Wasabi Oreos!

- April 10, 2019

Wait, What?
You heard that right! In August 2018, Mondelēz International (Oreo’s parent company) announced Wasabi Oreos' release in China. Wasabi is a "love-it-or-hate-it" spicy edition to sushi, sashimi, and raw food dishes. Wasabi’s superpower? It kills bacteria that causes food poisoning! It's a solid condiment to have in your corner, but are we getting the best of wasabi when we combine it with chocolate? Let’s find out! We are B and V and WE RATE OREOS!

Flavor Creativity
V - My former students could tell you how much I despised giving low marks, but there's no way out here. Flavors need to work together to be creative and the hunks of dark chocolate sandwiching the wasabi creme were atrocious. For Friends fans out there, I think of the time Rachel made an English Trifle with ladyfinger, berry, whipped cream, and (on accident) beef layers. It was certainly unique, but the flavor profile was repulsive. Apply that scenario to these Oreos and you'll know what you're in for.

B - Having too much creativity can get to a point where it is no longer creative - it's just random.
And, in this case, gross. So when you see no one has ever done this before, you should also ask *why* no one else has ever done this before.

Flavor Execution
V - The creme on its own tasted exactly like wasabi. It was spicy and even made my nose runny just like the real deal! The wasabi and chocolate together is where the situation turned tragic. This cookie burns, and there is not enough chocolate to temper the hot wasabi. For those wondering, Oreos are not the first chocolate and wasabi treats. A quick Google search will lead you to Wasabi Hot Chocolate, Wasabi Truffles, even Wasabi Cupcakes. These recipes use just a touch of wasabi to impact a lot of flavor. The Wasabi Oreos, on the other hand, were just too extra on the wasabi front.

B - Yeah, this execution was right on. Tbh, I couldn't even taste the flavor at first. All I felt was burning. And then I tasted sushi. And then chocolate. I just didn't want this flavor on a cookie. I would suspect they literally used wasabi and wiped it on an Oreo wafer but I couldn't actually read the ingredients because they were all in Chinese.

Wasabi Oreos in all their green glory!

Does it Sparkle?
V - I was dazzled! They come in a box sleeve advertising both the Wasabi Oreos and Hot Wing flavors (We need significant recovery time before we tackle a meaty Oreo). The Chinese Oreo market is a little different than in the U.S. The cookies are thin and wafer-like. There is also slightly less cream, making these Oreos the perfect snacking size. The green color was pleasant and bright, like springtime. One bite and those feelings instantly turned into pain and confusion, but the aesthetics sure drew me in!

Deceitfully Inviting

B - More like the color of sickness; we were fair-warned. But I dunno, I almost feel like the lime color is overly-bright. Like when modern businesses read a nice social psych study/article on wall paint colors and productivity and then they force you to sit in those new meeting rooms. You're supposed to be energized at 6am just because your eyes are being assaulted by neon walls? No thank you. (Please note: this opinion does not apply to pistachio)
Pairing
B - Whatever you'd pair with raw fish. Maybe a nice sake.

V - If you ignore your friendly Oreo experts' warnings then you have gone beyond our realm to help you. Break them out next sushi night at your own risk. This novelty treat will turn your guests against you.

Buy Again?
V - No. There are so many Oreos that make me and my friends happy! Why buy the one Oreo I don't like and can't share?

B - Apparently that does not include me though... I didn't even buy it the first time. I just made the mistake of giving V my address.

Final Thoughts
V - I learned a lot about wasabi, the Chinese Oreo market, and my own taste buds' limits (mainly that my taste buds have limits). Oreo constantly challenges me to break out of my comfort zone and I am grateful for that. But oh my gosh, this was a dreadful cookie.

B - This was just as bad as I thought it would be. For the record, V is banned to make our flavor selections for awhile (which she actually proposed herself after sampling this flavor).

We Rate Oreos!
You might notice only three categories in the judging lineup this week. We decided that some categories deserve ZERO Oreos, because these cookies messed with the wrong Oreo bloggers.

Flavor Creativity