Taste-wise, though, this offering doesn't offer quite as much flavor as actual Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I was expecting a much greater difference in the ingredients and nutrition information just based on the taste of this product. It's not a bad flavor. It's just not as pleasant as the classic cereal in the opinions of both Sonia and me.
Like classic CTC, both wheat and rice flour are used in the flakes, and the texture is pretty similar as a result, although I feel like TJ's version might be ever-so-slightly less dense.
Sonia noted that the particles of cinnamon detach from the flakes and distribute themselves throughout the milk and around the perimeter of the bowl. This might have something to do with the perceived flavor discrepancy. Does General Mills know the secret to stably fusing cinnamon particles to cereal flakes? Has Trader Joe's research and development team simply missed this fundamental principle of cinnamon particle physics?
The answers to these questions may never surface on this blog, but one thing's for sure—both this cereal and classic Cinnamon Toast Crunch pair up well with a nice ruby port.
Three stars from Sonia, three from me as well. (Just as a reference point, we'd give Cinnamon Toast Crunch four stars a piece.)
Bottom line: 6 out of 10.
Wow you're right, it does have the same nutritional value as the original CTC. I thought this would have less sugar because it's not as sweet, but they both have 9g per 3/4 cup.
ReplyDeleteYep. Weird, ain't it?
DeleteOh, man, how did I miss these? Looked at the picture and knew exactly the taste, texture, and lightness to expect. FYI, I have never had Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But have nearly gone through a box of these in a day. 5 out of 5!
ReplyDelete