Prawn Cocktail Crisps
I’m back in warm and sunny Hawaii to spend time with family for the next few weeks, but wanted to send one last Sunday email to wrap up the year. And before I dive into the subject at hand, here are some nice Christmas-y photos of London:
The quintessential British snack
I had never tried prawn cocktail flavored crisps until very recently. The Walkers brand ones in the hot pink bags are literally everywhere, and seem to be a standard flavor here in the UK. I assumed these would be fishy tasting like Asian shrimp chips, but it’s a magical flavor reminiscent of salt & vinegar, as it’s supposed to taste more like cocktail sauce - a little sweet and tomatoey, properly salty, and vinegary.
It’s safe to say this is now my favorite crisp flavor (sweet Maui onion is a close second). So for my 24 hour travel day from London to Honolulu, I stopped by the WHSmith at Heathrow and bought these in the different forms Walkers makes: Original, Baked, and Quavers. Here are my findings from some hard hitting research:
Original
Texture: light and crispy like a Lays chip, a tad oily for my taste
Flavor: strong! The thin crisp holds a lot of that vinegar flavor, and these are the only ones labeled as being made from “100% Great British Potatoes”
Eat these: with a turkey sandwich and a Diet Coke
Baked
Texture: I love the sturdier, almost cracker like texture of a baked crisp (big Baked Lays fan over here)
Flavor: the thicker crisp and nice ridges help hold a lot of flavor, very nice
Eat these: on a plane or a train, they’re delicious and not greasy
Quavers
Texture: WOW. The fluffy white clouds on the package say it all. These are airy like a cheese puff, so satisfying to nosh on
Flavor: the flavor is more subtle, but still prominent
Eat these: with a glass of Chablis while watching a movie on the couch
Thanks for following along and reading my silly emails each week. Happy Christmas and, and see you in your inbox in 2025!