Amy’s Kitchen Organic Vegetarian Traditional Refried Beans have been lauded by the venerable Bon Appétit magazine, and it’s about time we talked about it.
“Bon Appétit has crowned our Traditional Refried Beans as “The Queen Bean”!” Amy’s Kitchen posted on its LinkedIn. “Their expert tasters raved about our beans’ perfect consistency, creamy texture, and balanced flavors and kept them coming back for more!”
Let’s be real. Refried beans aren’t exactly the glamorous starlet of the food world. They’re not caviar, they’re not truffle-anything, and they certainly won’t be featured on any $200 tasting menus (though perhaps they should be). But here’s the thing about culinary royalty — sometimes it wears a humble crown.
So, what exactly elevated these particular beans to their royal status? According to BA‘s notoriously particular tasters, it all comes down to that elusive quality that every refried bean aspires to but few achieve: the perfect texture. While other contenders stumbled into the common pitfalls of being either grainy and dry or oily and loose, Amy’s managed to nail the holy grail — what Joe Sevier, one of the tasters, described simply as “creaminess.”
But texture alone doesn’t make a queen bean. Like any good monarch, these legumes know how to maintain the perfect balance. The salt level hit that sweet spot that kept tasters coming back for “second bites” with their tortilla chips — a move that in food editor circles is essentially the equivalent of a standing ovation.
“You may ask — how do we make our beans? We start with organic pinto beans and prepare them the traditional way, blending them with classic Mexican spices and a perfect hint of chopped onion and garlic,” Amy’s Kitchen shared on its LinkedIn. “It’s this simple, authentic approach that creates that perfect, creamy texture you love, and is the perfect complement to tacos, burritos, or your favorite tortilla chips.”
Spilling the Beans on What Makes Amy’s Version Stand Out
The flavor profile reads like a love letter to traditional Mexican cuisine, with tasters noting an “inviting mix of cumin, onion, and subtle sweetness.” Joseph Hernandez, another taster, delivered perhaps the highest praise possible in our convenience-obsessed world: “I’m ready to eat this without doing too much to it.” In food editor speak, that’s basically a marriage proposal.
Let’s pause for a moment to appreciate what this means in the greater context of the prepared foods arena. While it’s easy to get constantly bombarded with the latest food trends — everything from activated charcoal smoothies to pizza topped with gold leaf — here’s a simple can of refried beans showing us that sometimes, perfection lies in executing the classics flawlessly.
What makes this coronation particularly noteworthy is the rigorous nature of BA‘s Test Kitchen evaluations. These aren’t your casual “yeah, these taste pretty good” assessments. The team approaches each tasting with the seriousness of Supreme Court deliberations, considering everything from texture and flavor balance to versatility and overall eating experience.
A Tasty Victory
The fact that Amy’s Traditional Refried Beans emerged victorious speaks volumes about the brand’s commitment to quality in a category that many might consider basic pantry staples. It’s a reminder that even the most humble of food items deserves the royal treatment when it comes to preparation and ingredients.
So the next time you’re standing in the canned goods aisle, overwhelmed by the multitude of choices, remember that there’s a queen among them. These beans have earned their crown through the perfect balance of creaminess, seasoning, and that ineffable quality that makes you want to go back for seconds — and in the culinary world, that’s something divine we can all chew on. “Thank you, Bon Appétit, for this delicious recognition,” Amy’s Kitchen wrote on its LinkedIn.