Only the right spices make many dishes a real treat. The Ankerkraut Family & Friends Advent Calendar 2022 contains 24 colorful favorite creations for fish, meat, vegetables and more. Of the star has already sniffed in.
In 2016, in the Vox start-up show “Die Höhle der Löwen”, Anne and Stefan Lemcke laid the foundation for one of the most impressive and successful start-up stories of recent years, which is said to have started in a garage. The investors around Ralf Dümmel, Frank Thelen and Co. were fired up for the fine seasoning mixtures of the two Hamburgers, got in and opened the box. And the Lemckes struck a chord with millions of amateur cooks with their creations. Ankerkraut now has more than 100 mixtures for grilling, cooking, baking and drinking in its range. There are also cookbooks, large and small kitchen aids and coffee specialties.
Is your spice cupboard already bursting at the seams? This is bad. Because one or the other glass from the Ankerkraut Advent Calendar Family & Friends 2022 would do well in it. 24 corked jars with the favorite creations of the Ankerkraut Family & Friends are hidden in this pre-Christmas spice rack. Of the star sniffed around in the surprise boxes a bit. In the following article, we will tell you how varied the mixtures are, who could be happy about them and whether it is worth sacrificing a few dusty spice jars for them.
Ankerkraut Advent Calendar 2022: The first impression
The Family & Friends package weighs a mighty six and a half kilograms. This quickly makes it clear: the 24 boxes contain original Ankerkraut glasses, which can also be purchased individually. Each of the boxes is illustrated with a maritime Christmas motif and (big surprise) a number between 1 and 24. There is also a mysterious white envelope. “Open at your own risk,” it says. Nothing happened to us. The accompanying booklet in the handy DIN A6 format contains a recipe for each of the 24 seasoning mixtures. If you don’t feel like spoilers, just open the letter on Christmas Eve. And will be surprised which celebrities have let off steam in the Ankerkraut kitchen and reveal their recipe.
The calendar itself is designed as a kind of plug-in box. The 24 cardboard boxes with the spice mixtures fit perfectly in square drawers and are pulled out to the front. There should be at least 53 centimeters of space on the windowsill or sideboard, because that’s how wide the Family & Friends advent calendar is. In height it is 36 centimeters. With the boxes protruding slightly to the front, the calendar is also ten centimeters deep. All cork jars are filled to the brim with the seasoning mix. The weight varies between 70 and 115 grams depending on the mixture.
Ankerkraut advent calendar 2022: If you want to try and taste the contents of the 24 spice mix jars in your own kitchen, the best way to get inspiration is from the enclosed recipe booklet.
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Beware of spoilers: That’s in the Family & Friends advent calendar
For the more or less imaginative names of the 24 seasoning creations, some heads probably smoked. They are called Pit Powder, Porcalypse, Honey Kong, Ancient Greek or Umami Ahead! You won’t really get smart from it at first, although experienced hobby cooks could at least guess what the glass is about. This is nicely corked and sealed. Very fine noses can also sniff through the cork in which culinary direction it is going. The ingredients and which piece of fish, meat or vegetable you can ultimately refine with the mixture are written on the back of each glass. Twelve of these are declared by Ankerkraut as a spice preparation or mixture of seasoning ingredients for fish or meat. There are also five creations with salt, which Honey Kong boldly married with honey powder and sugar.
Also exciting is a spice preparation with smoked salt, smoked paprika and jalapeño as well as mace and the sumac known from the Orient. The Japanese-inspired umami is one step ahead! Undoubtedly one of the most exotic mixtures in the Ankerkraut Advent Calendar Family & Friends 2022. If you like it hot, you should try “El Loco”. Because box number 17 contains a fiery mix of pepper, chili flakes, jalapeño and cocoa powder. But fans of stews, salads, grilled vegetables or spicy marinades will also find spicy inspiration in this advent calendar.
Our top 5 mixtures in a short check
- Vadouvan by Ali Güngörmüs // Mixture of dried onions, garlic, cumin and fennel seeds, coarsely ground for fish, meat and vegetables.
- Umami ahead! // Smoked salt, tomato and porcini powder, plus oriental sumac and mace, a hint of jalapeño provides the spiciness kick, spicy, salty rub for grilling fish, poultry and vegetables, but also marinades.
- El Loco // crazy mix of tomato chips, cacao nibs, chilli flakes, jalapeño, cinnamon and more, hot stuff for dips, sauces or side dishes.
- Spongebob Pineapple Curry // Exotic mix for fruity curries, with pineapple and curry powder, some chili, cane and coconut blossom sugar
- Honey Kong // Honey meets cayenne pepper, a sweet and spicy creation to give grilled vegetables or hearty spare ribs a culinary kick.
Spoiler end: What about durability?
Over time, even the finest spice mixtures lose the aroma that makes them stand out and the dishes to be refined. Once opened, everything that is supposed to give fish, meat or salad the decisive kick escapes. According to the stamp, the spice mixtures in the Ankerkraut Advent Calendar Family & Friends can be kept until at least summer 2025, i.e. almost three years, with one exception. At least in our test copy. For a glass, the manufacturer guarantees the best quality only until summer 2023.
Conclusion: Is the Family & Friends Edition worth it?
The Ankerkraut Family & Friends Advent Calendar 2022 shines with its variety and high-quality presentation. But the content is not exclusive. Because the seasoning mixtures are all available individually and mostly in much larger packages in stores. In the test, we particularly liked the fact that Ankerkraut opted for the small cork jars for the advent calendar. Despite the sometimes small quantities, the seasoning mixtures are much more than just a taster. With many, you only need a few tablespoons to refine a dish. Nice: The dosage recommendation is on the back of each jar. If you buy the 24 spice mixtures individually, you get more content, but you also have to dig much deeper into your pocket. Converted to the kilo price per spice, according to our calculation you end up with a goods value of almost 108 euros. 24 small cork glasses cost just under 24 euros. In short: The Ankerkraut Advent Calendar Family & Friends is also a good deal in terms of price at just under 100 euros.
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