Taiwanese nougats and White Rabbit milk candy are very common. But what is a milk chew? Yes, I was just as confused as you probably are right now when I first heard about it. Numa, a food brand, has a non-traditional dairy snack, milk chews, and is made by one of our own alumna. Let’s find out what’s so special and delicious about it.
What is a Milk Chew?
As simple as it sounds, a milk chew is a milk-based chewy snack with nuts and dried fruit. The texture is a blend between White Rabbit milk candy, nougat, and taffy. Since European nougats are made of honey and are, therefore, much sweeter, Taiwanese nougats, having a stronger dairy taste, are the closest to a milk chew.
What is Special about Numa?
It all started when Joyce, the founder, and her mother, Jane, were in the kitchen. When Joyce was younger, she suffered from a rare auto-immune disorder that could not be explained by doctor or fixed by medication. It was her mother who helped her realize how important it is to eat real, all-natural foods and ultimately inspired the Milk Chew, which she had grown up eating in China. Joyce was inspired by the idea of “eating whole foods like the old times before processed food”, so she strove to create this nutritious and delicious milk chew.
Numa promises to use all-natural ingredients and locally processed, pasteurized whole milk in order to maintain the wealth of natural nutrients that milk offers in the chews. As for the sweetener of the product, Numa only uses maltose, an all-natural sweetener that’s fifty percent less sweet than normal table sugar and distilled from fermented grains. Maltose could sometimes even be seen as having medicinal properties due to the high level of fiber and potassium that it contains.
The Product
As mentioned above, the whole concept of Numa started at the home of Joyce and Jane, so they made everything from scratch and only sold the chews at local farmer’s markets in New Jersey. After receiving local success, Joyce decided to start a company and, wishing to maintain the traditional method of making these chews, opened a facility dedicated to the product. In fact, Numa is launching in a couple of select grocery stores in New York City and on Amazon in the next few months. Eventually, Joyce hopes to bring Numa to grocery stores nationwide.
Right now, Numa only has one flavor, peanut and cranberries, but they are planning to introduce a few more flavors in the next couple of months. They are also currently developing recipes for plant-based dairy alternatives in order to meet the non-dairy version demands from people!
Why Should You Try It?
It’s delicious! Joyce sent me a bag of samples, and I was in love with these chews. They are the size of half a granola bar, so they can be a mini energy bar before you hit up the gym or simply a sweet energy treat. The chews do remind me a lot of Taiwanese nougats, but they are not at all overwhelmingly sweet. As Numa promised, I could really taste the natural dairy flavor of milk, which was amazing for me since I’m a huge milk-addict. The nutty and fruity flavor also balance well with the sweetness. I can’t wait for them to release more flavors!
Get Involved
Calling all foodies! With Numa’s goal to expand nationally both online and in retail stores, you could really help them out. Order some tasty chewy milk snacks for your next workout, road trip, or any occasion because each chew is packed with nutrition, deliciousness and love. Simply click on this link to order and you get free shipping on orders over $24. Finals are coming, so stock up with these milk chews to satisfy your midnight cravings!