Ültje Cashews & Erdnüsse Honig und Saltz

 

Cashews and peanuts flavoured with honey and salt. Sounds tasty doesn’t it? But somehow this German nutty snack didn’t quite work for me.

Oh, the Chef snacked them down quite happily but I felt the nuts were a just bit too hard. Which made more of a difference than you might expect. Call me picky.... I know you will.

I’m sure they have many fans in Germany.

Chio Flips Peanut

I never had a peanut flavour crispy snack (that wasn’t an actual peanut) before my friend Giraffe Fan Taste Tester (who is Jewish) bought me a packet of Bamba peanutty snacks from the local Jewish deli. I learned these are a staple for Jewish children, certainly in North London, probably all over the world. And the ex-chairman of my ex-work told me he was convinced eating this crispy snack prevented Jewish children from suffering the really nasty peanut allergy that afflicts so many British kids. Who knows? It’s just his theory.

Then I discovered the French also fancy a peanut snack like this one from Carrefour. And here’s another from Serbia. And here’s a great big guess: it’s likely there are lots of peanutty crispy snacks produced all over the world. So why can’t you buy a peanut snack in the UK? (Unless you have access to a source of kosher food.) Well, gosh! Probably because we are all so set in our ways there isn’t any danger we might try something a bit different.

So here’s a peanutty snack from Germany which the Chef and I found in Switzerland.

It looks as though it would be the same as a Bamba snack, but it has a harder bite. The Chef thought it would be saltier, but it wasn’t. He also thought it would be sweeter like the fabulous M&S Cheese Tasters, but it wasn’t. And obviously it wasn’t cheesy either. Oh dear. I have discovered that quite a lot of the reasons why you enjoy (or don’t enjoy) a crispy snack are about expectations. The Chef expected something else and so he didn’t really like this peanutty snack. 

I rather enjoyed it. So long as you expect a peanutty taste and a crunchy bite you might enjoy this too.

Crunchips Chilli & Lime X-Cut

Here's another packet of crisps from the little shop in Golders Green that stocks lots of European snacks. This one I thought must be Polish because we've tried Crunchips from Poland in the past Green Onions but actually these crisps are from Germany but I had forgotten about the Spare Ribs Roasted (great name) also from Germany.

This is a crinkle cut crisp with loads of flavour dust and a good rich colour. I'm not sure why German for crinkle cut should be X-cut... it seems a bit odd but it's obvious what that means.

And it turns out Cliffs of Moher taste tester was so enthusiastic about this crisp she had me describe in detail where the shop I bought them is. I hope I got it right. I do remember I’d just emerged from an annoying session with my bank (they cancelled my card twice in two weeks because they said they couldn’t contact me - which was a big lie) and I know where that is. The trouble is, typical me, I didn’t look at the name of the shop.

As I often do I took some crisps home for the Chef to try. What is this crisp supposed to be? he asked suspiciously. Chilli and lime I said. That explains it, he said thrusting the packet away. Not for him then. Not really for me either. The crunch is good, the chilli hit is good but I don’t much care for lime as a flavour. But look, Cliffs of Moher loved this crisp.

Lorenz Crunchips Spare Ribs Roasted Geschamck

Taste the Adventure! says the packet in great big "wild west" style writing. Neu!

So we have here a new crisp flavour from Germany (the last packet of Crunchips I tried came from Poland - or I was pretty sure they did) but these crinkle cut crisps are German.

And what do Lorenz think their German snacking audience will like? Spare Ribs flavour. Roasted spare ribs, so not a barbecue flavour.

Entdecke ein Stuck Freiheit und Deine Lust  am Abenteuer mit den neuen CRUNCHIPS ROASTED: Deftiger Wellenschnitt und herrlicher Grillgeseschmack von herzhaft marinierten Spare Ribs. Probiere auch Chrunchips Roasted Smoky Paprika und BBQ Sauce!

Discover a piece of freedom and your desire for adventure with the new Crunchips ROASTED: Hearty shaft section and delightful barbeque Gese taste of hearty marinated spare ribs. Try also Chrunchips Roasted Smoky Paprika and BBQ sauce!

Not quite sure that google translate has exactly the meaning of this blurb on the back of the packet, but I'm sure you get the picture.

Dutch taste tester, Tech, and Slightly Red Haired Bristolian rather enjoyed this crispy crunchy crinkle cut crisp. I was expecting Tech taste tester to be a fan as I know he really enjoys meaty crisps. He said he wasn't sure he could detect roasted spare ribs here, but was happy to eat quite a lot of the packet.

And me? To be honest, and I'm sure you will find this weird because I certainly do, I found this crisp reminded me of new shoes.

Migros Jumpy's Sour Cream

Here's a new flavour of the fabulous kangaroo-shaped crispy snack from Germany. And I only just noticed it isn't spelled Jumpys but Jumpy's. And oh no! I failed to photograph them.

Oh well. That's not the end of the world. You can see roughly what they look like here in my 2013 first encounter with Jumpys. Except add in a sprinkling of little herby bits on each tiny kangaroo. There are some larger than life images on the packaging too.

If we buy them again I can add a photograph later.

And in fact it was quite interesting looking back. Because the first packet of Jumpys doesn't have an  apostrophe. I wonder why that was changed? Plus, that crispy snack was made by Chio. These Jumpy's today seem to be made by Migros.

So Migros is a Swiss (and French) supermarket chain but I can't discover this product on their website. And in any case I'm pretty sure this packet was bought at a Co-op (which is a different Swiss supermarket). Truly the world of crispy snacks can be confusing at times.

Der Kartoffel-Snack mit Sauerrahm-Geschmack, der auf der Zunge hüpft! The sour cream flavoured potato snack that jumps on your tongue! And despite being made in Germany the packet features all the info you need in German, French and Italian; all the major Swiss languages.

Very tasty for a miniature kangaroo-shaped snack although I think I prefer the original Sunny Paprika flavour.

Oh look at that. The Chef just admitted to having a small stash of Jumpy's. So here's the photograph. Each little kangaroo is about 25 x 27 mm (toe to tail x height). That's about an inch not at all square.

Chio Bull's Heads Wild Paprika

Chio make the fabulous Jumpys (which I didn't fully appreciate when I first tried them because in those far off 2 years ago times I didn't know any better) which are shaped like little kangaroos.

Now, you might suppose that any company having a success with a kangaroo-shaped crispy snack might move on to... oh I don't know.... an echidna (spiny anteater) or duck-billed platypus shape. Maybe a possum, or perhaps a kookaburra? Anything Australian...

But no. Chio has gone with the Bull's Head. In English. Which is a little odd. Because this interesting crispy snack is made in Germany but marketed by Intersnack Switzerland. Intersnack is a pan-european crispy snack conglomerate so I suppose you can buy these Bull's Heads all over Europe (except the UK of course). And I do find it a little disappointing that the snack name is in English. Come on guys! You ought to be naming your snacks in German or something.

Anyhow, I found the the angry bull face (maybe it's not meant to be angry) on the packet, and the "wild paprika" flavour quite aggressive.  Well, they don't present a very friendly picture. So it is easy to get put off. But, as ever, I found that my opinion (formed on the spot in the Conthey Co-op) was quite wrong. And the reluctant taste testers agreed that I was wrong.

The shape of this crispy snack comes as a bit of a surprise, and people who didn't know they were tucking into a Bull's Head can be (again) a little surprised at what they are trying.

But the shape of the snack is pretty true to what you might expect from the description, and the taste is pretty tasty. Wild Paprika sounds a bit strong, a bit hot, a bit tough perhaps, but in fact this crispy snack (although a little bit hot) has a lovely rich mild flavour, and a great crunch, and is really good. The reluctant taste testers and I liked this crispy snack a lot.

Obviously those of the taste testers who remember Jumpys were as puzzled as me by this new departure... but hey! who knows what a crispy snack manufacturer will get up to next?

Phileas Fogg French Style Crispy Squares Cheese & Caramelised Onion Flavour.

Searching out new flavours of crisp certainly broadens the mind. I mean, what exactly is it about these little crispy puffs of tastiness that makes them French style? Swiss style I might be able to accept (see many many jokes about the holes in Swiss cheese), but French style?

Did Messrs Phileas Fogg (a disguise for KP Snacks) ask the French about this? I suspect not.

New! says this 150g packet. Inspired by the cheeses of France (hang on... what about all those Swiss cheeses? Yes, you can tell I'm not going to be able to let that one go), these French Style Crispy Squares are three-dimensional, with a surprisingly light and crispy texture, which melt in the mouth making them an irresistible snack.

So this is quite a nice crispy snack. Although I find it not cheesy enough for my taste and a little bit too oniony. But the bite is undeniably light. Wonderfully crispy. Lovely texture. And holes. Lots of holes. A very interesting new design of crispy snack.

But here's another beef; three dimensional? Aren't all crispy snacks 3D? I mean, isn't pretty much everything in real life three dimensional? I guess Phileas Fogg is doing his best to tell us that we have little pillows of crispy snack here; not flat things like crisps. Sorry Mr Fogg. Call me picky (the Chef certainly does) but I'm going to mark this crispy snack down for misuse of language.

The taste of these lovely squares isn't exactly what I'd hoped for. And the Chef kind of agrees with me. But the texture is great. And the design really is great. You might like these a lot.

Don't let us put you off. If you find a packet give them a try.

Pom-Bear Cheese & Onion

At last another flavour of Pom-Bear.

I thought I would never find one. And especially I thought I'd never find one in a single packet because Pom-Bears almost always seem to come in multi packs. But guess what? I found this packet at a motorway service station. It's a wonder I ever attempt to shop anywhere else.

So another road trip crisp.

I have only ever tried the mysteriously named Original flavour before. I suppose it's the first flavour they created but calling it Original isn't very helpful. After all, it might be fennel flavour; it might be octopus. Although perhaps neither of these would be appropriate in a crispy snack aimed at small children, it would at least have the merit of being genuinely original.

In fact, as I remember Original is your basic salted. And now here we have Cheese & Onion. Which is, as befits this crispy snack aimed mostly at small children, a gentle cheese & onion with not too much flavour at all.

It's not a bad snack but not terrifically exciting either. The reluctant taste testers and I had no difficulty finishing the bowl I set out in the kitchen. We all admitted to liking Pom-Bears, but I suspect we all meant Original flavour. And it is Original I would buy again I think.

So there you go. Cheerful snacks (they smile), nice and bubbly in texture, good light crunch, but the flavour fades away into nothing.

Pom-Bear is a brand owned by German food giant Intersnack (great name if you're going to focus on crispy snacks) and I don't really know if these are manufactured in Germany or the UK.

And here's a great photo of Big Ben I snatched the other day when I was crossing the road in Westminster. How exhausting! I'm glad I'm not there every day. It's a battle crossing the road with 10,000 other people and a battle getting past those 10,000 people as they stop on the pavement to take  47 selfies each. But it was a lovely evening with beautiful blue skies and all that fabulous architecture was glowing in the sunshine. London at its best.

Chio Oven Chips Sour Cream

As far as I can tell (reading the packaging) these crisps are made in Germany. So why the product description "Oven Chips Sour Cream" is in English is anyone's guess.

Chio is owned by Intersnack and judging from the ingredients list Chio products are available  in Germany, France, Italy, Slovenia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Bosnia, and Bulgaria. But not Britain. Which is a shame because they're rather tasty. And I can't help feeling that the residents of Slovenia, Romania, Hungary etc etc would not object to the product description being in German.

Weirdly it looks as though you can buy this Intersnack product almost all over Europe except in the UK or (for some reason) Slovakia. I say for some reason when it comes to Slovakia but not for the UK because I am accustomed to almost everything about the UK being different for some silly reason. And mostly we wish it wasn't different. But there we are.

Ah.... it seems Intersnack has a special brand, or perhaps brands, for Slovakia. But I can't seem to access the Slovakian part of their website. So no further information available on this gripping fact I'm afraid.

Anyhow, this is a rather good fine crinkle cut crisp with a light sprinkling of little green herby bits (parsley and chives). The crisps themselves are, just as shown on the packaging, mostly not very crisp-shaped. It's quite an odd shape which doesn't look like a slice of potato, and in fact, as these are made from potato starch and maize starch there really is no reason why they shouldn't be a completely fake shape.

A very good flavour crisp that tastes just like a top quality sour cream and chive dip. Recommended.

Zweifel World Champion Chips Curry Wurst

I was delighted to discover in the Co-op yesterday that Swiss crisp giant Zweifel had produced a small range of World Cup 2014 crisps. Even better, now that the world has gone back to normal and Germany has taken the trophy home in triumph, these crisps are on special.

Here we have the fabulous Curry Wurst flavour crisps created especially for Germany: a typical German taste (typique du pays it says here). Apparently fans of Zweifel chose 3 of the 32 countries involved in the World Cup and Zweifel created 3 flavours to match the chosen countries. So this is country number 8: Germany. I think Zweifel crisps are sold in Germany which probably accounts for the three chosen countries being Switzerland, Germany and Brasil. Your vote, your chips (in English which is not an official language of Switzerland, or at least not yet) it says on the packet.

Up until 31 July I could have voted for my favourite World Cup flavour.... but we never saw them until 1 August. How disappointing!

To be honest I was a bit dubious about this flavour. Is curried sausage a typical German dish? I wasn't aware of this traditional German delicacy, but there you are. What do I know? I dare say the lovely Germans are mad for curried sausages.

The crisps themselves are the usual finely cut potato slices Zweifel always delivers. Nice light crunch. Very nice rich golden colour. And the flavour? Concocted from sugar, salt, tomato powder, curry, "flavour", onion powder, garlic powder etc etc, there is no explanation beyond the mysterious "flavour" ingredient of how the sausage flavour is created.

Suitable for vegetarians of course, so yet another meaty flavour in the world of crisps that has no actual meat in it. Gluten and lactose free as well.

I have to say that I was pretty sure these crisps would be horrible. But they're not. They taste not unlike many sausages I have eaten in Switzerland, although not in Germany because when I was last there we stayed in a very smart hotel in Fussen and the food was "smart hotel" style. Delicious but not curry wurst.

Not my most favourite crisp flavour ever but I wasn't expecting too much from a novelty footballing flavour. Still, not bad from the producers of the best crisps in the world: Original Provençal (in case you've not been paying attention!) Seriously, they are the best crisps ever.