite negative so far, but it really doesn't taste bad as such, it's just bland. The textures don't seem quite right to me. I have a feeling that if it was heated in the microwave and eaten hot, the rice might become a bit looser and more pleasant.

The Ambrosia pots really aren't bad nutrition-wise, with only 3.3g fat in a 160g pot and 175 calories, but I'm not sure I see them as a great pudding or treat if you're dieting. There is also quite a bit of sugar however at 19g.

While it filled a hole, this really isn't an eating experience I wish to repeat, as Mullerice is for me a whole lot more appetising!

Summary: Not one I will be trying again!