A taste test of supermarket gnocchi has revealed significant differences in quality, with many products relying on reconstituted dried potato flakes, emulsifiers, and preservatives. The tester, who cooked the gnocchi plain to assess their true nature, expressed shock at the findings, noting that 80% of the products contained additives and came in non-recyclable packaging.
The best-rated gnocchi was a heritage brand from 1929, made with fresh potatoes, flour, salt, and sunflower oil. It had a clean potato flavour, uniform doughy texture, and floated when cooked. The packaging is recyclable in store. Another product, made with 80% real potatoes and durum wheat semolina, had a firm, squishy texture but a slightly sour flavour; its packaging is not widely recycled.
Among the worst-rated was a gnocchi made with only 20% potato content, including dehydrated potato, plus flours and preservative. It had a neutral flavour but only half floated during cooking. Another product, made with dried potato and dried skimmed milk, had a taste of instant mash and did not float at all. Its packaging is recycled in-store only.
The tester noted that most manufacturers advise boiling gnocchi for two to three minutes, rather than until they float, which left doubts about whether they were fully cooked. The only ambient-stored product, with a 12-month shelf life, was made with 24% dehydrated potato flakes and required specialist recycling.
