The Crunchy Monkeys Choice..

Dear Scott and Luke,
 
Finally I have written about my desert Island Crisps, hope it helps.  I have put this entry onto my blogs for my readers, hope you don't mind but I have given a link to my readers of your blogspot!  Here it is:
 
Fellow crisp fans please visit http://www.desertislandcrisps.blogspot.com/
I have been asked to submit my Desert Island Crisps choices and my ultimate Desert Island Crisps, here we go.  The choices reflect on my BBC (British Born Chinese) upbringing and tastes, variety is indeed the spice of life.
 
1. I only seem to eat these when I go back to Hong Kong, possibly because they are imported goods in the UK and can cost an arm and a leg to purchase...we have the Calbee Hot and Spicy Crisps

 

2. And from the same manufacturers, the salty (possibly MSG infested) Prawn Crackers, maybe why I hardly eat these now, you'll find these in many clubs and bars in Hong Kong to get punters to drink more!

3. Out of all my choices this is the most sophisticated original crisps I would eat, I love these just as my mum does, mummy probably had these a lot when she was pregnant with me, thanks MUM, I love Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps!

 4.  These crisps I have not had since I was tiny but thinking about this blog has bought back great memories when either my mum or my cousin bought these for me from the crisp van (do they still exist) at primary school, Space Raiders (this is the crisp packet I vaguely remember)!

5. On odd occasions nowadays I buy cheap, dirt cheap to satisfy my cravings for something salty and what better than to get a big pack of these on a trip to Sainsbury's...Onion Rings!

6.  I now question whether I am a crisp fan, Skips are still widely available but I don't think I've had any in 10 years or so...I think I will get some now on my next visit to the supermarket...can't wait!!!!

 7.  Being bought up in Leicester I am lucky enough to experience the taste and flavours of asia, I don't think this crisp has anything to do with asia but it does have a slight asian hint to it...Chilli and Lemon (mouth salivates!)

8. If there were ever any crisps which I had a certain way of eating it would be these Monster Munch Crisps(Roast Beef flavour I prefer), I'd nibble off each claw before stuffing the remaining hand (circle) into my gob!

Well the moment of truth, my Desert Island Crisp is undoubtedly 

Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps 

..thanks to mummy and because they are still available and the flavour has hardly changed.

Cheers Luke and Scott for giving me this opportunity to reminisce and dribble all over my keyboard, it's the only clean it's ever had! 

Chi Yung Wong

Mobile: 07590025984 

Hildas Hierarchy

Dear Scott & Luke,

I love your website, it's such fun! Here are my top 8 crisps:

1. McCoy's Ridge Cut Cheddar & Onion. The crisps are heavenly, but I just adore the cheesy, oniony shrapnel you get at the end of the bag. Scrumsville.
2. Royster's T-Bone Steak. I can polish off a bag of these in under two minutes. You may be more impressed to discover I wear dentures.
3. Chipsticks - Salt 'n' Vinegar. If only they came in a bigger bag. Ready Salted are nice, but SnV has my mouth watering/stinging instantly. Wonderful.
4. Monster Munch - Roast Beef. I have a notoriously small mouth, so these are hard work, but they're so worth it. Should come with complimentary floss though.
5. Walker's Squares - Cheese and Onion. Crunchy, flavoursome but sadly often overlooked. I enjoy nibbling off the sharp corners before plunging into my mouth.
6. Kettle Chips - Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar. I'll buy these if I have company. They're always an impressive crisp to whip out alongside other nibbles.
7. Frazzles. Often imitated, but there really are no substitutes for the real thing. I will sometimes dip in cream cheese for a sneaky indulgent snack.
8. Smith's Cheese Flavoured Moments. Very rare. Often found in pubs and independent newsagents. Not a crisp in the traditional sense, but oh-so delicious. I'm on five bags a day.

Best wishes,

Hilda Lolly,  via Twitter 

Thank you Hilda for your lovely entry into Desert Island Crisps
Please spend a few minutes to take a visit to Hilda's own website 
Hilda Lolly 'A Lady in the Know'

Brief History of Curry Crisps

Following that last post, I felt it necessary to have a quick look at when/where the humble 'Curry' Crisp came from. Back in the mid 80's I remember quite a stir being caused by Curry flavoured crisps. I seem to recall Mild Curry Wotsits first making an appearance at our school tuck shop. (I Can't be certain but I think Walkers did Mild Curry French Fries too)

Walkers released the first Chip Shop Curry flavour with their MAX range in 2001.

Fast forward to 2008 and Walkers released a Special Edition Lamb Curry.

McCoys hit back with their own 'Extreme' Chicken Madras followed 2 years later by McCoys Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Jalfrezi and Spice Balti Curry.

Golden Wonder finally joined in with their 'Quite Hot Curry' flavour

Once again, I think I may have to collect all of the available Curry crisps on the market today, sit down with a nice cold lager...... and do the lot !

If any of you have anything further to add to this thread (especially about its completeness or accuracy), please add your comments.

Your roving reporter

Scott

Golden Oldies ?!?!

Hey yar..

Look what I found lurking at the back of the rack of crisps in my local corner shop... 3 for a quid. Bargain Bucket Crisps! Result! Well, seeing as we haven't received anymore top 8 choices, we may as well keep filling our faces and reviewing what we're troughing on.

Golden Wonder - The crisps I grew up with (but not with one of these flavours)... So i just had to try them and pass on my opinion, whether you like it or not...

Cheese and Onion - Golden Wonder are heralded as being the promotors of this flavour back in 1962 after the flavour was first conceptualised by Tayto in the Republic of Ireland. I'm surprised that Deano at ablogaboutcrisps hasn't picked up on this fact yet! Anyway, so to the crisps. They were good, in fact I would go as far as saying surprisingly enjoyable. My dad tells me that this is because Golden Wonder use a particular variety of potato which is known for its low moisture content (or something like that, I'll have to ask him one day to write a post on it) They were very crunchy and to be honest a little sharp on the palette at times. The flavour was very light, not as pungent in the bag as some of the mature cheddar flavours that are about. I would have no worry in scoffing a bag of these then talking up close with someone. I think we'll have to have a proper 'crisp-off' with all the different makes of Cheese and Onion soon. Personally they didn't quite do it for me, nice though they were, they lacked the kick of flavour that I like in a Cheese and Onion.

Chip Shop Curry - well, where do you start with these...First I think I have to distinguish between 'chip shop curry' and 'curry'. As anyone who frequents the local curry house can tell you, 'Curry' comes in all strengths and flavours; from Korma's to Phal's and Tikka's to Dhansak's. However, Chip Shop Curry (sauce) doesn't actually taste like anything from a curry house! The fruity tangy curry sauce from the chippy has been accurately reproduced with these crisps. A slight 'mango chutney' fragrance to the bag upon opening reassured me that I wasn't going to be tucking into a Phal. Again, I found these Golden Wonder crisps to be sharper than your average fried potato slice, but the flavour didn't disappoint. Doubt they'll make it into my Desert Island Crisps, but then again, could I live the rest of my days on a Desert Island without having an occasional curry....? I'm afraid the jury's till out on that one.

Happy snacking
Scott

New Chips on the Block - Pipers

It's funny, but ever since I've been contributing to this blog, people keep asking me if I tried 'their favourites'. The answer, more often than not is, 'No. Do you think I should?'.... and so, my list of "...in search of..." seems to be growing exponentially. 

Luckily for us, our friends are sooo adamant that their choice of crisp would be worthy of my Desert Island Crisp selection that they have brought me some to try. I therefore dedicate this post to my Friend Helen and her Local Farm Shop and Nursery in Biggleswade (I can't remember the shops name but will update this blog when i've found out) Many thanks for introducing these to me! So onto the review....

Pipers 'hand cooked' Crisps from the Lincolnshire Wolds

Now, their website boasts that since 2007 every flavour has won a Great Taste Award so I was quite keen to break into these packets and see what the fuss was about. 

First the West Country Cheddar and Onion. I've always been a bit sceptical of cheese and onion crisps that purport to be specific 'Cheese' flavours. These are the boys, however, who have changed my opinion. The organic mature cheddar, sourced from the Mendips, has been very successfully transferred into the flavour of the crisps.

On opening the bag, the smell was strong and instantly recognisable as good mature cheddar.

The onion wasn't too strong and the balance of flavours was just right. So too was the coverage. Each crisp had an even flavour and was a good 'crisp' slice of potato, no burns, no blemishes. In fact I think they may have overtaken the Tyrrell's I tried the other week as my favourite Cheese and Onion crisps (well, to date anyway). 


Next the Norfolk Bloody Mary. I was really looking forward to these. I was expecting a kind of spicy tomato and again wasn't disappointed by the taste. However, unfortunately we must have had a bad bag. The crisps were soft, not at all 'crisp'. The only thing I can think of was the bag wasn't properly sealed. This was a real shame because the flavour was great. A bit more peppery than I like my Bloody Mary's but then again thats just personal taste. I know not everyone agrees with the idea of tomato flavoured crisps, but the added spices to the Norfolk plum tomato base made these really palatable.
I reckon that both of these crisps would be fantastic with a decent pint of ale.  


If you want to get your hands on some of these to try for yourselves, then keep your eyes open as they are not available in supermarkets. But in some way, this makes them even more special when you find them. Pipers, you get the thumbs up from me. 


Scott

In Search Of..... "FOUND - WASABI PRINGLES"

OOoooow Now then, Now then (rattle, rattle, jewelery, jewelery)

No sooner had I posted about being on the look out for a tube of these when two days later I bumped into them in total surprise at a store more known for it's 'Quality at a Discount' then its crisp selection. So without question they went in the trolley. I had to resist popping them there and then and managed to wait until I got home to find out what they would deliver!

Now, I realise that Pringles may start something of a debate in here as to whether they really count as crisps. Even the manufacturers themselves, Proctor and Gamble, argued in the High Court in 2008 that they were NOT in fact crisps due to their actual potato content being only 42%. Their victory resulted in them becoming exempt from the 17.5% VAT leveed on potato crisps and potato derived snacks. Next is their symmetrical Hyperbolic Paraboloid shape, surely a true crisp should be unique and individual, not manufactured or produced.  However this highly uniform shape and mass of each 'crisp' also allows them to be 'packed' into the familiar Tubes and produced in 19 (YES 19!!) different sizes !! This brings us onto the 'tube' itself. I'm afraid I believe that crisps should come in packets not containers. Even the inventor of the tube itself Mr Fredric J Baur was buried in one of the Pringles tubes. Now there's food for thought...

Anyway, enough ramblings, whether or not you think they are crisps, I couldn't resist trying the Wasabi flavour. Well what can I say, after popping and positioning some of these snacks over what seemed like all of the taste buds on my tongue at once (aided by the hyperbolic paraboloid shape of course), the first noticeable thing was the powdery artificial MSG overload. But this, I hear you cry, is exactly what people like about "The Pringle", but then the wasabi kicked in. Nose burning, eye squinting, tongue blistering pleasure that is "Isothiocyanate" (The chemical in wasabi for you non-chemists!). The usually short lived flavour of wasabi on these 'crisps' actually built up quite a fair bit after i'd eaten a few of them resulting in an action that is usually unassociated with Pringles.... I put the lid back on! Yes folks, I can safely say these are the only Pringles that i've managed to 'stop' once i'd 'popped'. 

So to the verdict, although I did enjoy these 'crisps' over a couple of evenings, I think it was the wasabi hit i craved and not the crisp itself. Therefore dear readers I will not be shortlisting these to be present with me on my desert island. Give me a proper crisp anyday.

To Mr Pringle, I tilt my hat and bid you good day.

Scott

Walkers Cheddar & Onion Crinkles: inside the world of the experimental crisp

Hello beloved followers,


Do forgive us the hiatus between entries. As you all know, Spring has arrived and with it that beautiful time when the outside of the house is open to enjoy once more, the garden is full of new life, the chiminea can once more be lit and it's fiery glow bathed in. Caroline and I's baby moves gracefully into it's 31st week of gestation and so we busy ourselves with general preparation for it's imminent arrival. All feels well in the world..


In the world of the crisp, it's time for an overdue but now complete review of the kind gift of two bags of Cheddar & Onion Crinkles - Cheddar & Onion flavour, not yet on general release (at the time of tasting) and so presented to us in plain, grey bags, as yet devoid of design or colour - unlike their content. Yes, we must thank you Walkers for trusting us to provide a humble but honest review of these bunnies, so thanks to ^Sam who sent us these, and thanks also to the chip-scientists who toil silently, secretly in their flavour-bunker, striving to provide us with the next big thing in the crisp..

So, two bags we had, the first bag was sampled almost 2 weeks ago with tasters from Hampshire and Norfolk present. It should perhaps be mentioned they were up against some astounding flavours in the shape of  Pipers Hand Made Crisps from Lincolnshire and their shortcomings were perhaps unfairly highlighted by these 'Great Taste Award' winning competitors. The second bag was munched last night by a Deeping-based taste-collective without any other snack distractions. The gap between tastings is relevant and has definitely modified my review of the product supported by Caroline's opinion too: the first bag were a bit stale and so the crunch that we hunt in a good crisp was lost. Also, the flavours on the first tasting were overpowering. The cheese flavour overpowered the onion (very monosodium-glutomate, like a boss bag of Wotsits), the latter fizzling out having been unable to establish its mark. But then last night, with Chris & Hilary debriefed as to our objective we experienced an altogether much more enjoyable appetiser. This bag was fresh and so you could feel the crinkles on the top of yer mouth. The balance of cheese and onion was much subtler. Now we're getting cheddar and spring onion. They weren't greasy like that first batch. Yes, we really enjoyed them. We did the wine and beer too, which always makes you more focused on the positive than the negative. I think the flavours, with a bit of tweaking, could be really balanced, supported by some other tasty bedfellows, tomato and pepper perhaps, sorry, pimiento y tomate con paprika, a good vinegar and salt combo etc. Nonetheless, these aren't bad and we think there will be a good take-up, from grown up kids and infantile adults alike..

To the R&D Development, Send Us Your Ideas. We Will Taste Them.


The next review will probably be done outdoors. How good does that feel?


Signing Off,
Luke

Pos'crisp't
Competing in an crinkled-arena dominated by McCoys and Kettle Chips; as a slimmer, trimmer crinkle with lower overheads, gotta be a winner.