I recently published a review of a cafe on the channel (I will leave a link to the review at the end), where I bought expensive eclairs, and readers in the comments wrote that "expensive eclairs taste exactly the same as eclairs from the store."
Although I assumed that this was not so, I decided to conduct an experiment and bought a pack of inexpensive eclairs at a price of 69 rubles for 3 pieces (23 rubles per piece). To my surprise, inexpensive eclairs performed differently than I expected. I am sharing the results with you.
Eclairs for 69 rubles
I did not have high expectations from eclairs for 69 rubles, and I perfectly understood that there could be no question of some kind of complex and beautiful packaging. It is simple and practical here. The box is plastic and transparent, due to which the product is immediately visible. I wonder what composition such cheap eclairs have.
The composition of cheap eclairs is long and contains vegetable fats, emulsifiers, preservatives, as well as a flavor identical to natural. There was even a place for a dye, although I don't understand why it should be added here. It's scary to try, but nowhere to go, since I decided to make a comparison.
Before trying, I'll tell you about the appearance. Eclairs look very sloppy, from a series of hoes-bloopers and done. I got cakes that were prepared 3 days ago, and condensation appeared on the glaze, which does not add to their appetizing.
But, despite the poor composition and appearance, the taste surprised me. There is no hellish sweetness in cakes, which is usually found in foods with vegetable fats. Of course, there was no smell of nutty taste here, but in general it will do for the money.
Eclairs for 2100 rubles
The packaging for expensive eclairs is very simple, but neat. Apart from the logo of the confectionery, there is no information on it. The box is not transparent, but before ordering, I examined the eclairs in the window and chose what to take. True, the lack of a roster upset me.
I am very scrupulous about the composition and expiration date and I always check them in the store. But this is still a confectionery and here they must carefully control this. I trust the founders of the confectionery, because I have been following them for a long time and have tried their products more than once. It's time to try.
Before the tastings, I'll tell you a little about the appearance. Eclairs look amazing like a work of art. The custard tubes are even, the glaze is applied, as if along a ruler. All the decor is in place.
The taste of each eclair is completely independent and not like the others. During the tasting, I did not get the feeling that the cakes contain vegetable fats and artificial flavors.
I liked all the tastes, but I want to highlight the lemon, vanilla and chocolate flavors separately - they are incomparable. While I was trying, an important idea came to me, which I will tell you in the summary.
Outcome
The difference between expensive and cheap eclairs is striking. It is felt in the taste, it can be seen by eye. But the main idea that came to my mind when I tried expensive eclairs is the following. Cheap eclairs are like everyday food. They are completely normal and can be eaten (although the composition is so-so), I ate and forgot.
And expensive eclairs are not about food, it's about pleasure. My wife and I enjoyed the eclairs for 2 days - we cut off a small piece and savored. Of course, at this price you won't buy them every day, but eating from time to time is just right.
Review of a pastry shop with eclairs