NorCal Organic – Premium Pea Protein Isolate – 100% Vegan and Organic – UNFLAVORED – 2 Pounds (Pack of 1) – 35 Servings

Least Bad-Tasting 100% Pea Protein
I follow a special diet for a chronic health condition, and I’m always interested in unsweetened, additive-free protein powders that meet my needs. Over the years I’d tried a few other popular 100% pea proteins and disliked them all to various degrees, mostly due to the taste (and in some cases price). I decided to try one more brand before giving up on pea protein. I ended up liking this one better and have repurchased it a few times over the last couple years.Versatility: I use this in smoothies; for “protein fluff”; stirred into drippy nut/seed butter for homemade protein nut butter; in homemade grain-free protein granola (made in a dehydrator, not baked); in homemade no-bake protein bars/bites; and in homemade nondairy milk (added to the blender along with nuts/seeds before blending and straining). I’ve occasionally tried baking with it, but thus far that hasn’t been my favorite use. In smoothies I only really like it in small amounts—to get a whole serving at once without feeling like it’s making my food gross, I add it to other things.Taste: I would be lying if I said this tasted “good” on its own or added to just anything (and for reference, I’m the type who thinks unflavored hemp and pumpkin seed protein powder really do taste good!). But, it definitely tastes less-bad, less-overpowering, and less-bitter to me than other brands of pea protein I’ve tried. After some experimentation, I’ve come up with ways to use it where I think it makes food taste better overall, not worse—see above. Like all pea protein, it’s quite salty-tasting to me, and I find this to be a limiting factor in how much I can add to fruit-flavored smoothies and similar things as I’m not a salt lover. But that’s not an issue for foods that go well with some salt, and to me it seems less overpoweringly salty than some other brands.Color: this is a nice pale yellowish color that won’t make food look unappetizing.Texture: this is a super super fine powder. I really like that in small amounts, it can add a certain nice mouthfeel to foods (e.g. homemade nondairy milk) without using starches or other additives. I think it can help emulsify things, although I don’t know enough about food science to say if this is strictly accurate! In any case, I like its textural culinary properties a lot—no chunks or grit, doesn’t do anything too bizarre texturally in recipes. It does absorb a LOT of water.Usability of package: I find the bag fussy to reseal, and because the powder is so fine, it gets all over whenever I open and close the bag. So I’ve started to just transfer the powder into a couple of clean, dry screw-top canisters left over from other protein powder, or a couple of quart mason jars. That solves the problem completely and only makes a mess once! I’m not deducting any stars for the bag because I’m afraid might cost more to put it in something better.Note: I review foods and supplements based ONLY on my liking of their taste and culinary properties, and whether they work for me. Not being an expert in nutrition or food safety, I have NO IDEA whether the health, nutrition, and safety claims made on the package are accurate so that doesn’t come into my rating!

5 stars, BUT I will absolutely never consume it again
I’m rating this 5 stars because it seems to be everything it claims to be. It has a decent amount of protein and there is virtually no flavor to this at all. I added it to another flavored protein powder and there was no “pea” taste at all. Went down very easily. Virtually no smell either. According to all the testing info I could find this stuff is super clean. I didn’t use it in a blender, but it had no issues mixing in a blender ball shake. This stuff is great! I’m honestly disappointed that I won’t be using it anymore. Why? It gave me the absolute worst upset stomach and gas pain I have ever had in my life, and I’m about to be 37. I’ve also had food poisoning twice. I don’t typically have a very sensitive stomach, so I disregarded the reviews I read on Amazon of people having a hard time with this. There is also no way to know how it will affect you without trying it. About an hour after I tried it the first time, the pain set in. Like just about everyone, I’ve had fairly severe gas pain before. It paled in comparison to the gut busting feeling that I was experiencing. I felt like Mr. Creosote in the Monty Python, ‘Meaning of Life’ restaurant scene. Without getting into too much detail, this was followed by MANY trips to the restroom, none of which offered much in the way of relief that you might expect in a situation like this. I had eaten some other atypical foods that day, so I couldn’t be entirely sure that the pea protein was the culprit for my condition. As a proponent of the Scientific Method, I decided that more experimentation was needed. I decided to wait a few days, fast all day, and then have a shake with the pea protein when I got home from work. HUGE mistake. I felt even worse the second time. It felt like the gas was even going up into my chest. Absolutely horrendous experience. Even gas pills offered minimal relief and I had no choice but to spend a very unpleasant evening waiting out the negative effects. Needless to say, I won’t be doing a third test. So, as I say, this protein seems to be everything they claim it is. Clean, no bad taste, easy to mix and add to anything you want to add it to. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t agree with my system. If you are going to try this, maybe start with just one scoop and go from there. I thought about going that route myself, but after my experience with full serving, I’m not willing to risk it. This is the only supplement that I have ever taken that affected me like this. Good luck!