The Discontinued Boar's Head Deli Meat We Never Want To Come Back

Sorry, Boar's Head fans, it's time for us to take a trip to the bottom end of our deli meat ranking list and see where this beloved company really fumbled the bag. Tasting Table tested 20 different Boar's Head deli meats and ranked them from the absolute worst to the best. Our least favorite of this otherwise high-quality meat selection? The Bold Aloha Sunshine Pineapple Turkey Breast, by far. And we clearly weren't alone in our disdain for this deli meat — the product has been discontinued and you won't find it on grocery shelves anymore. 

Now, we aren't haters of the combo of savory meats and pineapple. We tend to believe that pineapple can belong on pizza, so the notion that turkey and pineapple could pair well is not an instant turn-off. But the execution here left something to be desired. This Boar's Head item failed to account for the fact that turkey is a mild-tasting meat. That's why you need so many dang herbs (15 to season a roasted turkey, for instance) to inject a little life and flavor into it.

So, where did Boar's Head go wrong here? In short, this meat lacked balance. When working with a blank canvas, any strong flavor can easily overpower the turkey, and that's sadly what happened here. Straight from the bag, the pineapple was quite overwhelming. You barely got a hint of the meat at all, not to mention any of the other flavors the brand claims to have added, like hibiscus.

Pineapple can work well with meat not just because of the sweetness that it brings, but also because of that acidic tang. In fact, pineapple is so acidic that it makes a good meat tenderizer. When you mix salty, savory, tangy, and sweet all together, you get a beautiful symphony. Take that tang away, and it tastes more like you are eating regular turkey and drinking a can of pineapple juice simultaneously. It's both overwhelming and underwhelming and won't leave you wanting more.

Other shoppers also found this turkey to be pretty lackluster, as many on Reddit have noted how strange the flavor profile was when ham and pineapple is much more popular. If you never tried it, you did not miss out. We can say without hesitation that this is one discontinued deli meat that we never want to see again.