Uncle Ben's Microwaveable Rice > Reviews (16)

**~~**~~**~~** Uncle Ben's Express Egg Fried Rice **~~**~~**~~**

It's gone 11pm, we've got no money for takeout and we're starving after a marathon guitar hero III session (it's bloody ridiculous how addictive that thing is).

After searching through the measly offerings in the cupboard (remember I'm still on the dole after being shafted by the evil ex-boss) I'm drawn to the corner in which lurks 3 packs of the aforementioned rice (I got them in Th'Asda on 3 for 2 offer but can't remember how many English pennies they cost). The lurid orange plastic deceptively makes me grab for them, and I declare in a triumphant voice that we shall dine like royalty. Oh, how wrong was I.

After careful consideration, I decide that one pack is plenty (thank god) for the two of us as it's only for a midnight snack and not a hearty meal (does say serves 1-2 people). I carefully follow the instructions of:

1. squeeze the pouch to separate the rice
2. tear a 2 cm opening for vent
3. heat on full power (700W) for 2 minutes.

There are instructions for creating in a pan but it kind of defeats the object of "Uncle Ben's Express Microwavable Egg Fried Rice", then again it might have made it taste half decent.

So, cooking in the loosest sense of the word is complete, the washing up's done (the plastic container is safely in the bin) and we tuck in. I have never tasted egg fried rice like it. The rice was cloying and tasted odd, plastic almost. The egg they used must have come from a ruddy hummingbird because there was hardly any - most disappointing. Egg fried rice should be a greasy affair with egg and peas clearly visible, and it should taste nice. No such luck. The flavour must have been thrown out when ol uncle B got rid of the artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

I'm not going to list the ingredients or tell you the nutritional values because you're neither going to make it, and nor will you really care. The only ingredient I tasted was rice, and it wasn't worth the 216 calories that were ingested. I believe there are different flavours - I've got a veg one and a chicken version sitting exactly where I left them and they'll probably sit there until I get very desperate indeed - there's a long use by date on them so that's lucky isn't it?

If you're intrigued as to how yummy this product truly isn't, then you can purchase them all over the place or check out the website at www.unclebens.co.uk to view the packet in all its glory or alternatively, you could ring the Consumer Care Dept on 08009521234 and maybe they could describe the package and taste for you.

Thanks for reading

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