I'm Made of Sugar! - Chihiro's food blog: Nabisco

8/07/2017

Original Ritz, New Ritz and Levain Taste Test / 旧リッツ、新リッツ、ルヴァンの食べ比べ

8/07/2017 16:16 by chobiro47 No comments

Original Ritz, New Ritz and Levain Taste Test
旧リッツ、新リッツ、ルヴァンの食べ比べ

(Japanese follows. / 日本語は以下へ続く。)

A shocking news was announced on February 12, 2016 that Yamazaki Nabisco, a subsidiary of Yamazaki Baking Company Limited, would end the licensing agreement of Nabisco brand at the end of August and they'd discontinue Nabisco's brands like Ritz and Oreo, and they also changed the company's name into Yamazaki Biscuit.
In Japan, Mondelēz Japan Limited is entitled to use the brands so that they were the new manufacturer from September 1, 2016.
Though they said they'd make the flavor as close as the original Ritz, the factory is no longer in Japan but in Indonesia so that I, a huge fan of classic Ritz and used to eat a whole large box (75 pieces), was certain that the flavor and texture wouldn't be the same.

First thing I did was to order the Yamazaki Nabisco Ritz online (I bought 10 boxes of 75 crackers) and sent it to my parents' house to bring them back to the states, which I did this spring.
And my husband also got me new Ritz and Levain, the latter of which is Yamazaki Biscuit's new brand and it's supposed to be something close to the original Ritz, so that we could do the taste test.

Packaging
Original Ritz, new Ritz and Levain, from left to right.

Original Ritz
Front

Back
They put different recipes for "Ritz Party," that they use for the TV commercials and make appetizers with Ritz crackers.

Side

Nutrition (per 1 package; 25 pieces/85g）

Calories: 438kcal

Protein: 6.0g

Fat: 22.3g

Carbohydrate: 53.2g

Natrium: 462mg

New Ritz
Front

Back
No "Ritz Party" recipe but the same design on the front and back.

Side
The ingredients and nutrition chart were written on the same side together.
Also, the allergic substances were wheat only in the original Ritz but this new Ritz added soybeans to wheat.

Nutrition (per 6 pieces)
Calories: 101kcal
Protein: 1.6g
Fat: 4.8g
Carbohydrate: 12.9g
Natrium: 114.6mg (Sodium Chloride Equivalent: 0.3g)

Levain
Front

Back
Like original Ritz, there're some recipes with Levain crackers.

Side
Allergic substance is only wheat, same as original Ritz.

Nutrition (per 1 package; 13 pieces/50.7g)
Calories: 254kcal
Protein: 3.8g
Fat: 12.1g
Carbohydrate: 32.4g
Sodium Chloride Equivalent: 0.7g

Original Ritz vs. new Ritz
Front

Back

Side

Original Ritz vs. Levain
Front

Back

Side

Ingredients in each product were slightly different.
Orignial Ritz; wheat, vegetable oil, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, malt extract, leavening agent.
New Ritz; wheat, vegetable oil, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, leavening agent, lecithin (soybeans) and antioxidant (Vitamin E and C).
Levain; wheat, modified fat, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, malt extract, rye wheat flour, leavening agent.

Nutrition charts were all different, too and the unit they used was varied.
To make it simple, I calculated the calories of a piece.
Original Ritz; 17.52kcal
New Rita; 16.83kcal
Levain; 19.53kcal

From the left to right, original Ritz, new Ritz and Levain.

The scent was pretty much the same.

Original Ritz vs. new Ritz

New Ritz was paler and had weird shine while original Ritz was dry and had no shine.
It had stronger saltiness like margarin and crispier texture than original Ritz.
It's not as bad as I had imagined, but the new Ritz didn't have the fragrant flavor that original Ritz has, and the taste was bland and I got tired of the taste after about 5 pieces.

Original Ritz vs. Levain

Levain was a little bit harder than original Ritz and had less flakiness like pie.

Also, it didn't have the characteristic flavor of rye flour listed on the ingredients.

The matte surface looked the same as the original Ritz and to me, it's a bit tougher version of original Ritz.

I checked the cross-section views, and there're some differences.

Original Ritz

There's a tight layer in the middle and at the top and bottom, there're airy layers like pastry pie crust.

New Ritz
It didn't have much of the tight layer and had more airy layers.

Levain
It had more tight layers and less airy layers.

From my personal view, new Ritz isn't anything close to the original Ritz by the appearance, flavor or taste, and I'm very disappointed that I can no longer get my long time loved Ritz.
However, Levain was fairy close though they're not exactly the same and I still see some differences in the flavors and textures.

Other Ritz I've reviewed.
Pride & Joy Ritz
Ritz Munchables Pretzel Crackers
Ritz Custard Sandwich
Ritz Cheese Sand Camembert & Pepper
Ritz Big Crackers
Soccer Ritz Crackers
Ritz Snowflake

Ritz Football

2016年2月12日、衝撃的なニュースが流れた。
山崎製パンの子会社であるヤマザキナビスコが、ナビスコブランドのライセンス契約を
8月末で終了することに伴い、ナビスコのリッツやオレオが製造終了となり、社名も
ヤマザキビスケットに変更するという内容だった。
日本ではモンデリーズ・ジャパンがブランドの権利を持ち、新製造会社として9月1日より
リッツやオレオを販売している。
旧リッツと同じような味の商品を製造すると言ってはいたものの、これまで国内製造
だったものがインドネシアの工場で製造されるため、味も食感も違うものになると確信
していた。（私は75枚入りの大きな箱を完食するほど旧リッツが大好き）

とりあえず、オンラインで75枚入りの大箱を10個注文し、実家に送付してこの春に帰省
した際、アメリカに持ち帰った。
また、旦那が新リッツとルヴァン（ヤマザキビスケットの新ブランドで、旧リッツに似た
ものらしい）を買って来て、食べ比べることにした。

パッケージ
左から旧リッツ、新リッツ、ルヴァン。

旧リッツ
表

裏
CMでリッツを使ったアペタイザーを映して「リッツパーティー」と言っているように、
裏側にはいくつかレシピが載っている。

横

栄養成分表（1パック25枚、85g）

エネルギー： 438kcal

たんぱく質： 6.0g

脂質： 22.3g

炭水化物： 53.2g

ナトリウム： 462mg

新リッツ
表

裏
「リッツパーティー」のレシピはなく、表裏同じデザイン。

横
原材料名、栄養成分表示が同じ側面に記載されていた。
また、アレルギー物質が旧リッツは小麦だけだったのに対し、新リッツは小麦と大豆に
増えていた。

栄養成分表示（6枚）
熱量： 101kcal
たんぱく質： 1.6g
脂質： 4.8g
炭水化物： 12.9g
ナトリウム： 114.6mg（食塩相当量： 0.3g）

ルヴァン
表

裏
旧リッツのように、ルヴァンを使ったメニューが載っていた。

横
旧リッツと同じで、アレルギー物質は小麦のみ。

栄養成分表示（1パック13枚、50.7g）
エネルギー： 254kcal
たんぱく質： 3.8g
脂質： 12.1g
炭水化物： 32.4g
食塩相当量： 0.7g

旧リッツと新リッツ
表

裏

横

旧リッツとルヴァン
表

裏

横

各商品の原材料は少しずつ違っていた。
旧リッツ；小麦粉、植物油脂、砂糖、ブドウ糖果糖液糖、食塩、モルトエキス、膨張剤。
新リッツ；小麦粉、植物油脂、砂糖、ブドウ糖果糖液糖、モルトエキス、食塩、膨張剤、
レシチン（大豆由来）、酸化防止剤（ビタミンE、C）。
ルヴァン；小麦粉、加工油脂、砂糖、ブドウ糖果糖液糖、食塩、モルトエキス、ライ麦
粉、発酵種/膨張剤。