TAIGA Naturkost Organic Siberian Forest Pesto. Wild garlic pesto with 47 percent wild wild garlic, olive oil, and Siberian cedar nuts – robust, vegan, cold-filled.
TAIGA Naturkost Organic Siberian Forest Pesto is a green wild garlic pesto from the Palatinate region: 47 percent wild garlic from certified wild collection, extra virgin olive oil, Siberian cedar nuts from the Altai Mountains, and natural salt. Four ingredients in a 140g jar, cold-filled and, according to the manufacturer, in raw food quality. No cheese, no basil, no pine nuts – a vegan pesto that tastes like the forest.
Siberian Forest Pesto by TAIGA Naturkost is a wild garlic pesto in which cedar nuts take on the role that pine nuts fulfill in pesto alla genovese. Cedar nuts are the seeds of the Siberian cedar, a stone pine that grows in the Altai Mountains. They are smaller than pine nuts, softer to the bite, and milder in taste. The wild garlic comes from certified wild collection and makes up nearly half of the jar. Added to this are only olive oil and natural salt. Wild garlic has a short season: a few weeks in the spring, then it flowers and it's over. This jar brings the forest aroma to the plate even in November, when pasta needs to be ready quickly.
Taste
When opened, the pesto smells of fresh wild garlic, green and garlic-like. On the palate, this impression remains at the forefront: spicy, robust, with the typical sharpness of wild garlic, which is milder than that of garlic and fades quickly. The manufacturer describes the taste as naturally robust and nutty-spicy, and it arrives on the palate in exactly this order.
The cedar nuts provide the nutty side. They are soft, slightly sweet, and have a fine resinous note that is reminiscent of the forest. The olive oil carries the fruitiness, the natural salt provides the seasoning. Because the pesto is cold-filled and, according to the manufacturer, processed below 45 degrees, the wild garlic green remains fresh and the color rich.
Compared to the Siberian Bear Pesto from the same company, the Forest Pesto is the clear, green variant: only herb, nut, oil, and salt. The Bear Pesto is milder and fruitier, with chestnuts, berries, and porcini mushrooms. Anyone expecting a soft basil pesto with cheese will find this to be significantly more robust.
Usage
The classic is pasta. Boil spaghetti, linguine, or ribbons, remove them from the water, and stir in the pesto with a splash of pasta water. One to two tablespoons per serving is enough; the starch in the water makes the sauce creamy. Add the pesto only at the end; with heat, the wild garlic loses color and freshness.
The manufacturer also recommends the pesto for salad, bread, and bowls. On a slice of sourdough bread, it replaces a spread; in a bowl with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and chickpeas, a spoonful adds seasoning and fat. As a marinade for tofu or vegetables, stir two tablespoons of pesto with a little olive oil. The pieces marinate for half an hour before they go into the pan or on the grill.
For a dip, stir a tablespoon of pesto into vegan yogurt or quark. Serve with raw vegetables, bread, or baked potatoes. A teaspoon refines salad dressings, soups, and stews, for example, a potato soup or a lentil stew just before serving. Scrambled eggs, omelets, and mashed potatoes also get a green note with a small spoon.
Store the jar in a cool, dry, and dark place. After opening, it belongs in the refrigerator. Smooth the surface after each use, cover it with a little olive oil, and always use a clean spoon; then the pesto will keep longer.
Our tip: Fry new potatoes with the skin on in a pan until they are crispy, and after taking them off the heat, toss them with a tablespoon of pesto. Serve with a dollop of yogurt. That is a dinner for two in twenty minutes.
Origin
The cedar nuts in the pesto come from the Altai Mountains in Siberia, from organic-certified wild collection. Collector families go into the forests with tents for two to three weeks in late summer, climb the trees, and pick the cones by hand. The cones dry for about a week, then the nuts are shelled, sorted, and vacuum-sealed on-site before traveling by truck and train to the Palatinate. The wild garlic also comes from certified wild collection.
The pesto is processed in the TAIGA Naturkost factory in Harthausen in the Palatinate; the administration is based in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The company's history began in 1999, when the Russian composer Alexander Sojnikow immigrated to the Palatinate and initially founded a publishing house there. 2004 saw the organic certification and the cedar nut project in the Altai, and 2010 the brand TAIGA Naturkost. Today, his son Jaroslaw Sojnikow runs the company in the second generation. According to the manufacturer, the team is on-site every year for the harvest and organic inspection of the collection areas.
The pesto is cold-filled and not heated. The manufacturer calls this raw food quality. The jar has a screw cap and straight inner walls, so you can reach the corners with a spoon.
For whom
The Forest Pesto is for anyone who loves wild garlic and wants to have it in the house all year round. It fits into a vegan diet because it does without cheese, and into after-work cooking because the pasta is on the table in ten minutes. For families, it is a supply in the cupboard; for pesto fans, it is a new variety alongside basil and tomato. As a small gift, the jar works well together with a pack of good pasta.
If you want the forest aroma pure, take the Cedar Nut Butter from TAIGA Naturkost, made from one hundred percent cedar nuts. You can find other varieties from different manufacturers in our Pesto category, and all products from the Palatinate on the TAIGA Naturkost page.
Note: The pesto contains cedar nuts, a type of pine nut. The manufacturer does not provide a trace information. It is not suitable for those who are allergic to nuts, and for dishes that are intended to be cooked for a long time.
A wild garlic pesto with Siberian cedar nuts from the Palatinate, vegan and cold-filled – for pasta, bread, and quick evening meals.
