Superior Nut Company: An Elevated Snacking Experience

Here is a collection of some of my Superior Nut company 4lb bags of nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Salted Mixed Nuts, and Brazil Nuts).

About 25 years ago, I was leading a small sales team outside of Boston. During the holidays, the team and I would package up and share some gifts of appreciation.

Spoiler, these gifts weren't the elevated snacking experience from Superior Nut Company, but I will get to that in a minute.

We didn't have a lot of discretionary budget to use, so for the local clients we purchased some homemade cinnamon swirl bread from a bakery not far from our office in Lexington, MA. There was nothing like buying 10 loaves of freshly baked cinnamon bread and having the car smell warm and cozy.

Salted Brazil Nuts are a daily staple for Mary Beth and me.

For the clients that were a bit further away, we sent them a 2lb block of chocolate from a well-known brand you would find in your local supermarket. The blocks of chocolate needed to be special ordered as you can imagine but the reaction we would get from the customers was always the same, which was the following "it was memorable and way too much to eat alone".

By this time, I was in my late 20's and well indoctrinated into Mary Beth's family, having been married for a few years and dating since we were 19. Her dad used to do something different for gifting during the holidays. Every year, he would go to the local nut store and buy a massive amount of salted cashews or mixed nuts and drive all over New England giving them to his clients. Mary Beth and I even got a tin of nuts every year for the holidays.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Don't let the stubborn pistachios shells ruin your experience. Instead of using your fingers, open it with another shell, using it as a wedge between the nut and the shell. Your fingers and your patience will appreciate it."

As well, whenever Mary Beth and I would go to her parents' house, which was just 1 town away, there would always be nuts on the counter for us to snack on. I never really gave it much thought over the years, and while I ate nuts, it wasn't a staple in my daily diet. As a result, when we did buy nuts over the years, the purchases were from random locations with no real intention.

At least once or twice a week, I eat walnuts in the morning, as well as on pancakes and waffles.

We first started buying our nuts at the local supermarket, probably some of the brand names that they sell at the eye level of the shelves, and didn't think much of it, especially since we didn't eat many of them. Over time, initially when Wegman's Food Stores opened up in the area, and then again with Whole Foods, they had the bins of nuts and seeds for individuals to self-service, with the periodic overflow of the container when I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been (I know I am not the only one who did this).

Mary Beth and I used the self-service bins for a few years, especially as our eating habits were changing for the better. This lasted up until Covid when the food stores eliminated the self-service capabilities at the time (they have since reinstated them).

However, with the lack of self-service capabilities and our taste buds changing for a better tasting nut, we couldn't go back to the store-bought nuts. They just didn't taste as fresh, nor did they have the same flavor profile. As a result, we had to find somewhere new to source our nuts.

The Superior Nut Company Comeback

I had to ask Mary Beth what the name of the company was that her dad used to buy his nuts from. She mentioned it was the Superior Nut Company based out of Cambridge, MA. Since my father-in-law used to work it Boston, it was a simple, quick trip over the Charles River to Cambridge to pick up his nuts every holiday season. For me, while Cambridge is only an hour a way, I have opted to use their website to order.

As a side note, I did find out that Mary Beth's cousins not only still purchase from Superior Nut Company in person (and have for so many years), but they also buy in massive bulk and store it in their second freezers to last the year.

Raisins are great standalone, mixed in with oats and bananas, and combined with cashews.

An Elevated Snacking Experience

Today, I find myself ordering every few months as Mary Beth, Matthew, and I all eat nuts on a regular basis. Mary Beth and Matthew like the salted mixed nuts and the salted Brazil Nuts. Michael eats nuts once in a while as does Emma, which are usually Pistachios and peanuts.

While I will eat those as well, I usually rotate a daily morning snack of cashews, almonds, and walnuts (all unsalted). We also have a rotation of California Pistachios and on occasion, I will purchase the Turkish Antep Pistachios, which are out of this world delicious and an elevated snacking experience. I have also been buying their raisins which are fantastic as well.

I also found a recipe for candied walnuts. It took me a few different recipes to find one that actually works the way I was expecting it to (you know, the one you buy at the local corner store or farmers market that tastes so good). All prior attempts didn't have the egg white which is the key to getting everything to stick to the walnut but not have the walnuts stick to each other.

The recipe is from Sugar Spun Run. What made the candied walnuts standout was the combination of everything I have been sharing so far with ingredients from my prior stories.

• 1 egg white (local or pasture raised are the best in my opinion)

• Water

• Vanilla extract (I will have a future post on this but to give you a preview, I order from the Vanilla Company

• Walnuts

• Sugar from Burlap & Barrel

• Cinnamon also from Burlap & Barrel

• Salt from Slack Tide Maine

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Superior Nut Company have a sister website with a different name?

Yes, you can also order through NutsinBulk. It is the same exact offering from what I can tell.

Can you pick up your nut order in person in their Cambridge, MA store?

Yes, when ordering, you have the option to have it shipped or be available for pickup.

How are Turkish Antep Pistachios different from California Pistachios

Turkish Antep Pistachios are more flavorful and have a more intense buttery taste.

Are Turkish Antep Pistachios more expensive than California Pistachios?

Yes, probably by a factor of 2 - 2.5x the cost but the flavor profile makes up for the cost increase.

Start Your Own Nut Sensory Experience

If you are looking to upgrade your snacking experience, Superior Nut Company will satisfy your cravings and elevate your sensory experience. Try it today and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

Experience the Kauai White Pineapple A Sweet Sensory Revelation

Did you ever eat the core of a pineapple? OK, more on that later.

Growing up, I wasn't the best eater, especially with my vegetables. Plus, I ate with my eyes, as so many kids (and some adults do). Things that I absolutely love now like sweet potatoes, asparagus, and beans I would stick my nose up before even seeing, smelling, or tasting those foods (maybe if they were mixed with a Kauai White Pineapple, I might have ate more of my vegetables)!

Wailua Falls, Kauai. On our first day, we drove around and these falls were visible from just off the road with ample parking and a very short walk and see the majestic nature of the falls.

I was also pretty picky about entire classes of foods like Indian, which I didn't start eating until about 10 years ago or sushi, which I will try here and there, although I am not an expert on either cuisine by any means.

One thing I was pretty good at eating was fruit. I loved oranges, bananas, grapes, watermelon, apples and pineapples. As I think back, I probably ate fruit 3-5 times a week as a kid. Now, its every day, and usually a few times a day.

Our First Family Trip to Hawaii

Mary Beth and I went on our honeymoon to 3 islands (Maui, Kauai, and Lanai) in Hawaii 27 years ago and then once again to Maui for a company trip about 10 years ago. We wanted to have the kids see Hawaii but wanted to try a few different islands. We opted for Oahu and The Big Island of Hawaii. Michael was an avid historian of WWII so we made a trip to Pearl Harbor but outside of that, we weren't too impressed with Oahu and probably wouldn't go back. It was a bit too commercialized for what we desire for a family vacation.

During our trip to The Big Island, we got to do some amazing things like stargazing but couldn't see the volcanos as it was active just before we arrived and they cancelled the tours that that part of the island.

Wailua River State Park, Kauai. This was our trip to the "hidden waterfall" which isn't so hidden anymore. I took this picture during our hike in.

One of the special things we tried while we were there was a White Pineapple. I had never heard of white pineapples before but here is a summary. They are delicious and so much tastier and juicer than their traditional gold counterparts. They are also about 4x more expensive but worth every penny. We had bought a second one while we were there but that was it and I missed it ever since.

Our Second Family Trip to Hawaii

I have shared on a few posts including Kauai Chocolate Farm Tour Review: Lydgate Farms Sensory Guide as well as my About section, where I discuss our second family trip to Hawaii, this time where we spent 8 days in Kauai this past summer.

This was such an inspiring trip for me. It was two weeks past being laid off from my company (which it was time as I had been there for 17 years), and coming out of the Cacao Farm tour, it initiated the start of this website. I intentionally let my mind wander, not having to worry about work, and knowing that at some point, I will secure a new job; I dove into being present in the moment. We adventured to tour the Napali coast, ate at a Waffle Food Truck multiple times called, Aloha Liege Waffles & Espresso, and did a rum tour with KAUAI SAFARIS, which was independent from Koloa Rum, which they leveraged their property. All were amazing.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Local farmers, near and far, grow amazing produce, made with love and care that will elevate your sensory experience."

Kauai White Pineapple

During this trip, we visited 4 different farmers markets in the 8 days. One of them, on the Saturday we were there, was the big one where there were about 100 local vendors. We made our first pass of the market just looking around and Emma started walking to the car. We said come back; we are just getting started. Farmers Markets are like Christmas to us. We went around and bought some local salt, local fruits and vegetables, some local honey, and lastly, I saved room for some White Pineapple from Kauai Sugarloaf.

Sadly, this is my only picture of what was left of the Pineapple. We didn't take any pictures of the pineapples, or the farm stands themselves.

The line for the White Pineapples were 20 people deep. They were not only selling whole pineapples, but they were also offering to cut the pineapples for you and give you a Ziploc bag full of goodness. They were offering tastings, which of course I took advantage of, and then we made our purchase of two pineapples.

We ate the pineapples throughout the week and picked up another one at another farmers market later in the week from Kauai Sugarloaf.

Don't get me wrong, I love regular pineapples and eat them all the time, including one in my refrigerator right now. The problem with the pineapples I get from the store, is that they are hit or miss on flavor. I have tried all different strategies to pick the right version, such as picking the leaves off and the ones that come off easy are ripe, or smelling the bottoms, which I am sure I look ridiculous if you see me in the grocery store.

Here is what makes the white pineapples so special. white pineapples are so much more flavorful than their store-bought gold counterparts. If I had to put a number on it, I would say that white pineapples are 100x more flavorful. They are also so much juicier. And as I posed the question in the beginning, you can eat the core, which you can't do for a store-bought pineapple.

Eating a white pineapple, elevates the sensory experience, bringing happiness to everyone who tries them!

With all of this goodness, there is a downside unfortunately, and that is the cost. They are about four times more expensive than a regular pineapple but so worth it. Here is my recommendation. If you are in Hawaii, especially Kauai where their farm is, take advantage of being local. They also offer tours, which we didn't get a chance to do but will offer a link at the bottom if you are interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1x1uAVwmXv0

Learn about the Kauai Sugarloaf and why Jude and Paul Huber share their love and care to make a delicious white pineapple.

If you are home and want to taste this goodness, they do ship FedEx. Obviously shipping food 2-day FedEx air is expensive but can be worth it for a special occasion. I will drop the link below as well.

For the history buffs, we got a small bit of history while we were there which was that White and Gold Pineapples were grown at the same time but Dole, the major manufacturer at the time in Hawaii, couldn't process the white pineapples as effectively. As a result, they pretty much just abandoned the white pineapples to focus on gold. This left the local Kauai farming community to produce and sell it locally themselves...which I am so glad they did.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat the core of a white pineapple?

Yes, the core is edible unlike that of its relative, the yellow or gold pineapple.

Do other Hawaiian Islands other than Kauai sell white pineapples?

Yes, they are typically grown in Kauai and The Big Island but you may find them available for sale at local farmers markets across the Hawaiian Islands.

Are white pineapples juicier and more flavorful than their yellow and gold counterparts?

Yes! I would say white pineapples are 100 times better than their yellow and gold counterparts.

Start Your Own White Pineapple Sensory Experience

If you’re curious to start your own white pineapple sensory experience as well as thinking about visiting Kauai, I’ve listed my favorite options below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Elevating Flavor Profiles With Specialty Salts

This is one of my favorite photos. Michael took it in Aruba about 5 years ago. It is a 3-inch space within the volcanic rock of the Arikok National Park. The white in this photo is sun dried sea salt that was left after the water that splashed up on the surface evaporated.

My current SaltWorks collection which includes Sea salt, Himalayan salt, Sel Gris, Flake, and Fleur de Sel

Talking about salt (and specialty salts) feels a bit like a Goldilocks situation where sometimes you read about consuming too much salt, and other times you don't have enough.

This story will not cover the health benefits (and negative effects) of salt but more about how picking the right salts can help enhance the flavor profile whatever you are cooking or the meals you are eating and help you get started.

Like most of you, growing up, there was one main store-bought table salt in the house. You know, the one that says, "this salt supplies iodine, a necessary nutrient". As a side note, while probably not required as much now, there was a part of the country in the US that had illnesses related to a lack of iodine back in the 1920's which is the reason why it was added.

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip: 

"Start with a clean palate. Place a few salt crystals on your tongue, close your eyes, and let the flavors melt. Notice the texture profile and complex taste. Season throughout the cooking process, then finish with a flaky salt to add depth and texture, elevating your sensory experience."

In addition to the table salt, some households like mine also had Kosher salt. That was it, just 2 salt varieties to add to your food.

Himalayan salt from SaltWorks

For years, especially when we were first married, this was the only 2 salts we had in our kitchen. At some point in time, we either bought or received as a gift, salt and pepper grinders. Using these grinders made the food taste better so we started to incorporate it more and more into our daily cooking and meals. I think we started out with sea salt and over time also started using Himalayan pink salt as well.

Nothing changed in our use of the grinders and the sea/Himalayan salts we were using for about 10-15 years. These salts became our standard way of cooking and eating but we never had a favorite or was brand loyal. The assumption was as long as we were not using the table salt, we were good.

Review Of Specialty Salts and Cooking Blocks

A few years ago, I started a quest to upgrade our salts. I started reading about finishing salts (salts that you sprinkle on your meal just before eating) which gives the food flavors an extra pop.

SaltWorks finishing salts- Sel Gris, Flake, and Fleur de Sel

After doing lots of research, I landed on the company, SaltWorks, which when I went on their website was surprised to see that I had actually used their products once before buying a salt grinder from a local retail store year's prior.

I started with buying their Sea salt and Himalayan salt and then extended my purchases to also include specialty salts, which are often called finishing salts, including Sel Gris (French grey sea salt) used for meats, Flake salt (which I use for eggs and guacamole; typically used as well for anything that calls for Kosher salt), and Fleur de Sel (which I use on caprese and cookies).

Saltverk Lava salt (great on eggs)

We have also been venturing into some other salts (it's like a whole new world of options and can be a full-time job in and of itself tasting all of the varieties and brands). However, two that have made an impact to us are Saltverk Lava salt which is hand harvested from Iceland and Maine sea salt from Slack Tide Maine (picture below). While I haven't tried it yet, I think my next purchase will be their Maine Blueberry Sea Salt as I also love Maine Blueberries (which are smaller and more flavorful than regular blueberries).

This is Michael's salt block that he uses for his smoker.

The other salt item I want to share is a salt block. This was a Christmas gift from last year that has been such a fan favorite in my household, I had to get a second one to fit all of the food we were cooking on it. If you haven't tried a salt block yet, you don't know what you are missing. It gives a great even profile and subtle flavor of salt across the entire meat or veggie you are cooking on. There is some care that needs to be taken when heating it up (slowly) and cleaning afterwards, but the food tastes incredible. We use it on our grill and cook it at the same length of time we would for anything on the grill itself.

Slack Tide Maine Flake salt

Just a point to note, when we use the salt block or the finishing salts, I use little to no sea or Himalayan salts when cooking. I don't know if there are any specific rules about using or not using it, I just find that if I use both, the salt taste is overpowering.

I hope you try some of these salt options to elevate your sensory experience with your meals.

Of course, don't forget to pair your salts with pepper. My favorites are from Burlap & Barrel.

What are some of your favorites?

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you cook on your salt block?

We cook steak, chicken, and pork on the salt block as well asparagus and onions.

What is your favorite dish to use with Slack Tide Maine Flake salt?

I love the Slack Tide Maine Flake salt on eggs. It really brings out the flavor of the eggs.

What is your everyday salt that you use?

We use Himalayan salt from SaltWorks as our everyday salt.

Do you salt your pasta water?

Yes, we use Sea salt from SaltWorks to season our water after it boils and just before we put our pasta in the pot.

Start Your Own Salt Sensory Experience

If you’re curious to start your own salt sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite flakes below. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.