La Mole Sfornatini Mini Breadsticks - Olive Oil product reviews

There are times in life when only a nice piece of bread will fix the snack pang. There are other times when only crisps, pretzels or something else crunchy will do. But what do you do when neither quite fits the bill? Enter these La Mole Sfornatini mini breadsticks- neither bread nor crisp, but deliciously moreish.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I requested them, and was intrigued to open the pack when they arrived. On first impressions, the bag size is great- a perfect size for snacking or a sharing platter and no waste (a particular problem with breadsticks which go soggy really fast). They are petite wee snacks, but again, perfect for a quick snack or a sharing platter alongside some chopped veggies.

As with most breadsticks, they don't pack a huge flavour punch. However, they are beautifully crisp and crunchy, and the perfect carrier for any dip or condiment you may choose. In particular, cream cheese with herbs was beautifully offset by the slightly salty but plain breadsticks, with the crunch being the perfect texture contrast against the smooth cream cheese. These would also male a great alternative to, served instead of or alongside, chopped veggies- with the softer nature of the veggies being a different texture again. Accompanied by some dips such as hummus, salsa and tapenade, and served with some cold meats, cheeses or antipasti, this would be the best sharing platter to bring along, or just to enjoy all to yourself if you just can't face sharing!

Overall, if you are looking for a snack to eat on its own straight out of the pack, this may not be your one. However, if you are looking for a great, crunchy and different alternative to the usual veggies or crisps for dip, then you have a winner right here. At $1.40 per pack they are great value, and perfect for those parties where you just don't quite know what to take. Just don't blame me for the amount of cream cheese you may 'accidentally' consume whilst testing them out!

La Mole Sfornatini Mini Breadsticks, so cute when opening the bag and seeing how little they were. These were perfect for me to test one or two and then share out between my children to have with their dip. Perfect wee size bag to possibly even throw into their school lunches with a little container of dip.

Opening the packet the smell was very inviting. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of them. It might have just been the bag that I had but they seemed very plain, I felt like a hint of garlic might of been needed. Again just me and how I have found them. I might have to go out and buy another bag so I can try with my best dip. The children loved them and at end of day that is all that matters. It means that I have found something they will eat in their lunches. So mega bonus.

Packaging is so simple and cute. Little overrun on the back with all information and not all in English. But you do get the general idea of what is in them. Price for this wee packet is great so affordable. Also like the idea of being able to buy in a carton which again will be great for school lunches with them being perfect wee packets.

I am quite fond of breadsticks and snacks like this for dipping into my fave dips like hummus, flavoured oil or pestos and I found these breadsticks perfect for this. I did like the packet size for an individual snack/single serve although with about 20 sticks this was more than I would normally eat in one sitting but not enough if I was putting them out as a sharing snack. However on a platter with other crackers, breads and dips this packet size would actually be spot on.

I liked the mini size as I do not like double dipping and thought with a longer stick you may want to dip again by the time you get half way through the stick. The breadsticks themselves have a subtle oil and light salt flavour so you could eat them by themselves but I did prefer to dip them to give more flavour and to add a bit of moisture as otherwise the breadsticks can be a bit dry on them own after a few sticks. I loved them with hummus and basil pesto the breadstick stays crisp and acts as a great scoop for the dips.

I would buy them again as a snack for this purpose to be used with dips as I did love the breadsticks k with a dip but thought perhaps a slightly bigger resealable packet might be a good option as I would be more likely to buy them like this rather than as an individual serving size snack packet just because I felt they weren't a snack I would take on the go due to the fact I want to have something to serve them with other than that I thought they were a nice product.

I was keen to try these when they arrived as I love a good bread stick and these were a perfect snack size. I liked the window in the packet and it was great to be able to check that there was no dust at the bottom before pouring them into a small bowl.

They were subtle! That is probably my biggest compliment and also, for me, the biggest issue. This meant that without an accompaniment they were just a bit too bland for me. I didn't get much of the olive oil coming through but I use olive oil a lot and might miss a subtle hint rather than a great big dollop. They were a good size for kids, little fingers or a range of dips, but for me, I think I would go back to a full-size breadstick for dipping.

I liked the taste overall but for me, they didn't really fit a need I have. The size was great for a single person snack but the taste was not strong enough for a snack alone (say at work) and they were not big enough quantities to share with a group. Maybe they would work with a soup in winter?

The next thing I did was try them more with different dips, pesto, hummus, pate, cheese (it was Christmas so I had all those things just sitting about). They definitely worked better with the wetter stuff, they have a really good crunch to them and the pesto didn't make them soggy at all. I liked the way they didn't overpower the dip or detract from the cracker-like crunch. I think I would love to try these with a really gooey melted cheese in future. watch out for having them with something too dry (pate in this case) as they don't really add much enjoyment.

I think its great to know these are out there and for the right occasion I would bring them in again but honestly I now just want to try the breadsticks by the same company as the taste was subtle and flawless for dipping purposes.

Bread sticks always remind me of the days I lived in Europe. A lot of what I cook these days is influenced by my time overseas and the exposure to different culinary styles and ingredients. As a student, I supported myself by working in the catering industry - once in an upmarket Chinese restaurant in Auckland, and once in a kiwi-style hotel kitchen in Hamilton - and this generated a life-long interest in food preparation and experimentation. The challenge for me here was to discover just how many ways the bread sticks could be used.

First, of course, was the plain taste test. We were impressed by the crunchiness of the sticks, and my cousin said she would be happy to eat them just as they were in preference to other savoury snacks like potato crisps, partly because she liked the hint of olive oil that she could taste, and partly because she liked the size. She finds that bread sticks are often too big and need to be broken in half - which results in a shower of crumbs going everywhere! I had poured a glass of wine for everyone, so they were a perfect accompaniment.

Next, we trialled some dips. Because the olive oil flavour was so subtle, I kept to lightly flavoured dips rather than the heavy duty ones. We had a selection which included seafood dip, plain soft cream cheese, home-made mashed pumpkin and pepper, and whipped hard-boiled eggs with a little mustard and finely chopped parsley. Of the four, the seafood was the most successful and the cream cheese the least, mainly because it was too thick. Because of the shape of the sticks, the dips adhered well so that the resulting mouthful was satisfying and very flavoursome.

For the price of a packet, you get great value - there were enough for two more experiments. The first was as a dip for a cheese fondue. I had some artisan bread chunks all ready for dipping, but I added a few bread sticks and asked people to try them first. This was a runaway success. The cheese was not too strong - I had used a mild cheese with some added paprika - so it did not overwhelm the sticks. After that, according to my cousin, the "ordinary" bread was somewhat of an anticlimax.

The last few sticks were used to accompany some potato and leek soup. Again, I had supplied ordinary bread to supplement the bread sticks, but people were asked to try the bread sticks first so they could give me feedback. This was well received too although one person commented that it would depend on the soup. This variety worked well, but it was especially bland (his actual word being "insipid"!). I agree - I think a stronger soup flavour would render the bread sticks tasteless.

Overall, we were all impressed and intend to buy this product again. Pricewise it compares well to other similar products, but it has the edge over them in both texture and adaptability. Personally, I will be looking out for it on supermarket shelves.

These bread sticks are delectable, I put together an antipasto platter and added a packed of the olive flavoured bread sticks. They were the perfect size to have as part of the spread, each stick is around three centimeters long and they are lightly toasted. When you bite into them they are light and crunchy, and have a mild olive flavour. The packet describes them as crunchy breadsticks with olive oil, which is exactly what they are.

The bread sticks are great for dipping, we tried them with pesto, sauce, and chutney and they provided a great base for the various dipping flavours. but when the dips ran out I noticed people still munched on them like chips! I would put these in lunch boxes as an alternative to sandwiches, with a few cherry tomatoes, salami, gherkins, cheese and carrot sticks, to make a ploughman's lunch, one packet would easily do three lunches in our family making them a very cost effective, addition to the lunch boxes.

The packaging is mainly written in Italian, but there is a simple image of the breadstick being used with a dip, so they are fairly self explanatory, and there is an english section of the ingredients. The packet isn't resealable, but at 30 grams a pack, I don't think this is necessary, and I placed some in an air tight container, and they were still crunchy and fresh after a few days. I think these are value for money, and one of those products, that you could use in several different ways, making it a pantry staple, something that is great to have on hand as lunch box fillers, or for when guests pop over and you need to whip up some nibbles. I will be buying these again, and recommending them to others.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect of this product when I requested to review it, but was willing to give it a go as that is what being a KIWIreviews reviewer is all about. Going out of your comfort zone a little bit to try new things. When we have gatherings with family or friends I often put together a nibble platter and I thought this product might go nicely on one of those. And I wasn't wrong. When my parcel arrived and I found this product inside, I was quite pleased to see they would be perfect for the purpose I had thought of. If only I remembered to use them! I was meant to include them on a platter for Christmas day but completely forgot to take them with me, so instead I got to enjoy them myself.

The packet is very simple, but has all of the information it needs on it. It is easy to see they are olive oil flavoured with the pictures of olives and an oil bottle. There is a small clear window that you can see the sticks through, although you generally can't even see a whole one. Upon opening the packet I could see a reasonable amount of breadsticks, certainly a good serving size for one person. I liked that they didn't appear to be covered in salt, too many "plain" flavoured snacks are covered in lots of salt and I don't enjoy things that are too salty.

Upon trying one of the breadsticks I noticed just how lovely and crunchy they were. The flavour was quite plain, but this makes them perfect for having with a dip or pesto. I had some basil pesto in the fridge so opened it up, dipped one in and tried it. I was able to scoop a decent amount of pesto up with it, and they provided the best base for the pesto, as being plain flavoured they didn't take over the pesto flavour at all.

I will definitely buy these again when planning on putting together a nibble platter. I was actually lucky enough to receive a bigger packet of another flavour in a Christmas hamper I was given so I look forward to trying them too, knowing that I really like these bread sticks.

For the size of the packet, 30g of the product seems very reasonable. The packet has a satisfying weight to it that feels like it has a substantial portion size to it (assuming it is a single portion...the packet doesn't actually have any mention of serving sizes). In fact, the packet has very little information on it at all, in English. The majority of the product descriptions appear to be in Italian, with minimal ingredients and nutritional information in French and English. But at the base of the packet it small font, the product explains that the product is "crunchy breadsticks with olive oil". A simple enough concept.

Coming in a very cheap and simple packet, they aren't resealable, so once opened, you really need to eat the whole thing. The breadsticks are about 4-5cm in length, and you end up with about 20 pieces per pack. There is a slight sharpness from the salt, and a slight bitterness from the olive oil, but the sticks have no real strong flavour themselves, beyond the wheaty taste of bread. Crisp enough that they prove difficult to crush between finger and thumb, but brittle enough to break between your teeth, they make a brilliant dipping utensil. Unlike potato chips, and more recent corn chips, which all snap and break apart whenever you try to scoop up dip, these breadsticks hold their shape until they get to the mouth.

Clearly, they have the disadvantage of having a smaller surface area, but with a sufficiently strong flavoured dip, a large surface area would not be needed. I paired it with a Feta & Spinach dip with cashews and parmesan, and the breadsticks provided enough carb to dilute the dip flavour enough to make a manageable treat. Such a surprisingly strong product, it could work well with thicker dips, as well as products like peanut butter or Nutella if you were feeling decidedly lazy.

A simple product that works well. Can't ask for more than that.

I held great hopes for these breadsticks as a new easy snack for my daughters to be able to take out and about. But sadly they didn't like them and wouldn't eat more than the 1 that I begged them to finish! So, of course, I had to try one with them, and to say I wasn't overly impressed was an understatement.

But firstly, the positives. The mini sticks are the perfect size for snacking or dipping. We've had other breadsticks which are very long and clumsy when eating and dipping and just broke with too much force, so this size was perfect. For a little snack packet, there was a decent amount which could easily be shared among 2 children. Would be even better if it was a resealable bag, however, but did open easily. Loved the crisp and clear packaging, had a sort of sophistication to it which would make me look at it in the supermarket.

Now for the important stuff, the product itself. Unfortunately, I found them dry, crumbly and the taste itself was a very fake tasting olive oil. I had been hoping for more of a proper olive oil taste like when you dip bread and crackers into olive oil. Perfect for dipping once, but once you've taken a bite, the breadstick just crumbles and doesn't allow for double dipping.

A bit displeasing to read the back of the packet to find that the breadsticks had not only olive oil as clearly stated on the front of the packet, but also equal amounts of palm oil. We try and avoid palm oil when we can but didn't think there was any by reading the front of the pack. So by seeing this alone, sadly they wouldn't make it on our shopping list.

The definition of a snack is a small amount of food to be eaten between meals which hold's off hunger and gets you by. This small 30g pack of mini flavoured breadsticks is ideal for that purpose and tastes fantastic because of its subtle olive oil flavour and airy crispiness. The mini breadsticks are great by themselves but when you add a hummus or dip to them as well that's where they shine. I tried mine with a pesto cashew dip and really enjoyed their simplicity of flavour. The 30g packet contained 22 mini breadsticks which are a reasonable portion for the $1.40 packet price.

As usual, it wasn't until I finished the packet that I thought of the ways I could use these breadsticks. They would go perfectly broken up in a salad or just as a side to a soup or stew. On the packet itself, there isn't a lot of discernable information unless you understand Italian which doesn't help much but there is a picture of the breadsticks and a dip which is all the information I really need. There is a QR symbol on the back of the packet that once scanned takes you to the LA MOLE website which also seems to have very little English but at least gives you a view of their other products.

I will keep an eye out for these breadsticks when shopping as I see they have many other flavours I would like to try and would love to give them a shot at other ways to eat them rather than just dipping or eating plain. For such a simple snack I really enjoyed them and so did the kids who I am sure would love them as an addition to school lunches.