Kurkure Masala Munch

This is a spicy crispy snack “bursting with a delicious fusion of authentic seasonings and fragrant herbs”. Kurkure (which means crunchy in Hindi and Urdu) was originally launched in India and then Pakistan, and is now a subsidiary of PepsiCo.

The snack itself is made with dal, corn and rice and seasoned with all sorts if actual spices like cumin and fenugreek. This makes a change from the usual vague “spices” or “flavouring”.

Nice and crunchy, this is a spicy snack, very slightly eggy due to the black rock salt.

A very nice change from the average snack available here in North London.

Jacob’s Tuc Sandwich Cream Cheese & Chive flavour

I was very pleased to find this packet of Cream Cheese & Chive flavour Tuc when I last made an online order from my favourite supermarket. 

I have tried Sour Cream & Onion flavour Tuc and enjoyed them immensely. In this case I found them in Switzerland, check my enthusiast review, but they are (were) also available in France. I never really thought this flavour would be available in England (or any other part of the UK come to that), but here we have a very similar looking flavour. But not similar enough.

And are these UK Tuc sandwiches as tasty as the French version? Am I as excited about this flavour? 

Oh dear. Sadly not. Oh, they are fine in their own way, and the Tuc biscuits themselves are as tasty as they always are, but I cannot detect a trace of chives in the creamy squidgy filling. I ate the entire packet. But I am disappointed. 

If you have not tried the continental version of this flavour, well after all, chives are a member of the onion family, you might enjoy this crispy snack.

Have you noticed the serving suggestion? Just pile one biscuit on top of another. Presumably on something green.

In other news, I am sorry to see that longstanding British company (but started in Ireland) Jacob’s, supplier of Cheddars and Twiglets to generations of crispy snack fans, and owned by United Biscuits, has been bought by some company called Pladis. In Britain at least. I think. Company ownership these days is so complicated I’m surprised anyone can keep track of who owns what. 

Griffin’s Munchos Spicy Tomato

 

This is a little bit different. It’s an extruded wheat based (wheat pellets apparently, which doesn’t sound particularly tasty but there we are) crispy snack that allegedly tastes of spicy tomato. 

Well, it doesn’t taste of tomato and it isn’t spicy. Do New Zealanders have a lower tolerance for spicy foods than some people? I can’t know, never having been there, but I can tell you that this crispy snack is definitely not spicy.

I’m not saying I didn’t like them. I do. When I opened the bag there was a strong smell of freshly fried chips (French fries people) together with what smelled like a hint of vinegar. A very alluring smell for a snack. 

On the packet it says Can’t Stop the Munchies. I was dubious but that’s absolutely right. I naughtily ate nearly the entire packet in one sitting. Delicious! But not behaviour I recommend. I’m not suggesting that this snack has suddenly become a huge favourite, but should I ever visit New Zealand I would certainly grab a bag off a supermarket shelf.

I returned to the packet a couple of days later. Just as good. A faint taste of salt and vinegar. Lovely light crunch. And an interesting texture. Almost like several layers of very tiny bubble wrap, and translucent. And each individual munchie you pick up leaves tasty little shard-like crumbs, almost like snowflakes, on your fingers. There’s lots of finger liking with this crispy snack. 

I really do rather like them and what a relief! I was beginning to wonder if I still enjoyed crispy snacks of any kind.