**Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells with rice bran** is a very small box of very large pasta shells. **What I like about Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells:** I do like the way this product is produced and packaged. It has clear labels regarding multiple allergens and includes the following information: - wheat free - gluten free - kosher certified - cholesterol free - low far - low sodium - source of fiber This product is manufactured in a factory in which the entire factory only produces rice products, so there isn't the risk of cross-contamination of wheat products, which is great. I've bought quite a few Tinkyada pastas and they seem to be consistently labeled and it's nice to have the peace of mind to have something absolutely gluten-free. I believe these are also organic because they are sold at Whole Foods, which specializes in organic products. **What I don't like about Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells:** The package says these are not mushy--that's an understatement. It seems to take forever to cook them until they are soft (the box says 19-20 minutes), and once they are soft, they tend to stick together and roll up. I haven't worked with other big shells, so this might be a common problem with thicker pastas. It helps to cook them with plenty of water, to rinse them as soon as you're done cooking them, and to have everything else ready so that they can be eaten immediately after they are cooked. They don't work real well when they are re-heated as left-overs. The taste is just average to me--I prefer the brown rice spaghetti noodles with rice bran made by Tinkyada, but these are ok. It is hard to find this product. I have found them at Whole Foods and at a local grocer that specializes in organic and specialty products. I haven't found them in the mainstream grocery stores yet around here. The price, like most gluten-free pasta, is quite high. I understand that a dedicated facility will charge more, but it's a real strain on the pocketbook when you have to buy all gluten-free foods. It's also hard to shell out lots of money just to try a product and then to discover that the kids won't eat it, but surprisingly my older girls (ages 8 and 5) both enjoyed this pasta. **My Viewpoint:** These Tinkyada brown rice pasta grand shells are nice because they are gluten free and clearly labeled and produced at a gluten free facility. For me, these large pasta shells have an average taste and are difficult to get cooked correctly and should be eaten immediately after cooking for best results.

Katrena

Piedmont, NC