Ella’s Kitchen Tomato & Basil Melty Sticks

We bought this small packet of organic crispy snacks as part of a birthday present for the Chef’s great nephew, who is one this week. He’s not our child, so I won’t share the photo of him enthusiastically grasping the packet, but I can see he knows what he’s got, and he’s looking forward to his mum opening the packet for him.

I am sure that these tomato and basil melty sticks got eaten, or at least crumbled enthusiastically on to the floor (I saw what happened to his poor birthday cake), but his mum tells me he really likes the cheese and apple flavour best.

Carr’s Melts Cheese

This delightful crispy snack looks like a cheese biscuit, as in a biscuit to put cheese on, and in fact the website shows a serving suggestion of the cracker (not my preferred word) loaded with what looks like hummus, ham, capers, slices of pickle and chilli, and a cherry tomato. I don’t think these crispy biscuits are sturdy enough for so much stuff. 

These biscuits are called Melts, and they almost do melt when you bite into them, and they scatter lots of crumbs everywhere so you do need to eat them with caution. But to make up for all that, they are just delicious. I don’t think they need any extras piled on top. The name suggests a cheese flavour, but although there is grated cheese on the top, the main flavour is a very gentle onion, tempered with cheese. Yum yum. It’s very possible to eat more than you expected at one sitting.

OK, put that packet down now!

Do be careful if you are planning on visiting South Korea and think this might be a tasty snack for the journey: there are poppy seeds in the recipe. And poppy seeds are illegal in South Korea. Which I didn’t know until I read this article. Definitely don’t take a slice of lemon and poppyseed tray bake.

Walkers Squares Cheese and Onion

Way back in 2014 I tried a packet of Walkers Squares Salt & Vinegar flavour. And it looks as though whoever got a taste, as well as me that is, quite enjoyed them. 

But it seems I have never thought of trying any other flavour of Walkers Squares. So, at last, slightly more than 10 years later, here we have the Cheese & Onion version. It’s interesting that Squares seem to be going strong, because in the last 10 years many crispy snacks, including lots reviewed on this blog, have disappeared from sight.

And what did we think? Well, Squares aren’t the same as potato crisps. They aren’t slices of potato, but made of reconstituted potato granules, and they taste quite different. So as a base for a flavour, Squares give quite a different result. And I don’t think that Cheese & Onion works. It’s fine to start off with, but as you snack through even a tiny 22g packet, the flavour works less and less well.

I asked Ski Instructor Taste Tester who ate a whole packet, because he was hungry, but he admitted he wasn’t that impressed. The Chef tried some too but he’s gone to sleep so I can’t ask what he thought.

Not bad but not tip top.

Manōmasa Serrano Chilli & Yucatan Honey

Mmmn this is a tasty crispy snack.

Don’t get put off by the Mayan Yucatan honey from the mountains of Puebla (I am not sure how different it is from any other kind of honey, but like tortillas it comes from Mexico), because these tortilla chips aren’t actually that sweet. But without the honey I think this would be a different snack entirely.

Yes, you can taste the “traditional” Serrano chilli, and oh look at that… the veriest smidge of star anise. Quite hot, definitely not very hot, and a nice depth of taste. I really liked these tortilla chips because they taste just that little bit different from the norm. Ooh! Imagine eating them alongside some crispy duck and pancakes for texture, not forgetting the all important plum sauce.

The Family Vegetarian tried tentatively, I don’t think she trusts me, but agreed that this is a nice flavour. Not too sweet, not too hot. Actually pretty good. I think the Chef approves of the flavour, but we know he’s not mad about tortilla chips.

Suitable for vegetarians but perhaps not for people who don’t like coriander (cilantro) or anyone who is allergic to lentils (legumes), which I understand is an increasingly common allergy.

And please don’t complain that Manomasa should be written with a line at the bottom of the O. My iPad only features a line at the tōp and I felt it was better to offer you a line in the wrong place rather than no line at all. 

Probably won’t look to buy these again, but only because taste testing crispy snacks is hard work, yes it is!, and we really shouldn’t eat too many. Otherwise, I think you should try a packet.

Paul Légèrement Salées

Paul depuis 1889. Here’s a bakery company with addresses in France and England, and lots of outlets in motorway service stations, at least across north east France. What can I tell you? I haven’t ever tried anything they make before this packet of crisps, but the Ski Instructor was happy with his lunchtime baguette. And he crunched through his little packet of crisps in record time. 

And, yes, he seemed very happy indeed with his crunch at lunch; his packet of slightly salted Paul crisps. His crunch sounded happy.

And then… the Chef and I tried a second packet. The Chef was quite happy. He liked the lightly salted taste. I thought these crisps could do with more salt.  He liked the crunch, like the Ski Instructor. I thought the bite was a bit hard and the crunch a bit heavy. And there were too many crisps folded over. Lots and lots of folded crisps.

So here we have it: men seem happy with this crisp, women (me) not so much. Not a very scientific survey so you should probably draw your own conclusions if you see a packet.

So you know what I am going to suggest: try these crisps for yourself. And ponder to yourself how come this company has its crisps made in Britain?

Tesco Tree-Shaped Sweet & Salty Pretzels

I rather like a pretzel now and then. I’d rather have a small pretzel than a large, and I thought it might be fun to try a tree-shaped pretzel for a change.

I hoped this would be a packet of half regular salty tasting pretzels and half pretzels encrusted with sugar. But you know how it is when you’re in a busy shop; you don’t always have the time to read the label properly. What I actually got is a bag full of golden and crunchy tree-shaped pretzels all of them covered in a sweet salty seasoning. What a disappointment. Because you don’t get the contrast.

Yes the pretzels are crunchy, and yes they’re golden, but there’s an awful lot of sweetness going on and not nearly enough saltiness. I expect my doctor would applaud that: less salt is better for my blood pressure (the second number apparently).

The Chef agrees. Pretzels are supposed to be salty he opined (sorry), and there isn’t nearly enough saltiness. Also, the impact of this tree-shaped crispy snack is only impactful if they are actually tree-shaped. And all too many are broken and thus shaped like broken things.

Isn’t it odd how things come along in clusters. The Reluctant Taste Testers haven’t tried anything from the Tesco crispy snack aisle for simply ages and here we have three of them, all at once, and maybe more to come. Like London buses.

Sorry Tesco. I think this is a wasted opportunity.

Tesco Finest Limited Edition Honey Sriracha Flavour Hand Cooked Crisps

Here’s a packet of crisps from the Tesco Finest range, provided by the Ski Instructor and the Farmer’s Daughter, together with a tub of sour cream and chive dip. Delicious.

But the dip was so good it quite got in the way of a serious appreciation of this Limited Edition crisp flavour. So I had to abandon it. Nice crisp, not too large but a rich colour, nice crunch and a good kick of heat to the sriracha flavour. Very nice, however, I doubt this will ever become a regular flavour. Pity. I think it’s a whole lot nicer than all those sweet chili crisps that are so common. I can’t say I approve much of any of them.

I think the Ski Instructor was amused that I didn’t recognise the flavour. But I have never tried honey sriracha flavour anything before. So how could I? And actually, how can I tell if this is a genuine sriracha flavour at all? You will have to find out for yourself.

Tesco Salted Caramel Party Mix

Hmm…. I thought this Party Mix from Tesco might be worth a try, and it kind of was, but, er, it is a bit of an odd mixture. Tasty, definitely tasty, but a lot of the bits are broken which is a shame. It’s hard to appreciate a small pretzel if it’s broken into 6 pieces. And the mix is a lot more sweet than it is savoury. I think I would prefer it the other way around.

According to the back of the packet we have maple flavour caramel peanuts with white chocolate with caramel buttons (complicated), milk chocolate buttons, salted caramel toffee popcorn, salted wheat pretzel knots and decorated milk chocolate coated cereal crisps. OK then. Are the shiny pink balls the “decorated milk chocolate coated cereal crisps” do you think? I’m not sure. It really is hard to tell.

All the elements are tasty, but everything is just a bit too sweet. More like what you might serve at a child’s birthday party, not so much to snack on with a glass of wine. Definitely wouldn’t go with a beer.

Yes it’s sweet. No it’s not very salty.

Walkers Baked Wotsits Giants

Really cheesy. Well, not exactly tasting of actual cheese, but definitely tasting of the fabulously fake ‘cheese flavour’ of so many crispy snacks. But don’t take this as a criticism. I love cheese flavour snacks and this is a very good one.

Yes, they are just like the original Cheesy Wotsits, just about three times the size. And they taste the same and are just as moreish (which someone from Ohio once told me is not a word used in the United States - can that really be the case?).

 Very moreish indeed. Very hard to avoid having another one. 

Except… and for me I’m afraid this is a very big except, they really do gum themselves to your teeth like cement. With a regular sized Wotsit you can rid yourself of the squished puffed corn sogginess gummed to your teeth with your tongue. The giant version required much poking and prodding with a searching finger. So that is a bit of an issue for me.

I should have photographed the glossy blue packet before it got all scrumpled up but never mind, you’ve all seen a crisp packet before.

Walkers Quavers Salt & Vinegar

Quavers, a light curly potato snack, are usually flavoured with cheese. And I like them very much. I love the texture, I like the taste. 

But earlier this week, stopping off at a motorway service station in Kent, the Chef and I came across Salt & Vinegar flavour Quavers. It’s possible they’ve been available for ages but, for whatever reason, we haven’t come across them before.

And the verdict? Delicious. Really very good indeed. Although I wouldn’t recommend them if you don’t generally like salt & vinegar as a flavour. 

Highly recommended for everyone else. 

The Chef doesn’t really go for salt & vinegar, but he was pleased to admit they weren’t too bad.

I notice that grab bags have got a lot smaller since I last looked.

Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Classic Cheese Pizza Flavour

Why do crispy snack manufacturers keep producing “pizza” flavour snacks? I suppose they always hope their new pizza flavour will work, but 9 times out of 10 it doesn’t. And in this case I really think it hasn’t.

The reluctant taste testers always used to say that pizza flavour crispy snacks taste of the cheapest possible frozen pizza from the shop on the corner that you only buy in an emergency. And although I didn’t have the reluctant taste testers around to ask for their opinions, I do agree with what they had to say.  What a pity.

I think this Mini Cheddar flavour is supposed to be a flavour celebrating cheese. OK, well, maybe. But I am not convinced. Seriously, why mess with the perfectly good cheese flavour that you get with original (or classic) Mini Cheddars?

Jacob’s Mini Cheddars Crunchlets Cheddar & Caramelised Onion Flavour

 

I saw these new(ish) Mini Cheddars Crunchlets online ages before I ever found a packet in real life. I wasn’t sure that I would like them because Mini Cheddars are very good just as they are, and sometimes changes aren’t a good thing.

The little supermarket down the road has a somewhat random selection of crisps and crispy snacks, and the other day I found this packet. And… I have to say that this new fancy puffed up little crunchy biscuitty snack is rather good. I like the crispy crunch. I like the texture. I like the lavish sprinkling of flavour dust on each individual Crunchlet.

However, I am not mad keen on the flavour. I think I would be happier with a bit less onion. It says caramelised onion, but although initially the level of onion seems fine, it turns almost strong enough to be pickled onion. I don’t really want that much aftertaste. But if I can find a different flavour I will certainly try it.

The Chef reports he has no problem with the flavour. And he really likes the crunch.

Cheese Balls by Sainsburys

 

I was hoping that this big bag of Cheese Balls might be like Cheese Footballs. But no. 

I was doing jury service opposite a large branch of Sainsburys and I pottered about the shop looking for something interesting. Actually, the court sent me (and nearly everyone else) home after only two days so I didn’t have much opportunity to forage for crispy snacks.

Anyway, this snack is sadly nothing at all like a Cheese Football. It’s dry. It gums itself to the roof of your mouth and all over your teeth. I don’t fancy trying it again. That’s a pity.

Jacob’s Twiglets

 

I cannot believe that I haven’t written up Twiglets before. How has this happened?

Twiglets have been a family favourite for such a long time and I really love the yummy umami taste and the knobbly twiggy look of this tasty snack. In fact Twiglets have been going for as long as I can remember; before anyone in the U.K. had ever heard the word umami. And they used to be about 5”/130mm long (I think - it was a while ago) and came in a cardboard box. Now they are much shorter and come in a baggie, or at Christmas in a tub.

I think I have been snacking on Twiglets for so long I imagined I must have written something already. But apparently not.

If you like Marmite (yeast extract) you will probably enjoy Twiglets. If you don’t I suspect you may not. “A whole lot of Crunch in a wholegrain munch!” says the packet. But I’m not sure why the flavour is Original. I’m not aware of any other flavour than the original. Hmmm… cheese and onion Twiglets? I don’t think so. In fact I certainly hope not,

Twiglets: a great crispy snack. Remember the early 1960s? You will remember Twiglets. Quite a lot younger than that? Give them a try.

Woolly Knitted Wotsits

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge fan of Walkers Cheesy Wotsits and other Wotsit-alike crispy snacks. But what about this one?

Spotted on Instagram, this woolly Wotsit snack is by textile artist Kate Jenkins. Isn’t this fun? A packet of knitted Wotsits.

You can find more of her fascinating work here at Kate Jenkins Studio. 

Walkers Sensations Hickory Smoked Cheddar & Crispy Bacon

Ski Instructor told me that he and Farmer’s Daughter had poured over this blog the whole evening before the Chef and I went round for a drink and to admire their new garden. He claimed they wanted to be sure I had a fresh crisp to try. 

I am quite certain he completely made that up but in fact Farmer’s Daughter did manage to find a crisp we hadn’t seen before.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the actual crisps, and the crunch is just fine, but I am not too sure about the flavour. The cheesiness isn’t tip top; I am not certain that smoked cheese is the way to go with a flavour for crisps. And the crispy bacon? How can you create a crispy flavour? Well obviously you can’t.

Not nasty at all, just not particularly special.

The packet says “new” but we don’t know how long that label has been around.

Grandma Wild’s Mini Bites Mature Cheddar

Hmmm... this little box of cheesy snacks looked as though it should be really good. I mean, baked without compromise since 1899? What could be wrong with that?

Sadly both the Chef and I felt these little biscuits were a bit dry. And not terribly cheesy.

I’m wondering if the posh-looking snacks have less taste than the mass produced ones aimed at us common or garden snackers? Or is it because Grandma Wild comes from Yorkshire and I have lived in London nearly all my life that I’m not mad keen? Yes, I know lots of people would kill to live in London: I just lived here because that’s where my mother brought me up.

Not at all nasty. Just a bit too dry for our taste.