“The best take on dried fruit snacks currently on the market, balancing genuine nutritional benefits with exotic, unbelievably more-ish tastes and textures”
I am Kooky, a partnership of Aline Burgmann and Deena Tan, is rethinking the concept of dried fruits as a snack. Usually loaded with sulphites and added sugar, Kooky takes a different approach with a line-up of mostly exotic fruits that are either ‘gently dried’ or ‘freeze dried’ — with different, but altogether delicious, results.
Read on for a comprehensive review of all Kooky fruit snacks.
First impressions
Kooky were nice enough to send us at My Vegan Hamper a sample box that included each of the five flavour variations of their dried fruit snacks. The packaging is vibrant and luxurious, prominently featuring a Tiger that references the Asian heritage of both the founders.
The variations include the following:
‘Gently dried’ — where the fruit is slowly heated in dehydrators for a satisfying chew
- Dragon Fruit
- Banana
- Mangosteen
- Mango
- Jackfruit
What does Kooky dried fruit taste like?
Including absolutely nothing else on the ingredients list but the fruit itself, we thought we knew exactly what to expect. But the varying drying methods did pose a question — do the fruits taste different from their ‘fresh’ states, and as a result of the drying method? Which method leads to a tastier snack?We’re happy to inform that all the fruits were bursting with tangy flavour, offering a very pleasant and sharp sweetness that seemed to almost fizzle in the mouth in the freeze dried varieties. The gently dried fruits were more subdued, offering a more indulgent-feeling and more-ish sweetness that was strangely reminiscent of ‘classic’ artificial fruit flavouring. The standout pack for us was easily the Dragon Fruit. Sliced very thinly, the deep purple-coloured fruit felt like wafers, with the seeds offering a pleasant textural crunch that contrasted the mellow sweetness of the fruit itself. Despite being in the ‘gently dried’ category, it had a subtly crisp quality that we just couldn’t get enough of. We also loved the Banana, which felt more substantial than all the other variations and indeed offered the biggest caloric hit.The freeze dried varieties are as light as air, with all the moisture drawn out of the fruits leaving a ‘snapping’ crunch with every bite. The Mango was most similar in flavour to its fresh state, with a tropical sweetness that we couldn’t put down. Having only tried Jackfruit in a faux-meat, BBQ-flavoured context, we were blown away by its sweetness and rich flavour, and it quickly became our favourite in the freeze dried category. The Mangosteen blasts you with an acidic sourness that those who have tried the fruit before will be familiar with.
Is Kooky dried fruit healthy?
And the answer is pretty much a resounding ‘yes’.The drying methods used by Kooky mean that up to 90% of the nutrients of the fruit are retained. And since they add absolutely nothing else (like sugar, artificial flavouring, or ‘sulphites’, a common dried fruit preservative that can lead to intestinal distress), these snacks can easily be considered healthy and indeed nutritionally beneficial. From the range of fruits selected, these snack packs can offer you good amounts of vitamin C, E, B1 (Thiamine) and B9 (Folate), Copper, Manganese, Potassium, and Magnesium. What a line up! The benefits of getting these vitamins in your diet in healthy amounts include anti-ageing effects, antioxidant effects, better bone & teeth health, higher energy levels, better heart health, boosted immunity, maternal tissue growth, and enhanced mental health functioning.So you can snack on these things without guilt — they really are good for you!What are I am Kooky’s company values and ethics?
I am Kooky is a female-led partnership between two mothers, both of Asian heritage. As part of their business activities, Kooky support Women for Women International. Here’s an excerpt from their website on the topic:Here at Kooky, we advocate compassion, support diversity and champion the empowerment of unsung heroes, as well as those who are often overlooked. We believe in the beauty of new beginnings. Women for Women International is a charity very close to our hearts and we have partnered with them to help women in post-conflict zones find their feet and rebuild their lives.They claim on their website that the fruits are sourced sustainably from farms in Thailand.
Kooky dried fruit packs review
Dried fruit snacks can really be hit or miss. Between all the strange and unhealthy additives, off-putting oily-ness, and slim portion sizes that seem to feature all too often in dried fruit packs, it’s refreshing to see a brand new take on the product niche. And Kooky fruit might just be the best take on dried fruit snacks currently on the market, balancing genuine nutritional benefits with exotic, unbelievably more-ish tastes and textures. It would be hard to ask for more in a snack product than truly tasty flavours and satisfying textures that are good for you and fill a hole between meals. Kooky fruits do just that, and they’re built on a foundation of what appears to be ethical and sustainable business practices that support worthy causes. In conclusion, we love Kooky fruit! And as a result…Where to find Kooky fruit
You can try our two favourites from the range, Dragon Fruit and Jackfruit, in our Love Box and Rom-Com vegan gift hampers.
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