Mantry is a subscription box that describes itself as “the modern man’s pantry.”
Each month they ship gourmet food items in their signature wooden crate.
Mantry sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Mantry
The Cost: $75
The Products: Artisan foods for the modern man’s pantry.
Ships to: US only.
Check out all of our Mantry reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory!
This month’s theme is “ Taco Truck.”
Each box comes with a fold out card detailing the producers behind the food included and where in the country they’re based.
This box also included a note from Mantry’s curator that describes his inspiration for this theme.
Yellowbird Habanero Sauce (9.8 oz.)- value $4
Yellowbird Habanero Sauce is made with a blend of carrots, habanero peppers, onions, garlic, tangerine juice, and lime juice. It contains no artificial ingredients or preservatives. It can be used as an all-purpose hot sauce, but Mantry suggests using it to make Yellowbird Micheladas.
Deano's Sea Salt Jalapeno Chips (2.25 oz.)- value $4
Deano’s Jalapeno Chips are crunchy, spicy, deep-fried jalapenos. While they can be eaten right out of the bag, Mantry included a recipe on their website that uses them as a topping for breakfast tacos.
Hernan Mole Poblano (7.2 oz.)- value $8
Mole Poblano is a Mexican sauce made from chili peppers and chocolate. This version is a concentrated paste made from 28 natural and vegan ingredients. When combined with water or broth, it makes a spicy, chocolaty sauce that can be used with chicken, pork, veggies, fish, or shellfish.
Sweet 'n Sour Pickled Red Onions by Pernicious Pickling Co. (16 oz.)- value $9.99
I love pickles, so I was very happy to see these in the box. Mantry incorporates them in their recipe for Mole Chicken Tacos, but they can also be served alongside cured meats and cheeses, used as a topping for burgers, or stirred into a Sweet 'n Sour Martini.
Traditional Mojo Jerky by Savage Jerky Co. (3 oz.)- value $7.99
Savage Jerky’s Traditional Mojo Jerky has a mild flavor that comes from lime, cilantro, garlic, and cumin. Mantry makes the suggestion to replace your bloody mary’s celery stalk with a piece of this jerky. I think that’s a fun twist on a bacon bloody!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Walnuts by Old Dog Ranch (6 oz.)- value $8.99
Old Dog Ranch has been growing walnuts for five generations, and this generation’s father-daughter team pairs traditional farming and roasting techniques with trendy flavor combinations. I love the blend of cinnamon and cayenne in Mexican hot chocolate, and I think it’s a great flavor combination for roasted walnuts.
Each month, Mantry posts recipes on their website that incorporate some of the ingredients they include in the box. This month, I decided to make their recipes for Mole Chicken Tacos and Yellowbird Micheladas.
I made the micheladas first, so I could sip on one while I was cooking.
I’ve seen Micheladas on Mexican brunch menus before, but this was my first time making or drinking one. The Mantry Yellowbird Michelada recipe called for a mix of tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lime, Yellowbird Habanero, black pepper, and Mexican Lager- kind of like a beer-based bloody mary! Here are my ingredients:
As per the recipe, I started by rimming my pint glass with lime juice and salt. (I was excited to use my Jacobsen Cocktail Salt from the recent POPSUGAR Must Have Special Edition Resort Box!) I combined the tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, pepper, and lime juice in the glass and topped it with ice and beer.
I thought the Michelada was delicious. I love a good bloody mary, and this was an interesting substitute. It was hardy and refreshing with a good amount of spice. (The Yellowbird is some serious hot sauce. I went a little light on it, and the drink still made my lips tingle slightly.)
While I sipped on the Michelada, I prepared the tacos. Like most of the Mantry recipes, the one for Mole Chicken Tacos was simple and easy to follow.
I began by cooking chicken legs and thighs in salted water. When they were cooked through, I let them cool slightly and pulled the meat from the bones.
In a medium saucepan, I thinned the jar of Hernan Mole Poblano paste with a cup of water, stirred, and let it simmer for a few minutes. I then added the pulled chicken and let it simmer for another few minutes.
That was it! To plate, I filled 6” flour tortillas with the mole chicken and topped each one with sliced radishes and Pernicious Pickled Onions.
The tacos were great. The pickled onions cut through the richness of the mole, and the radishes added a really nice freshness. This dish was quick and easy to pull together, but it looked like it required a good amount of work- my favorite type of dish!
Verdict: I really liked Mantry’s theme this month, and I enjoyed my taco night. As usual, the curation was excellent, and the products included were all delicious and of very high quality. I think Mantry does a great job of picking tasty products from interesting companies and providing relative easy recipes that incorporate them. Even though it’s marketed for “the modern man,” I think Mantry is great for women too. I certainly always enjoy it! As for value, this month’s items total about $43. Mantry doesn’t normally break even with its cost, but this is even lower than the usual value. I really enjoy this subscription, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a high-value food box. If you are interested in subscribing, it’s good to know that Mantry will occasionally release a discount code. Also, if you haven’t tried Mantry before, you can use this link to save $30 off your first box.
What do you think of Mantry’s Taco Truck box?
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