One of the things Lon and I love to do when we travel is check out the local supermarkets. In particular, the potato chip aisle, where we’re always bound to find new and unexpected flavors. (Remember the Paprika chips and the Olive Oil chips we found in Greece? or the Magic Masala chips from India?) It’s totally a cultural learning experience, seeing what flavors sell in different countries. I thought I was going to have to scavenger hunt on my own in London since Lon wasn’t with me. I should have guessed that my friend Angie does the same thing so the two of us stockpiled chips every day and even in the airport while we waited for our flight. We looked like two bag-ladies coming off the plane bounding up to Lon and showing him our bounty.
It seems that the English like meat flavored chips, something we don’t see in the states often, even though America seems to love meat. I picked up two different Roast Chicken flavors, one with thyme. The plain Walkers Roast Chicken actually really tastes like roast chicken which didn’t work out for us. We thought it was a strange potato chip flavor. The Roast Chicken & Thyme didn’t really taste like chicken. It was just a chip with a weird muskiness to it.
I’m going to categorize Mexican Chili in meat because it’s usually meat, though it can be made vegetarian. This tasted like a good hearty ridge cut potato chip with Mexican Chili spices sprinkled on. Good, but not super special.
The Bacon Rashers, though not a true potato chip, was the clear winner in this category. They are very bacon-y up front starting from the aroma as soon as you pop the bag. They end with strong corn flavor that helps reset you for the next one.
The Flame Grilled Steak was another weird one with a lot of flame grilled aroma but doesn’t taste like steak.
Though Salt & Vinegar chips have made their way into the hearts of Americans, there’s a bit more variety on vinegar in London. I found a Salt & Malt Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelized Onions, and Worcester Sauce. The Sat & Malt Vinegar was very vinegary but I don’t detect any malt. It’s still good but not as good as the other two.
The Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelized Onion tastes like a sweeter vinegar, makes sense, with a sweet onion flavor. It’s delicious!! I’m going to lump the Worcester Sauce into the vinegar category because it’s very vinegary in flavor and quite potent so some loved and some didn’t. If you get past the strength of it, you’ll notice a hint of caramel.
Down to the last two with some spice, these may be similar to flavors you can find in the U.S. but there is a distinct difference. Most noticeably is that these UK versions are less sweet. The Sensations Thai Sweet Chili has a good, smoky flavor and nice heat, but it never burns. The Tyrrell’s Sweet Chili and Red Pepper tastes as flavor as described with medium heat. My problem is that the chips are inconsistently salted and flavored, some lightly dusted and some doused so heavily.
We also got some plain chips, cheese and onion flavors, the “regulars” to help us compare. Overall, the chips in London have shorter ingredient lists if you look at the back of these bags. There is less chemical interference and they end up tasting lighter. Walkers which also makes Sensations are actually Lays, re-branded for the UK, yet the Walkers/Sensations products taste better than the Lays in the States. The McCoy’s are all produced in the UK and have many more unique flavors that we didn’t find while we were there. The Tyrrell’s hand cooked potato chips are also produced in the UK. Tesco is a supermarket brand also headquartered in the UK, though products may not be produced there.
Next time you travel, make sure to check out the potato chips!
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We call them crisps over here! 🙂
Oh…. I’m from Hong Kong, and I miss Marks and Spencers’ fruit gums and bacon rashers! You can find some of these in a bodega on 2nd ave. and 9th st. in the East Village. Or that wonderful English store right next to Tea and Sympathy.
Su-Lin, right, chips are what we call fries here. =)
happycao, good to know. I’ll want those bacon rashers again. I bet they’d be good on top of salad too.
Love the post.
JS and I usually wander the aisles of supermarkets while traveling too. I think we might have gotten strange looks from people in the Turkey tour that we joined when we would answer “We went to the supermarket” to their “What did you do last night” questions. =)
Walkers Roast Chicken were like manna from heaven when I lived in England. I’ve been ordering them online ever since–I guess I have a really weird palate!
I adore finding things in grocery stores abroad, and if I ever find the onion dumpling straws (they had little flecks of “gravy” in them) that I found in Bratislava, Slovakia, I just might explode with happiness.
You missed the Prawn flavor offered by Walker’s. I saw it in several convenience stores when I was there this summer. Definitely not one you’d find in the US.
Now, I want to go to London just to eat my way through the potato chip aisles. I loved reading and being
“educated” on the flavors of London! Thanks
TS, we could travel together. =)
EMC, Lon’s mom liked it and I’m sure lots of people like it, at least in London. I’d love to try the onion dumpling straws. If you find them on-line, let me know.
DB, we didn’t see the prawn flavor but I’ve had prawn flavor from Asian style chips. Similar or no?
Urban Baker, the potato chip aisle is a lot of fun in every country. Try it next time you travel.
How fun! I would love to try grilled steak chips.
last time I was in London, i totally stocked up on all the crazy chips they sell in the market… i especially like the Thai ones with spice
I miss the cheese & onion flavor. They actually ran a whole ‘special’ series of Walker’s crisps just for the World Cup this past summer. Some of the flavors were interesting to say the least. Opening a bag of prawn toast flavor that colleague brought back from a business trip to the UK almost cleared our our whole section of cubes! I think that the lamb and mint flavor were voted by our team as the most bizarre.
oh yes jessica, i just love the way you described the roast chicken chips!!! They DO taste musky!!! im a total worcester sauce hound, so i do love those chips! The British snack foods aisle is just the BEST-between the crisps and the tea cakes, it is just my idea of a playground!
I only had the salt and malt vinegar flavor. i’m addicted to it. never really wanted to try other varieties cos im pretty happy with my favourite. but i guess i will have to try the others.
My fav is Walker’s lime and thai spices!
The Experimental Gourmand, wow lamb and mint, wish I got to try that one.
Sarah, I wish I brought back more of the worcester sauce chips!!
pigpigscorner, mmm lime and thai spices sounds like one I’d like too.
On the east coast of Canada they sell Lays Roast Chicken Chips – I get them at our local (Ontario) fleamarket Newfie (Newfoundland) stall – I LOVE these chips – they also have a good one called Fries & gravy.