Simba – Smoked Beef (SA)

So I finally got around to these crisps. They were given to me by a colleague after his family trip to South Africa and prior to my year long hiatus from the Crisp Connoisseur persona. Simba – Smoked Beef are a fine crinkle cut potato crisp. Reminiscent of Ruffles, for those of you familiar with the now deceased Aussie favourite.

By simply looking in to the packet I’m holding back tears like the moment Mufasa’s trampled body appears through the clearing dust of a wildebeest stamped! They are a pale, sad looking bunch.

The senses continue to be assaulted with a smell similar to that of a freshly open packet of rubber gloves. A similar texture to Ruffles with plenty of crunch.

As for flavour, they do taste meaty but if I’m being honest, I may not be the best to judge as I am not an avid meat eater. To me they taste more like something you may find decaying on the plains of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Of course all of the above could simply be a symptom of a packet of crisps that were purchased so long ago that they are now heavily out of date! Never the less I managed to finish the entire pack. The night ahead should be interesting. ⋆

Hooplas – Sour Cream & Chives (Aus)

I mean, you know me, right? I’m a man that likes chilli, jalapeno, salt & vinegar, bold flavours. When you hear the words ‘sour cream and chives’ you don’t exactly start drooling like a St. Bernard at a Meatloaf concert! But these little rings are surprising. They are essentially an Australian version of the English favourite ‘KP’s Hula Hoops’.

In the past I have drawn light to misleading notions displayed on the packaging on many of our favourite crisps. However, I have to say that to Hooplas credit, they have some of the most factual packaging’s that I have ever seen! They claim to be ‘crispy and crunchy’; Correct! They claim to be ‘bursting with flavour’; Also correct!  They also claim to be ‘deliciously itsy bitsy’. Now I don’t know what ‘itsy bitsy’ has to do with being delicious, but they most certainly are delicious AND ‘itsy bitsy’. Normally I would be concerned with ‘itsy bitsy’. ‘Itsy bitsy’ is something to which I would rarely subscribe.

There is nothing more satisfying than biting down on a huge folded potato crisp. Not even putting a hot frying pan in cold water is that satisfying. Unfortunately, you do not get that kind of satisfaction from Hooplas. Like, they would be a very poor choice of vessel for an appetising dip but that is not their job. Hooplas only job is be eaten by the handful and they do that job very well! So well that I have just polished off an entire box! I enjoyed these Itsy bitsy rings of goodness and I am keen to see the good people at Hooplas expand their range of flavours. ⋆⋆⋆½