Hooray for Zukay!

The super-awesome folks over at Zukay Live Foods sent me a sample package of their new vegan probiotic salsas and relishes last week. I'm a huge fan of live cultures, and I couldn't wait to get home from work on Thursday to crack open a jar.

I used to have some gassy issues after eating certain foods, so I began taking a daily probiotic supplement several months ago to straighten out my digestive tract. I rarely have any problems now, and I've become quite probiotic-obsessed.

I started with the Mild Salsa Viva and the Garlic Dill Relish:

When I opened the salsa, the mixture began fizzing and bubbling and almost raised out of the jar! But since the salsa contains live active cultures, that's totally normal. See, just read this label from the top of each jar:

Taste-wise, the mild salsa couldn't be better. It has a bit of a fizzy mouthfeel (thanks to those live cultures) that reminds of the carbonation in soda. Since I don't drink soda anymore, but still miss the fizziness, I found the salsa to be a nice healthier stand-in.

The garlic relish is less fizzy in texture, but the taste is spot-on. The garlic isn't overpowering and it complements the salty pickled cucumbers perfectly. Unlike some commercially-available jarred relishes, this stuff tastes as fresh as if you'd just home-canned it yourself. I ate some of the relish on a Lifelife Jumbo Smart Dog on an Ezekial Bread Bun for dinner tonight:

Here' s the whole plate — Veggie Dog, Salt & Pepper Tortilla Chips with the mild Zukay salsa, and a small side salad with sesame shitake dressing:

Next up, I'm gonna try the Zukay Horseradish Dill Relish and Hot Salsa Viva. I'll let ya'll know that goes after I finish the jars I already have open.

Since Zukay is still pretty new, the products aren't available in some cities yet, including Memphis. But there is a store locator on their website, so ya'll should click over there and check the availability in your neck of the woods. If Zukay isn't for sale in your area yet, the products are available for purchase on their website too.