Unassuming tart wins top place in mince pie taste test

The fruit mince pie has inspired some visceral reactions in blind-taste tests. Photo / Getty Images

The super-sweet fruit mince pie has managed to embed itself in the Kiwi Christmas tradition while inspiring some strong opinions.

For those who want to feature the fruity treat in their Christmas food line-up, a consumer group blind-tested several models.

And spending big bucks doesn’t necessarily mean high quality in the world of Christmas fruit mince pies, Consumer NZ says.

The group said it blind-sampled seven of the tarts in a quest to find New Zealand’s best.

“The budget brands we tasted would be a welcome addition to Consumer’s Christmas table,” the group’s head of content, Caitlin Cherry, said.

Foodstuffs supermarket brand Pams took out the two top spots.

“Pams Finest Butter Crust Traditional Christmas Tarts was our team favourite,” Cherry said.

At slightly under 79 cents per pie, those pies were slightly more expensive than the second-placed offering.

“Another Pams product came second. Pams Fruit Mince Tarts were praised for having a good balance of sweet and spice,” said Cherry.

“At just over 70 cents a pie, these are a great option for people looking for a satisfying festive bite without the hefty price tag.”

The taste testers’ least favourite, also from Pams, was the Gluten-Free Traditional Fruit Mince Tarts.

One taster said the pie was too boring, Cherry said.

“Another taster said she would only eat this pie again if she was ravenous or appeasing a grumpy old aunt,” she added.

“This was a pretty pricey pack too, working out at just under 90 cents per pie.”

A mince pie disguised as a shortbread biscuit came second from bottom.

Consumer NZ said Jon-Jon’s Christmas Fruit Mince Bites, also gluten-free, divided the testers.

“While most of the panel found this pie unpleasant, one taster complimented the taste and texture of the pastry.”

The Jon-Jon’s offering cost slightly more than a dollar for each pie, the priciest model sampled tried.

For people inclined to make their own mince pies, the recipe commonly contains egg, raisins, sultanas, currants, other fruit such as apricots or prunes, cooking apples, sugar, brandy or rum, self raising flour, and lots of sugar.

According to one recipe, the whole process including preparation and baking takes 50 minutes.