KP Honey Roast Peanuts

I am continuing my quest to see if I really like any flavour of peanut better than the regular salted kind. And I think it’s possible that I don’t.

This Honey Roast flavour (source of protein, high in fibre) is quite sweet (made with glucose syrup - no wonder it’s so sweet), and I am not sure that’s what I want from a peanut. Oh dear, I seem to be a lot pickier than I used to be.

I read that grief can cause changes to your sense of smell and taste, but a year after my dear husband died, although I am still grieving, I am not sure this is a good excuse. I guess I just don’t like the sweetness anymore. Maybe age also affects your sense of taste?

Honestly, I’m sure I remember enjoying Honey Roast peanuts. And the peanuts in this case seem pretty good. So don’t pay any attention to me not enjoying them as much as I once did. Even though I don’t even feel like finishing the packet. 

Maybe I will try another flavour… and there are some flavoured peanuts on sale in my local supermarket that I have never attempted. 

Y’all know what peanuts look like, so no extra photos.

The Chef 
He changed my life forever and never tried to change me
1951 - 2024

Tesco Sweet Maple Honey Roasted Nuts

And…. here we are again with another special snack flavour for Christmas, or as our American friends will insist on saying: the holidays. We have to shop at Tesco sometimes because our regular supermarket has strange gaps on its shelves. For example, it hasn’t stocked Cheese Footballs for years. So anyway, last time we were in Tesco, I picked up quite a lot of Cheese Footballs and Treeselets and several new, probably limited edition, crispy snacks, and this is the last.

Well, deep breath. I hardly know what to say. I love salted peanuts or cashew nuts, and honey roasted nuts and dry roasted nuts. But I really do feel Tesco’s development department have gone too far with this sweet maple honey roast. In fact they’ve only gone and jumped the shark.

What? I mean, seriously what? How come these nuts taste of bourbon biscuits? And if you don’t live in the U.K. you may not know the chocolatey sandwich that is a bourbon biscuit (named for the French royal family not the drink), so here’s a Wikipedia page. There are lots of recipes online to make at home if you can’t just run out to the shops for a packet.

The Chef, who you know will eat almost anything crispy snack related, and is a true devotee of anything nutty, thought these honey glazed nuts very strange. Even, gasp!,would you believe it, too strange to continue snacking. Cliffs of Moher Taste Tester was not at all impressed. Full disclosure: neither of them could detect the taste of bourbon biscuits but trust me, I definitely could.

I asked Cliffs of Moher to take the still almost full packet home with her for boyfriend / partner (I don’t know which she prefers), Aillwee Caves, a new recruit to taste testing. We’ll see what he has to say. Before we got married the Chef used to describe me as his partner. And I always felt it sounded as though we were running a business together, selling cushions and maybe fancy lampshades. Of course he was running around skiing and cooking dinner and I was just going to work every day. 

Anyway, Aillwee Caves Taste Tester reports that these seriously weird nuts remind him of an overly sweet breakfast cereal. I suggested Sugar Puffs, which I could totally see, but he says no, some stuff called Golden Nuggets. I don’t think I have ever come across Golden Nuggets (they taste yeee haa! apparently), but it’s obvious that Cliffs of Moher doesn’t like them any more than she liked the nuts. 

So that’s not really a success is it. What a pity. However, the actual nuts seemed just like nuts.

KP Frosted Honey Roast Peanuts & Cashews mixed with pieces of Belgian Milk Chocolate Honeycomb

As we step forward cautiously into this brave new world of ever stranger politics (forthcoming attractions: elections in The Netherlands, France and Germany), perhaps it's time to buy more nuts.

Regular readers will have noted that I haven't had a whole lot to say about nuts until just recently. There are so very many potato crisps to write about, and crispy snacks, and popcorn, that I thought nuts might be an unwelcome distraction.

However, I couldn't help observing the stealthy entry of nuts, alongside crisps and popcorn, into the weird and wonderful world of fancy flavours. Dutch taste tester tells me she welcomes this departure. Apparently interesting flavours of nuts have long been on sale in The Netherlands. I gather they are called Cocktail Nuts.

Anyway this little packet of Christmassy nuts (snowy Christmas trees on the packet - what a giveaway) almost leapt off the supermarket shelf into my shopping basket.

Oh dear. The Chef and I think this packet of nuts is rather good. We could get seriously fat. And the reluctant taste testers haven't got a hope of trying this packet because I don't think the Chef would be happy to see it leave the building. But I will buy another packet for the Christmas tea table when the relations come round.

Peanuts and Cashews, all covered and coated in sparkly honey roast yumminess and chocolate coated honeycomb! Amazing eh? Who could possibly resist? Apart from people with a peanut allergy obviously. Which is a dreadful thing. But seriously give them a try if you can find them.

Not nearly enough chunks of chocolate coated honeycomb. But that is a tiny criticism.

Oh, and shock horror.... none left in the supermarket just one day later. And no space on the shelf for them either. None at all in two other supermarkets the Chef has investigated. Did I imagine buying this fabulous product?

Update: the reluctant taste testers have now had an opportunity to try this amazing product. And found it almost universally fabulous. Senior taste tester (who has given up remarking when something is not a crisp - no! it's not - you're quite right) did suggest somewhat grumpily that the taste is a bit sweet but everyone else ignored this truth. History Graduate taste tester (back again) said it was without doubt the best selection of nuts ever. Yum!

And: luckily this product is now available in the shops again!