Walkers Emma G's Chip Shop Chicken Curry

Product name: Walkers Emma G’s Chip Shop Chicken Curry
Purchase details: £0.99 for a multipack of six bags (Home Bargains)
Calories: 132 per 25g bag
Country of origin: UK

I’ve now moved on to selection 2 from the Walkers Do Us A Flavour contest and I was pleased to find this multipack on a Spotted On Star Buys promotion.

I really couldn’t anticipate how I’d feel about Emma G’s Chip Shop Chicken Curry crisps. I’ve never liked chicken flavoured crisps, but the curry sounded nice, although I never get curry sauce from the chippy so I wasn’t even sure if the real thing was good!

The crisps came in an orange bag but I was more interested in the colour of the crisps which were noticeably yellower than most. Amongst the ingredients were curry powder, cumin and red pepper powder, and there was a definite curry powder aroma mixed with a more standard salty crisp smell.

Despite containing free range chicken from Devon, the emphasis was definitely on the curry in terms of taste, too. The crisps were flavourful but the curry itself was mild, and I actually thought they tasted a lot like coronation chicken, with an added lightly salted element. Despite this, I couldn’t specifically taste poultry as a separate feature, but I was more than happy about that as it meant I had finally found a chicken flavoured crisp that I liked!

Texturally, the crisps were as normal, so these were a great all-rounder. I don’t know how the flavour would compare to real chicken curry from a chip shop but, as far as I’m concerned, these were a surprise hit which I’d be sad to see taken off the market.

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 7.75/10

Poppa Tillas Mango Salsa

Product name: Poppa Tillas Mango Salsa
Purchase details: £0.79 for a 70g tub (Home Bargains)
Calories: 75 per 17.5g serving (298 per tub)
Country of origin: United Arab Emirates

I was really excited when I spotted this tube of Poppa Tillas Mango Salsa as I’d never seen a product like it before. The shape of the orange packaging may have suggested Pringles but the name, photo and Eastern illustrations screamed ‘poppadom snack’ – how exciting! I’ve only begun to like curry in the last few years but I’ve always been partial to a poppadom and, if I’m feeling brave, a bit of mango chutney, so these seemed like a great idea.

Produced for CTO Holdings, this ‘mango salsa flavoured fried corn snack’ contained both mango and curry powder and promised ‘a tasty fusion of Indian and Mexican flavours’.

The crisps were far smaller than I was expecting (the picture of the inside the tub helps give some perspective) and their concave shape made them look like miniature Popchips. However, their surface texture was rough rather than bumpy, although they did still have a bit of an orange dusting.

The Poppa Tillas had a tangy scent that probably came from the mango but it actually reminded me of tomato-based savoury snacks. They offered a decent flavour but, unfortunately, I didn’t think they tasted much different to other nibbles I’ve tried. I couldn’t decide exactly which ones, though, as I usually opt for standard crisps so it tends to be at other people’s houses that I try more ‘exotic’ things! Anyway, they were slightly salty but with a bit of sweetness which was quite like jam, and gave the overall feel of non-fishy Skips. There was also tiny spicy kick, along with the tomato aspect I’d picked up in the aroma.

The nibbles were very crispy and, whilst dry, this wasn’t in a bad way. What did disappoint me slightly was the fact they were too thick to replicate real poppadoms. I also didn’t think they tasted salty enough but, maybe if I wasn’t so used to eating them plain, I wouldn’t have thought twice about this! Interestingly, the saltiness came through more in the swallowing rather than the chewing.

The only other negative I found was that they were quite difficult to get out of the tube as I went further down it...and I have small hands! I ended up covered in crumbs but, then again, it was worth it. They may not have achieved an authentic poppadom and mango chutney flavour but they were very ‘moreish’ and enjoyable and I found that the 70g went a long way. Just be a bit careful if you give these a go – I somehow ‘burnt’ the roof of my mouth by eating them too quickly!

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 7/10
Overall score: 7.25/10