Even though I have lost several hundred pounds, this has not diminished one iota my love of good food. Even when I was tipping the scales at close to 450 pounds, I adored fine dining, unique flavors, and overall great food finds. You see, I wasn’t that morbidly obese guy who spent all day eating fast food. Did I eat drive thru? You bet I did, but I also have more of a refined palate than that.
I had the good fortune of being in Baltimore for the FitBloggin’ convention last fall, which helped me network with tons of like-minded people in the health and fitness world, as well as aid me in furthering knowledge on my health journey. It just so happened that the natural products expo (Expo East) was right next door! I wandered over there and was like a kid in a candy store! Being the foodie I am, one of the booths that stuck out was Seitenbacher’s selection of oils.
Being a foodie I not only enjoy EATING the food, but also COOKING it (so I can then eat it). There are some bad food oils out there that aren’t too good for you, but this, being the natural products expo, I was expecting something exceptional, and I was not disappointed.
Seitenbacher is a German company with a varied offering of natural products, but I was definitely drawn to their oils. The first several I tried were unrefined seed oils. The pumpkin seed oil had a very gentle pumpkin flavoring I could definitely use in some recipes. The poppy seed was great as well, which I really recommend for cooking as I think it would be a perfect complement to some meaty dishes. The last one was probably the healthiest in my opinion, but also the one with an acquired taste: hemp seed oil. I LOVE hemp seed products, they are so beneficial to your health. I like the taste as well, but I understand it is not for everyone. It’s probably the one I would use the most, however.
Now for the fun part – the flavored oils. They use sunflower oil as the base and take the flavors to a whole new level! The lemon oil is so light and fruity it would be PERFECT on any good salad or as a dressing for chicken and fish. The chili oil has one of the most beautiful colors I’ve ever seen in an oil, this vibrant red, and my only (very small) argument would be to have just a tad more heat to it. My absolute favorite, as I love this herb, is the rosemary oil. Just a little drizzle of this on some freshly baked or toasted bread would be a dream. It would also stand up very well to bold meats like beef or lamb. The best part is, all of these oils are organic!
Expo East left a great impression on me with several great standouts, such as Seitenbacher. Even though my body is much smaller, my taste buds still loom large. I just make much healthier choices overall. Here’s looking forward to Expo West in March!
Also Read:
Raw Vegan Sunflower Butter Cookies
The Perils of Food Porn: How Lustful Food Photos Affect Our Appetites