Reviewed by
Kate
One thing I’m really passionate about is eating well and enjoying high quality food (with as little hassle as possible). Therefore it’s probably no surprise that I love a food subscription box, especially when it promises a gourmet experience.
La Gourmet Box gives you just that, with French and Iberian Boxes packed full of flavoursome, high quality goods delivered straight to your door.
I was sent an Iberian (Spanish) box to try and was really pleased to find a well-curated selection of typical farmhouse products made by the finest artisans all packed into a sturdy (and pretty large) box.
So what was inside?
There were three cured meats in the package I received, something I was really pleased about as I loved eating these when my husband and I went on a short break to Madrid. There was a selection of Spain’s renowned 100% acorn-fed Iberian ham which was absolutely delicious. There was a packet of Lomo de Bellota which had an intense, salty flavor and some Paleta de Belotta which was milder but just as tasty. It’s difficult to say which I preferred as they were both fantastic in different ways, but at a push I would choose the Paleta as it worked especially well with a hunk of bread and cheese.
There was also a full size salami which I used on a homemade pizza with another item from the box, the Rosara Tomate Triturado, a tasty tomato sauce. I used this on the pizza base but it would also work great with pasta or meat dishes. I loved the presentation of the jar with the paper covering the lid. The salami was milder in flavour than both the Lomo and Paleta but had a hint of spice and worked well on its own, with olives and bread or as a pizza topping.
Speaking of olives, there was a jar also included in the box. They were unpitted which was a bit of a shame and also quite on the small side, but they tasted good, up there with the best olives I’ve had, and made a nice accompaniment to the cured meats.
There was also a bottle of extra virgin olive oil in the box which I really loved. It tasted so good and was great as a salad dressing and for cooking. I used it when I was making a tortilla and it added such a depth of flavour so I was really happy this was included in the box.
Next there was something I’ve never tried before but my colleague who lived in Spain for many years said it is a firm favourite in the country as a bar snack. It was a bag of Les Garrigues, or a maize snack, which I found strangely addictive. They had a satisfying crunch and while they were just ready salted in flavour, they were really moreish.
Finally there was a full-sized bottle of Rioja in the box to accompany all of the delicious treats. I think it’s great that a wine is picked out for you to go with the food to make it easy for you to make a night of it with your friends. Or, if you don’t drink, it would be a perfect gift to have on standby.
By Evelyn 
