Retro Crispy Snacks are Making a Comeback

 

I read several articles this September about how retro style crispy snacks are making a huge comeback. Of course, one person’s retro snack is another person’s childhood favourite. Apparently it’s a TikTok trend. I have never looked at TikTok and don’t intend to start now, but it seems that TikTokers will watch absolutely anything for a laugh. And if that means discovering retro snacks that’s fine by me.

Here’s the Daily Mirror. And here’s The Guardian. And The Daily Mail.

Here’s what I had to say about Nik Naks. How interesting, I had quite forgotten them. They’re rather like Crunchy Wotsits. 

And here’s me trying Skips if you are interested.

Since I started eating crisps and crispy snacks in the early 1960s none of these “retro” snacks strikes me as particularly old school. Especially as the little local shop at the bottom of our road has never stopped selling this style of snack. Ditto our post office. Mind you, these days retro seems to apply to anything that wasn’t made or thought of this year. So you decide if these snacks seem retro to you.

Also TikTokers seem to have the attention span of a goldfish (I gather this is longer than we thought), so this trend will probably be over by Christmas, if it isn’t over already.

KP Skips Tingly Prawn Cocktail

This is interesting. To me at any rate. KP Skips are made with tapioca starch. At least they are in the UK. For some reason in Ireland they are made with potato starch. Doesn't that seem as though it would be a totally different product?

I read that Skips were launched in 1974 and are manufactured under licence from the Japanese company Meiji Seika. And, which I didn't know because I don't remember seeing them, you can get Skips in three other flavours (Bacon, Cheese and Salt & Vinegar). At some unspecified time in the past there were limited edition flavours such as ReBoot Dots Donut. What??? Oh well what can you say? Anyway, they are best known for the Prawn Cocktail flavour.

I have been aware of Skips for years and years but I'm not sure I have ever tried them before. So let's go.

You know what? These are actually quite nice. I followed the instructions on the packet to balance a Skip on my tongue and let it melt in my mouth. They are quite fizzy, light and melty (as the packet tells me) and quite nice. Although I do slightly get the sensation of eating one of those packaging peanuts.

I don't eat prawns so I don't know if prawn cocktail tastes anything like Skips. Very likely not.

Skips contain no artificial colours of flavours and no MSG. They are cooked with 100% sunflower oil which is supposed to be healthier than other oils. And they are suitable for vegetarians so no prawns involved. I thought as much.

The little guy throwing his rubbish away responsibly has a little label: slam dunk your junk. So, a snack aimed at basketball players perhaps?

I like the way the 39p price tag on this 17g packet is designed to look like an old fashioned dangly tag.