Ranking 100 Unusual Crisp Flavours

The traditional era of the holy trinity of flavours comprising ready salted, salt and vinegar, and cheese and onion appears to be fading away as gourmet snack options flood the shelves.

A rigorous tasting of one hundred of the strangest and most eccentric crisp variants available was conducted to discover which selections truly deliver and which fail to impress.

The Lowest Ranked Selections

1. Grouse and whinberry, Taste of Game: A challenging entry for anyone unfamiliar with either the bird or the berry. Taste: 0/10, texture: 2/10, novelty: 10/10
2. Sparkling wine, Torres: While crisps pair well with sparkling wine, tasting like the drink itself proves divisive. Taste: 0/10, texture: 3/10, novelty: 9/10
3. Blue heat, Takis: These cylindrical snacks coat fingers in a luminescent blue dust while emitting an unusual aroma and a synthetic profile. Taste: 0/10, texture: 5/10, novelty: 8/10
4. Sweet and salty butter caramel, Pringles: An ambitious sweet concept that reinforces the notion that crisps belong in the savoury category. Taste: 1/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 9/10
5. Bubbly and serrano, Savoursmiths: Combining alcohol notes with serrano ham aspirations results in an unexpected flavour resembling flat prosecco. Taste: 1/10, Texture: 4/10, Novelty: 9/10
6. Fried egg, Torres: The potent sulphurous opening aroma accurately mimics a cooked egg, potentially triggering an aversion. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 9/10
7. Truffle and rosemary, Savoursmiths: Two intensely aromatic elements combine to create a deeply herbaceous and heavy finish. Taste: 3/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 8/10
8. Haggis and cracked black pepper, Taylor’s: A mild peppery hum is present, though the promised haggis profile feels more conceptual than authentic. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 8/10
9. Padron peppers and salt, Mr Filbert’s: The sophisticated branding struggles to translate into a satisfying finish, leaving vinegary vegetal notes. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 8/10

Mid-Tier and Alternative Varieties

1. Hot honey, Walkers: The honey sweetness heavily outweighs any perceptible heat in this trendy variety. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 8/10
2. Marmite crisps: Diverging from the famous polarizing spread, this version misses the characteristic savory punch entirely. Taste: 1/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 9/10
3. Hot kick ketchup, McCoy’s: Bears a resemblance to dried ketchup residue found on bottle rims, paired with subtle pepper. Taste: 2/10, texture: 5/10, novelty: 7/10
4. Crunchips Xcut kebab, Lorenz: Despite packaging suggestions of hangover-curing doner meat, the main authentic takeaway is residual grease. Taste: 3/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 8/10
5. French style chicken twister, Pringles: A curious accomplishment featuring virtually no discernible taste alongside a quick-dissolving texture. Taste: 2/10, texture: 5/10, novelty: 6/10
6. Lamb and mint, Seabrook: An alternative Sunday roast contender that leans heavily into mint rather than a rich meaty profile. Taste: 2/10, texture: 3/10, novelty: 6/10
7. BBQ, Brets: Despite the French gourmet brand’s popularity, the fragrance vastly outperforms the actual flavour delivery. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 5/10
8. Hot chilli hoops, Cofresh: A disappointing effort from a seasoned spice brand that falls short on heat expectations. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 6/10
9. Honey dijon, Kettle Chips: Excessive honey dominates the profile, creating an overwhelmingly sugary snack experience. Taste: 2/10, texture: 4/10, novelty: 5/10
10. Garlic and olive oil, Lidl: Delivers intense garlic pungency without balanced flavour depth, offering a harsh profile. Taste: 2/10, texture: 3/10, novelty: 5/10
11. Roast ox, Real: A classic pub style offering robust savory depth for traditionalists. Taste: 6/10, texture: 7/10, novelty: 4/10

Top Tier Highlights

1. Extra virgin olive oil, Torres: Celebrated as the simplest yet most delightful choice among gourmet crisps. Taste: 10/10, texture: 9/10, novelty: 8/10
2. The ultimate champion selection: Exceptional execution across all culinary metrics, securing the top position overall. Taste: 10/10, texture: 9/10, novelty: 10/10

Ultimately, while culinary experimentation continues to push boundaries in the snack aisle, traditional profiles often remain the most satisfying choices for consumers. The report also notes that while supermarket brands now include everything from glazed meats to blue cheese, caviar and truffle flavours are on corner-shop shelves. The report also notes that we tasted 100 of the strangest crisp options available to find out which are worth coming back to and which should have stayed in the test kitchen. The report also notes that grouse and whinberry, Taste of Game For someone who has tasted neither grouse nor whinberry before, after eating these crisps I never want to. The report also notes that but should they actually taste of it, crisps are an excellent accompaniment for sparkling wine. The report also notes that these actually have the fizz of prosecco – strange and vile at the same time. The report also notes that fried egg, Torres The sulphurous smell that greets you when you open the pack is quite something. The report also notes that they taste so similar to a bite of a fried egg that they are almost guaranteed to bring on the egg ick.