Fermented foods and drinks are not just a great way to get some healthy bacteria into your body, but they’re pretty darn delicious too! BAO Food & Drink has taken the art of fermentation to new levels and created some seriously tasty fermented products. I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out the Best of BAO sampler. As someone who eats (and sometimes makes) quite a bit of fermented foods, I’ll say this: BAO’s stuff is good! Overall, I loved the flavors and in particular some of the crafty flavor combinations in each and every product. I also loved the fact that they’re not overly sweet, like many of the fermented products that are available in my supermarkets — BAO’s products pack a delicious, natural sourness that fermented food lovers crave.

Kombucha

BAO’s booch is nice and fizzy, packed with flavor, and has just the right level of tartness. The mango was my favorite, but I loved the hibiscus flavor as well.

Sour & Spicy Fermented Red Beets

I think this was my favorite part of the pack. Most pickled beets are too sweet for me, but these were deliciously sour with a little kick from horseradish. I tried to save these for my lunchtime salads, but most of the beets got eaten straight from the jar with a fork.

Sour K’Chup

I’m one for dumping copious amounts of ketchup on my veggie burger, and now I’ve found my new favorite ketchup. It packs a funky fermenty flavor with a touch of sourness and none of the over-the top sugary sweetness you find in most commercial ketchup.

Cultured Hot Sauce

I received a bottle of BAO’s original red chili hot sauce, and this sauce is indeed hot! The sour fermenty flavor is definitely there, but the heat is where this stuff really shines. I’ve been pouring it on just about everything, but in smallish amounts, because, like I said, it’s spicy stuff!

Cultured Liquid Pickle Boosts

I honestly wasn’t sure what to make of these little bottles of colorful liquid at first, so I just cracked one open and down the hatch it went. Packed with pickle-y flavor, each has a different blend of spices, vitamins and superfoods. The red ginger boost was my favorite for its gingery kick.