M&S Full on Flavour Lightly Salted Potato Squares

Oh why did I let myself be lured into buying these lightly salted squares?

Because I am sucker for reconstituted potato foamy  goodness. And the texture here is fine. Terrific crunch, lots of those lovely little bubbles I like so much. Just the right aroma of delicious fried potato deliciousness. And the squares are about 30mm square so you can put them into your mouth without biting into them or worrying you're going to cut your mouth (OK, that's probably just me isn't it?).

So why did I get myself this lightly salted crispy snack? Because we know I don't like lightly salted. It doesn't taste enough for me. What was I thinking?

Some of them are saltier than others. In which case they are delicious.... yum. And some are merely lightly salted. In which case I'm not mad keen. So the flavour is a bit variable.

Luckily I had some guacamole left over from last night's dinner and it turns out that potato squares work very well with a dip. If I'd been concentrating I might well have provided myself with a sour cream and chive dip, but guacamole works pretty well and is possibly slightly healthier.

Potato squares are suitable for vegetarians. But not suitable for people who suffer from allergies to egg, cow's milk, wheat, barley, gluten, soya or shellfish.

That's a lot of different allergies isn't it? It's really quite worrying that there are now apparently so many people suffering from so many allergies. When I was a child I had the most appalling hay fever and sometimes missed school because of it. We hardly knew anyone else with an allergy and it was considered a bit odd. I have mostly grown out of my allergies now and of course I was allergic (mostly) to pollen and this is (mostly) a seasonal affliction. But I do have a fake Christmas tree because the last time I touched a real one I came out in this awful rash.

These days it seems that everyone is allergic to something and sometimes it seems that even people who aren't really allergic to anything would like to think they are. For a while it almost became fashionable although I have never been able to fathom why. And neither, I imagine, can anybody with a truly life threatening allergy understand why anyone would aspire to such a thing. It must be really frightening to know that accidentally eating a tiny bit of peanut (for example) might kill you. And of course, the allergy is there all year round.

My hay fever was pretty grim at times but it never threatened to kill me. But it did prevent me taking part in the only school sports event I might have won. Much to my surprise I qualified for the final of the egg and spoon race when I was about 8. Our school sports were held on a part of Hampstead Heath surrounded by so much lush grass all flowering away so enthusiastically that my allergies leaped into action on Sports Day. My eyes became so inflamed I couldn't see my spoon or the egg. Or to run at all. And thus ended my sporting career. Which was quite lucky really because I never enjoyed running about.

Anyway, I'm guessing this list of ingredients is a catch all piece of information: the factory is probably gigantic and somewhere along the line they process milk or soya or shellfish.  Actual allergy information: contains sulphites.

No artificial colours or artificial flavourings. Made with a healthier oil (it says here) called Sun Kernel™ higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in saturated fats. Higher and lower than what I don't know. Bag not currently recyclable.

Well, I wish they were a bit saltier but with a dip these are great. I had better take a photograph before I accidentally eat the whole bag. I would have eaten more if they had been slightly saltier. So probably just as well these potato square are only slightly salted.

2016:This packet of crisps sounds as though it should be different. It has a different name and there are no Sulfites in the recipe. But it seems like exactly the same crispy snack. so far as I remember it from two years ago.