Baouw: the new Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla energy purée!
Excerpt from the Baouw website -
Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla… a new organic energy purée, with the name of the summer hit but, above all, the taste of the recipe of the year. A little bombshell of natural goodness, flavor, and nutritional benefits, this new purée completes the range that has won over so many trail runners, runners, cyclists, and other sports enthusiasts looking for healthy products without preservatives or additives. The trio becomes a quartet! Born from the kitchens of the double Michelin-starred chef Yoann Conte and the notebooks of Benoit Nave, the Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla purée is a distillation of BAOUW’s expertise and values.
The first tells us the story of its creation, while the second breaks down its nutritional benefits during exercise. Here’s the story!
“The Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla purée is a distillation of our expertise and values.”
Banana, the ultimate “athlete’s fruit”
Bananas are the ultimate “athlete’s fruit.” In fact, we challenge you to find a race that doesn’t offer them at its aid stations! Appreciated for their taste and nutritional benefits, their only drawback is practicality. It’s hard to put one in the pocket of your cycling jersey, your running belt, or your trail pack without squashing it. Always listening to our Baouwers, we therefore conducted a forward-looking study on the recipes they were waiting for, and from local races to legendary events, banana-based energy purée kept coming back like a refrain.
"So we conducted a forward-looking study on the recipes our Baouwers were waiting for: banana came back like a refrain!"
A purée that looks like us…
While some are tossing the sauce, we had to bring the purée. And make this purée our way. Once the decision had been made, we wanted a compote that reflected who we are. Gilles Galoux, one of our co-founders, reminds us: “It’s in our DNA to offer a healthy, creative, and surprising alternative in this somewhat predictable and industrial world of sports nutrition. At Baouw, our vision is to push back the boundaries of convention by offering a range of responsible and bold choices for enthusiasts. Always while respecting the nutritional quality of the foods needed for exertion. That’s why Yoann Conte, our Michelin-starred chef, and Benoit Nave, our nutrition expert, work together.”
Gilles remembers that spring of 2019 and invites us behind the scenes of his white-toqued partner’s Michelin-starred restaurant on the shores of Lake Annecy: “This Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla recipe was proposed by Yoann and Benoit at the same time as the other three. You have to understand that this really is cooking. We’re here, gathered around the saucepan, tasting as we go… Adjusting… A hint of olive oil… A little more banana, less vanilla… The creation was an immediate unanimous success. But we kept it in reserve before releasing it, to see how our purées would be received. We can say that we weren’t disappointed!”
“We’re here, gathered around Yoann’s saucepan, tasting as we go… Adjusting…”
I discover the Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla energy compote
A new Baouw recipe, a little powerhouse of nature, flavor, and nutritional benefits.
YOANN CONTE: “Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla: this recipe owes nothing to chance; it has a story…”
Like all our new recipes, this one has a story. And who better than Yoann Conte, our two-Michelin-starred chef, to tell it? Breton by birth and Annecy at heart, he was recently honored by the renowned Gault & Millau guide, becoming the only chef to join the very exclusive circle of restaurants awarded 5 toques in 2022. He explains: “I champion raw and sensitive cuisine. Sensitive in the sense that every recipe must come from somewhere and tell a story.”
“Every recipe must come from somewhere and tell a story”
Some people slip on a banana peel, while others surf on one. Always precise and methodical, Yoann explains the harmony and coherence of this signature recipe in 4 points:
1/ “These exotic fruits grow and thrive together in the same place. They flourish in the same tropical climate. Naturally, this gives them a natural affinity rooted in their homeland.”
2/ “These fruits have complementary textures: the slightly sweet, thick banana pairs wonderfully with the kiwi, which subtly liquefies and adds acidity to the mixture while bringing the necessary freshness.”
3/ “Vanilla is a magical ingredient! It has that little madeleine de Proust flavor that instantly reminds me of childhood… One of the first things you learn in cooking is how to make crème anglaise! And what is crème anglaise? Milk, eggs, and a little vanilla, for the magic! It works much the same way with banana, which takes me back to memories of my life in the United States: over there, many people choose blended fruit smoothies, mainly banana-based, for breakfast.”
4/ “The kiwi, finally, is there for balance. The banana oxidizes and turns brown if vitamin C, which is very rich in antioxidants, is not added. Kiwi, which is much richer in vitamin C than oranges, brings harmony to the whole.”
BENOIT NAVE: “This recipe has a history, but also great nutritional benefits during exercise…”
Praised by our panel of testers for its taste, our new organic compote is also praised for its highly targeted and appropriate energy content. Benoit Nave, our nutrition expert, breaks down the unique benefits of combining these three ingredients, in their pure form, without additives, preservatives, or any other chemical substance that could compromise its naturalness:
1/ “A banana is not a fruit; it is a starchy food because it contains significantly less water than a more typical fruit. Since we purée our ingredients without adding anything else, we end up with a preparation containing a very high percentage of carbohydrates, comparable to potatoes or sweet potatoes. Its carbohydrate content is truly very beneficial, particularly during sustained exertion.”
“Its carbohydrate content is truly very beneficial, particularly during sustained exertion.”
2/ “The banana’s high potassium content is also highly beneficial, as it helps revitalize the body, which loses many minerals, especially during prolonged exertion.”
3/ “Beyond its tangy flavor, which tempers the sweetness of the banana and balances the whole recipe, kiwi acts as a powerful antioxidant thanks to its high vitamin C content, thereby contributing to the proper functioning of the immune system.”
4/ “To be completely honest, vanilla does not technically have any nutritional benefits (Smiles). It’s there for the flavor! But we know how essential enjoyment is as a source of motivation when exercising…”
5/ “Finally, as with all Baouw products, we added a subtle touch of olive oil to this recipe, made by our small producer Chris&Olive, because of its exceptional quality and its contribution of ‘good’ fats and antioxidants.”
Conclusion
A distillation of our values and expertise, created in response to requests from Baouwers, the Banana-Kiwi-Vanilla purée perfectly complements our range of energy compotes by offering a product particularly suited to intense exertion. With its significant carbohydrate content, our new recipe is an organic, natural, and delicious alternative to energy gels.
