Gold Mine - Kelp Noodles - Low-Calorie, Vegan and Gluten-Free - 16 Ounce

In the interest of full disclosure and for you purists out there, I'm letting you know that this is a duplicate review. I have put this same review on the six pack version of these noodles. It is, after all, the same product, just a different quantity purchase so reviewing it in both places seemed reasonable enough to me.... Those of you who know me know that I don't eat pasta or carbs and am forever on a quest to find noodle substitutes that don't feel like a compromise. A couple of years ago I bought and reviewed a turning slicer, the World Cuisine A4982799 Tri-Blade Plastic Spiral Vegetable Slicer which I still love and use frequently to turn assorted vegetables into great noodle alternatives. Recently someone mentioned these kelp noodles and I decided to give them a try. Oh my, these are phenomenal in every way. Don't like to cook? Don't worry, these noodles don't require cooking. You CAN cook them, but you don't have to. It has only been a couple of weeks since I've found them so I haven't tried a large assortment of recipes but everything I have tried so far has been fabulous. Cold noodles with sesame sauce was a hit with everyone. These noodles are slightly chewy like pasta but they are also kind of crunchy like bean sprouts. They are thin like regular spaghetti and crystal clear like cellophane noodles. In and of themselves they have a delicate and refreshing taste with no weird smell like some of those other noodle alternatives. They are a wonderful size and texture and they hold thick sauces really well. Everyone who has tasted the cold noodles with sesame sauce has moaned with delight and licked their plate clean. I've also tried these noodles with a ramp pesto (slightly spicier than a basil pesto) and they held up so well with that sauce, too. The Ramp pesto was another crowd pleaser. If you are on a lo carb diet or lo calorie diet or a raw diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, or lo cholesterol diet, these noodles are a must have item. According to the package nutritional info, there are only around 20 calories in a pound of the noodles. There is no sugar, no cholesterol and only 1 carb per serving (3 servings in the bag). And they are made from sea kelp so they have lots of good nutrition. To be sure, I was VERY skeptical when I first tried them. I can be VERY squemish about new foods, particularly some of these weird, healthy alternative foods. I also have a very sensitive stomach that revolts easily when it is displeased with my menu choices. I was so afraid that they would smell like old shoes or taste like that horrible stuff you have to drink before a colonoscopy, but to my surprise and delight, there is no smell and no weird taste to get used to and my stomach has remained quiet and satisfied. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if they are too good to be true. The cynic in me is waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak. Its not simply that these noodles don't smell or taste bad, its that they actually are so so so GOOD and they are fun to eat. They have a clean and refreshing quality to them. I am enjoying coming up with recipes to showcase them but honestly I am not sure if I can top the sesame sauce. I have yet to try them with traditional Italian pasta sauces, but I have a feeling they would be great with a hearty marinara. They are a natural for all sorts of Asian cuisine. I bet they'd make an amazing base for Pad Thai. If you do try them and find recipes you like, please post back here and let me know. So, to recap (for those of you who don't like to read a lot of text): no cooking required (but you CAN cook them) taste great unbelievably lo calorie lo cholesterol lo carb no sugar versatile healthy holds up well to sauces no weird taste, texture or smell much much much better than shirataki noodles (in my opinion) The Bottom Line: If you use these in place of pasta I am pretty sure you wont feel like you are settling for second best. These are a class act. Their only flaw seems to be the somewhat steep pricing, but isn't this true of all relatively new foods?

These noodles are amazing! I am using them for a keto lifestyle, but I honestly would still buy these otherwise. They resemble rice noodles in texture and flavor and are prefect for soup noodles and dan dan noodles. I got these for a great price ($5 a pack) and plan on getting more once they are in stock again. TO MAKE: Rinse out saltwater, boil for around 5 minutes, and soak for 10-15 in around 2 tbsp of lemon juice (or anything acidic) and 1tbsp on baking soda. Pros: Amazing texture once properly prepared (see above) Not too filling, and very delicious No salty or bad flavor by itself. Cons: Very crunchy when not prepared. More expensive than normal noodles or pasta. Best for asian noodles to replace glass/rice noodles, not as good for Italian pasta

First time ever trying this type of noodle. It is packaged great (I really dislike overpackaging). They feel a bit tough when I pulled them out of the package to rinse, so i decided to heat them up in the broth i made. They soaked up the flavor but they were still tough feeling. When I ate them- they were not tough as I though. But definetly not like semolina pasta. Get that out of your head. More like a veggie pasta- sphagetti squash is what i thought of. I wanted to try the kelp noodles as they are sea vegetable and i need to add those to my diet. It is an interesting texture- one i will have to get used to. I think they are good quality though. I cannot compare as this is the first time i have ever eaten them. I may have to add to this review later and update a comparison. I felt good after i ate them - no bloated or tired.

I was hoping for a soup noodle but I discovered a faux bean sptout. This "noodle" has the crunch and mouth feel of a bean sprout. As such it should be good in beef stir fry's including beef fried rice , lo mein and chow fun. This noodle is a cold salad addition as opposed to something you add to a soup. It would probably be perfect in a three bean salad.

I thought that because they were made of kelp that they would be salty, but they aren’t at all. They aren’t exactly “tasty” per se, and they are crunchy in a way that reminds me a bit of celery, but they don’t taste like celery. If you rinse them and then soak them in whatever your using them with (broth in my case) they soften up and absorb the flavors they are soaked in. It’s a great option for ketogenic diet, and it gives that nice crunchy mouth feel if you want, or a decent noodle feel if soaked I warm liquid. They’re cheap, try them out!

The taste isn't the issue - as there is little to no taste at all. The problem is the texture. I'm not a person that is picky on texture, but these look like rice noodles and you expect them to be soft. They are soft, yet, they crunch at the same time. It was too bizarre for me to eat.

I am on a very low carb diet due to Type 2 Diabetes and sometimes I really want to eat noodles with my family without worrying about the resultant high blood sugar levels. If you want the noodles to soften up to *almost* the consistency of "normal" noodles, I highly recommend cooking the noodles in your sauce for about five minutes. I tried boiling them plain and boiling them with vinegar in the water (20 minutes for both) in order to soften them up, neither worked. But! Both of the times that I've cooked the noodles in whatever sauce I'm making (one was tomato-based, the other an alfredo), they've softened up considerably. They have no taste or smell of their own and absorb flavors beautifully. Before cooking in the sauce, they're kind of "squeaky" in texture. I would eat these cold, but haven't had an opportunity to try, yet. If you're looking for a reasonable, low-carb option, I'd recommend these. Oh! And they store in water in your fridge for weeks.