Walkers UK Market Deli Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

mmm.
Gotta love those Walkers Chips.

IDK how they make the chips taste so good in the UK, but I want to live my life by the same philosophy.

The chips as usual are rich and tasty and crispy. This time paired with a sweet and acid punch of "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena". Unlike the kick from a traditional "Salt & Vinegar" crisp, the Balsamic flavoring has the more complex flavor and sweetness of the grape sugars used to produce Balsamic.
I would liken this bag to sitting at an Italian restaurant and dipping bread in freshly poured Balsamic Vinegar.  It's very true to the flavor described.

The bag is incredibly tasty and unique and I would highly recommend it to any fans of the delicious chips being made by Walkers. The texture and unique flavors can rarely be beat. Loved this bag! A+

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Arabia Forno Fusion Lebanese Mix and Italian Mix, MAX Salt and Vinegar, and Paprika

Lay's Arabia, which is the Lay's arm across the United Arab Emirates, debuted 2 new Forno Flavor Fusions. The "Forno" range is what we in the states refer to as the "Baked" brand, but I don't think I've seen the "Fusion" branding before. The "Fusion" line appears to be spice mixes on baked chips. The 2 bags being released are a "Lebanese Mix" flavor and an "Italian Mix" flavor. Classic seasonings that work in almost every situation. Sounds yummm.

Arabia has also extended a new flavor in their successful MAX line..."Salt &Vinegar". Also Classic, Also, can't go wrong flavor.
MAX is what we call Ruffles here in the US; not to be confused with the MAXX collection in other Countries which is a Deep Ridged Chip (Which is called XTRA in the UAE).

Bonus:

PS. Here's a bag I missed in November. Arabia permanently added Paprika to their list of permanent flavors.


I'm not a fan of the chips in the standard Lay's Arabia line. I found most of the flavors off-putting, and I thought the potato left A LOT to be desired. It was poor quality potato and odd texture. BUT I can't say I've tried their Baked or Ruffled Offerings. Sooo, they could be better. Let us know if you try any of these in the comments section below, and HAPPY HUNTING!!

Gotta Get At This: Walkers UK Tear N Share

More Walkers News! I'll be brief, its a new line of Walkers Chips in Classic flavors like "Lightly Salted", "Cheddar Cheese & Onion", "Salt & Malt Vinegar", "Sticky BBQ Ribs", and "Sweet Chilli".
The chips are a thicker cut chip, and from everything I've heard online they are actually just a re-branding of the "Extra Crunchy" line. (Read My Review of "Sticky BBQ Ribs" here). The real news here is the bag. It's basically a "bowl", so you tear off the top, and the bag becomes a shareable bowl. In case you have no bowls at home, or you want to have the ugliest snack table ever at a party. You know.
We have stuff like this here in the US, most notably Orville Redenbacher Popcorn has a "Pop up Bowl". So you can go from the microwave to the couch without that laborious bowl pouring.

So, what do yall think about these Tear N Share bags? What's more exciting, the packaging? Or that Extra Crunchy crisps are back? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Lay's France Sel & Vinaigre

Going to France, I was really excited to pick up so many bags. The Lay's France website has so many beautiful sounding bags, like Cheeseburger and Parisian Sandwich. Sadly, this was LITERALLY the only bag I could find while I was there. Luckily though, it is a great bag of a favorite flavor that is pretty hard to eff up. "Sel & Vinaigre" is France's take on the Salt and Vinegar chip, and they even advertise it as the favorite flavor in the UK (how cute). I thought this bag was truly perfect. An awesome balance of potato, salt, and bright vinegar. A few years ago, I first tried France's version of Lay's and I found the potato chips to be thin and flaky, and all-together kind of weird tasting. But since then it really seems they have stepped up their chip game. I would say the chip texture is comparable to US chips, and the taste is much richer and more flavorful than both the US and what the French chips used to be like. This bag was really well balanced, and I definitely destroyed the whole thing in a few minutes.

Lay's Canada Salt & Vinegar

You know when you open a bag of chips and you start eating and then there are no chips left because you inhaled them like a starving beast? Ya? Me too. Cuz thats what I did to this bag.
This is Lay's Canada's Salt & Vinegar... a tangy, salty, burn your lips kinda bag, that is ever so hard to get just right.
The bag smells so Vinegar-y when you pop it open, a good sign. Then you bust out the first chip, and you think to yourself, "ow, do I have water nearby?", but the feeling goes away quickly and you are left with a bag of chips that are just delicious. Ok, so the potato was just basic, and the salt was relatively mild, but that Vinegar was so perfect it makes up for the rest of the bag just being standard. The vinegar is bright and acidic, with a hint of sweetness at the end. It makes this bag really forgiving and easy to demolish.
Compared to the US version of this flavor, it is a lot easier to eat, the US equivalent burns and the Vinegar is so strong you have to put the bag down often.
All in all, I consider this bag a great bag, easy to eat, good flavor, satisfying. A+

Gotta Get At This (or not): Lay's USA Air pOps, Walkers UK pOps, and Lay's South Africa pOpped; plus a crash course in Air Popped Chips

With South Africa releasing the "pOpped" line and the UK releasing their own "pOps" line... I figured it was time to talk about our newly repackaged line of Lay's "Air pOps" and what the heck an Air Popped Chip actually is.

So to begin, here's the glamour shots...

 

The "pOpped" collection from South Africa in "Peri Peri Prawn", "Hot & Tangy Piquante Pepper", and "White Cheddar & Spring Onion".

 

The UK's Walkers' line called "pOps" featuring "Prawn Cocktail", "Melted Cheese & Crispy Bacon", "Original", and "Sour Cream & Onion".

And lastly, the lovely new packaging on the US's "air pOps", which come in "Sour Cream & Onion, "Original", "Barbeque", and "Salt & Vinegar".

So, what are air-popped chips and why are these collections pOpping up everywhere?
Air-popped chips are made in the EXACT same way rice cakes are made. Instead of grains of rice; lumps of potato flakes and starch are hydrated, pressurized, heated, depressurized, and then they fuse together. Presto! No need to fry, or bake, or anything. And while that leaves you with a chip that is 50% less fattening when compared to traditional chips, it also leaves you with a chip that strangely tastes exactly like a rice cake. And honestly, when compared to other reduced fat options, there are definitely tastier alternatives out there.
So, why are they so popular? In 2007, "Popchips" hit the market and quickly became a major competitor in the US potato chip market. The company had great packaging, loads of advertising, celebrity endorsers, and a healthier product. Not to mention a range that includes at least 7 flavors, 3 tortilla chips offerings, and some veggie chips. The company single-handedly created a niche market within chips. Brands like "Popcorners"and "Special K" followed the puffed chip fad, and it eventually led to Lay's introducing their own "air pOps". "air pOps" has done well, with the line even expanding to include another flavor. So it's no surprise that the line is appearing in countries like the Netherlands, the UK, and South Africa now.

But, is this a genuine potato chip? In my opinion, much like Pringles (or Lay's Stax) uses potato flakes and starch to manufacture their chips that aren't really chips; air-popped chips are not really chips. They are a potato snack alternative. BUT while Pringles and Stax at least pack tons of potato flavor, Popchips and Air pOps taste exactly like the name suggests... AIR.
To me, the flavor is the most important thing, and these air-popped chips are not even in the same league as traditional chips when it comes to flavor. Let's keep it REAL, if you are eating puffed up potato chips with little nutritional value and loads of sodium to save a few calories, then your eating habits are already FKD up. You are NOT going to lose weight eating salted potato puffs. Sorry. (#SorryNotSorry). Potato chips are a treat, a treat that should be eaten in moderation. When it's time for my treat, on the occasion that I'm going to indulge in potato chips, I want them to taste AWESOME. I don't want to eat chips that remind me of the real chips that I'm not eating. And I paid for too much school to be fooled into thinking that if I eat a bag of fake chips every day at lunch, that it will equate to the wonderful occasional joy of eating real potato chips.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Netherlands Sensations Caramelised Onion & Balsamico

Lay's Netherlands is introducing "Caramelized Onion & Balsamic" into their Lay's Sensations line. The artwork is beautiful and the commercials are amazing (see one below). I've tried this flavor in Walker's range and it is delish! The Sensations line is always a more complex flavor and more interesting to eat, in my opinion. "Caramelised Onion & Balsamico" will join "Red Sweet Paprika", "Thai Sweet Chilli", "Japanese Teriyaki", and "American Peppers & Cream".
The hunt rages on...

Gotta Get At This: Walkers Extra Crunchy

Looks like Walkers just launched a line of "Extra Crunchy" chips (well, actually they launched two new flavors: "King Prawn Cocktail" and "Cheese & Red Onion"). These Extra Crunchy style chips are popping up all over the place now, like the "Lay's Selection" line from France... and I'm sure this is just the beginning. I have still yet to try them, so I'm not sure what the texture is like, but it sounds like they fall somewhere between regular and kettle cooked. The Walkers Extra Crunchy line already included "Simply Salted" and "Salt & Malt Vinegar" but now it's been expanded to also included the 2 new flavors; which is a sign that these are selling well. If you can get your hands on these, let us know how they taste! I'm eager to track down one of my favorite flavors... Prawn Cocktail ;p

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Belgium Sensations Caramelized Onion & Balsamico

 

If you're in Belgium, you're in luck!  Belgium will be adding "Caramelized Onion & Balsamic" to their Sensations line. It's a bomb flavor in the UK and should be just as delicious in Belgium!
Here's the current line up in case you weren't familiar. Glad to see them expanding the line!

Japanese Teriyaki, Red Sweet Paprika, Thai Sweet Chilli, Mexican Peppers & Cream

Walkers UK Sensations Caramelised Onion & Balsamic Vinegar

Damn this was a good bag of chips.

Here's a bag from Walkers' Sensations line I picked up during my time in London. The flavor: Caramelised Onion and Balsamic Vinegar. What a treat. These chips have so much going on that I don't even know where to start. I guess we'll take on the potato; the chip itself was BURSTING with potato flavor! The kind of flavor that sits in your mouth for minutes after you've taken your first bite. Salty, rich, starchy, perfection. Then, a bit of sweet sweeps across your taste buds from the caramelized onion. Not overwhelmingly onion... just sweet with a hint of onion. And then the chip finishes up with a splash of tang from the Balsamic. Wow. Just wow. The bag is like a symphony being played to your mouth. The combination of what I would considered a perfect potato chip (full potato taste from a evenly cooked chip) and two exquisite flavors create an amazing bag of chips. I really can't say enough good stuff about these.

I highly recommend. They shouldn't be too hard to find... ask a local British grocer to order some if you can't track them down.

Walkers UK Salt & Vinegar

mmm. Walkers Salt & Vinegar. These just make me stupidly happy. Walkers, as usual, offers up a scrumptious, light, perfectly crisp chip. It's full of potato flavor (100% British Potato flavor lol). Perfect potato yummyness. The seasoning on these is light and evenly applied. The overwhelming difference between these and the US Lay's is the amount of Vinegar used. While the US counterpart burns your mouth and feels soaked in Vinegar; these are comfortably seasoned with Vinegar. Walkers seems to be making chips for people who want to eat a POTATO chip with Vinegar on it. These don't burn, or make you overwhelmingly thirsty. They are just a simple seasoned bag of chips. All around, this is a fantastic bag of chips, it trusts that the eater doesn't need to be overwhelmed with seasoning, even a flavor as delicious as Vinegar. This bag, just like the Kettle Cooked counterpart from the US, is just made for a different Vinegar chip fan. This is the bag for someone who doesn't need to be smacked in the face with Vinegar to enjoy it's combination with a rich, salty, crispy potato. Grab these at a local British Grocer or on Amazon... they are really some of the best chips around. Highly recommend!

Lay's USA Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar

You should read my last 2 posts to find out how I suddenly got really into these Kettle Cooked Lay's. They are pretty addictive. They're all crunchy and potato-y and yummy. Anyways, here's a quickie. The Vinegar on these is bomb, a little bit less abrasive compared to the regularly cooked Salt and Vinegar chips, but still pretty strong stuff. It doesn't burn your lips but you are still getting a good kick on the tongue. The chips have that stiff Kettle Cooked crunch to them and a nice potato flavor.
I would say if you were looking at both on the shelf and debating which one to buy; these are the ones you get when you want a more potato flavored, thicker cut, crunchy experience with a zing... and the regular Lay's would be for when you want a lighter, airy chip with a ton of Vinegar on it. They are both good, just depends on your preference. As for the Sea Salt, it just makes you want them more (its a marketing thing), flavor wise, salt is salt. You aren't getting big chunks of salt so it doesn't really make a difference. The only difference comes in the fact that they are fried in small batches which help it retain potato taste. I think I would crave these somedays and the regular Salt and Vinegar Lay's on other days. Either way, it's a bomb flavor. MMM.

Lay's USA Salt & Vinegar

Hey hey, here's a review of one of my favorite flavors.... Salt and Vinegar, mmm. This is Lay's US's version of S&V. These chips pack a punch, and I highly suggest eating these with lip balm or a tall glass of water or both. Ok, so we've got the chip, these are huge slices of HUGE potatoes! They don't taste very potato-y but you get a hint of the flavor. They have that weird over-fried texture that Lay's have here. I wish I had taken a picture, because I was getting chips here that were almost the size of my whole hand. The flavor in this bag is awesome, but like most of these Lay's they are seasoned heavy-handedly. I think for the cut of potato, and the lack of flavor the base has, it somehow works. It's like the Salt and Vinegar pick up the slack for the potato. This is the kind of Vinegar flavor that starts to burn every crease of your lips before you're halfway through the bag. The best word I can use to describe it is "potent". The vinegar is bright, tangy, and certainly wakes up your palate; while the salt seems to cut through it and bring the whole thing together. These are a fun bag of chips to snack on, and I've already picked them up twice since. My mom and dad love them now too. If you are a vinegar lover these are drenched in it so you will like them for sure. For me personally, while I like the flavor, I can barely eat half a bag without burning my lips and giving up.
PS, I got these in 2 different bags, I am trying to figure out if there is a difference; got one labeled "all natural" (top left) and another without the label... I didn't notice a taste difference though.