[yasr_overall_rating]
The Quarterly Culinary box is a specialty subscription curated by expert chefs, culinary masters and well-respected foodies. It goes out once every three months and each box has a new curator. It’s just one of Quarterly Co.’s boxes which are available in a variety of themes and prices.
When I read that it’s a special gift package of kitchen tools, ingredients and recipes, I was intrigued. I love to cook and experience new foods, so I decided to take the service for a test drive and here’s what I found.
March’s box was put together by a food blogger from San Fransisco named Kristin Emi Rimbach. Her goal was to share her favorite Bay Area eats and treats, so the box was full of edible and food-related items from the West coast.
The shipment was sent in a plain brown box. There was no fancy packaging or stickers, but everything was well-padded in shredded cardboard. The letter from Kristin was right on top including a list of everything I would find in the box.
Included with the letter was a coupon for 25 free square Instagram prints from Parabo Press. I’m in my infancy with Instagram use, so I don’t have enough artsy pictures that I’d want to print yet, but it was an interesting addition that many people may find useful.
The first food item I noticed in the box was a bag of 4505 Meats Chicharrones. For those of you, like me, who don’t know what that is, it’s spicy pork rinds. I had never in my life tried a pork rind. The idea of them previously made me squiggle my nose in distaste, but I decided I should try them in order to give a full review. I’m happy to report that I liked them. They were light and crispy with a spicy coating that was quite pleasurable. Just goes to show you should try something before deciding you don’t like it.
Next in the box was a nice sized bag of Ritual coffee. My fiancé is a caffeine junkie and even I succumb to its pleasures a couple times per day, so we broke this out right away. It had a soft flavor, not bitter or burnt, with a hint of citrus in the aftertaste. Very tasty. Mike finished the bag within days.
Buried in the shredded cardboard, I also found two sea salt truffles from Alter Eco. They had a touch of saltiness that really brought out the smoothness of the chocolate. I was sad I had to share them with Mike because they were my favorite treat in the whole box.
Also in the package was a jar of SFQ barbecue sauce. According to the ingredients, it included red wine, cocoa and coffee. I made barbecue pulled pork in my crock-pot and the flavor was just as dark and rich as it sounded. We enjoyed it very much.
Lastly, there was a cardboard poster in the package from YA.C that displays West coast seasonal fruits and vegetables. It’s large and attractive enough to hang in the kitchen with its gold foil fruits and veggies. Though I’m on the East coast, it's still a pretty reminder of what I can expect to find in the store at different times of the year.
All in all, I think this $50 box is worth buying. It’s an interesting way to explore food and it’s brimming with full-size items. From what I gather, some boxes will be treats ready to eat, while other boxes will bring goodies like cooking utensils, ingredients and recipes. If you’re a cooking aficionado and a foodie, you’re sure to enjoy everything this box delivers. To sign up for the Quarterly Culinary subscription, click here. Cooking not your thing? Check out their other available boxes at varying prices here.