400g/14.1oz, $2.69
Available at selected Grocery Stores and Asian Markets.
We bought it at Metro.
For more information visit: www.mannarich.com

Headachy, bleary eyes, upset stomach? We know the feeling; pronged exposure to the Food Network will do that to a person. But many of us will come down with the flu or a cold this season, so Shelf Life decided to search the grocery aisles for something to relieve a nasty head. We liked the look of this product, for three reasons: its ingredients list shows a high proportion of vegetables and natural seasonings; it is reasonably priced; and we need a soup on standby – every household should keep a good soup on reserve, ready to be taken out of the freezer after that dreaded first sneeze. However this item does come with one demerit point, which is its extremely high salt content (almost the daily suggested amount). Still, curiosity got the better of us, so home it went, and straight into the microwave. The results took us by surprise. This really is a satisfying – even rejuvenating – Asian-style meal. What you get is a thick, wonderfully fiery suspension, chock full of noodle, tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and other succulent un-WASP picker-uppers. There doesn’t seem to be a trace of anything artificial in this soup, and the portion size is seriously generous. Best of all, the spices and seasonings go immediately to stuffed-up areas in the human head and work miracles. Pow! goes the soup, and the chills disappear. This product is almost as good as restaurant-made hot and sour soup delivered to your door. You’ll want to avoid other sources of sodium for the rest of the day, but in the meanwhile you’ve got yourself a superhero of a soup.

FOUR STARS****