I always enjoy learning about the history of a company and why and how the founder was inspired to create the product or service. In the case of Clif Bar, similar to many other great success stories, it started out with the rather simple thought of Gary Erickson. One day on a bike ride, he took a bite of an energy bar and decided that he could definitely make something better! Thankfully he took action, because now we can all enjoy the wide range of tasty, high quality energy bars from Clif Bar.

In honor of Clif Bar’s 20th anniversary, Gary decided to share a limited edition bar that was inspired by his cycling adventures over the Passo di Gavia in Northern Italy. Pedaling up and down those hills somehow must have inspired Gary to develop an energy bar version of the 800 year old classic Italian dessert, the Panforte. Panforte’s are very popular in Italy, and are known for their wide range of fruit and nut ingredients. True to its origin, the Clif Bar Panforte has loads of tasty ingredients.

The Panforte bar is a unique flavor…to be honest, based on the description on the front of the package “Fruit, Nuts & Spices”, I was a bit hesitant to try it, since my favorite Clif Bar flavors are sweet, not savory, and have my favorite ingredient – chocolate! This chocolate-less bar is a unique blend, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! The bar has a nutty flavor, and has big chunks of one of my favorite nuts, pistachios! Add in a mix of oats, dates, figs, a hint of ginger and a wide range of spices, and yum – a tasty and nutritious energy snack for the trail!