Blanco Niño Creamy Jalapeño Tortilla Chips, 170g

Blanco Niño make Mexican style tortilla chips from white corn, and Creamy Jalapeño is their green chilli flavour: jalapeño heat with a soured, herby, creamy note and no dairy at all. This is the 170g sharing bag, and the pack names Blanco Niño as the maker.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from non GMO white corn (74%), high oleic sunflower oil, rice flour, salt, spices (jalapeño pepper 1%, cayenne pepper and black pepper), onion powder, citric acid, lactic acid, garlic powder, dried parsley, yeast extract and flavouring.

White corn

White corn makes up 74% of the chips. It gives a lighter colour and a cleaner, more delicate corn flavour than yellow corn. The listing says the corn is non GMO.

Jalapeño

Jalapeño is the green chilli of Mexican cooking, often pickled and served on tacos. The brand notes that the jalapeño is said to originate from Veracruz, on Mexico's Gulf coast. It makes up 1% of the chips, with cayenne and black pepper adding to the heat.

Onion, garlic and parsley

Onion powder, garlic powder and dried parsley give the seasoning a herby, savoury body, the flavours of a green salsa.

Creamy, with no dairy

There is no milk on the list. The creamy, soured note comes from lactic acid and citric acid, with dried parsley, onion and garlic giving it the feel of a herby soured cream dip, which is how the chips can be vegan.

Citric and lactic acid

Citric acid gives a lime like sharpness, and lactic acid the rounder tang of soured cream.

How hot is it

Jalapeño, cayenne and black pepper together give a real, building heat, the hottest of the Blanco Niño bags we stock. The acids and herbs cool it a little.

High oleic sunflower oil

The chips are fried in high oleic sunflower oil, a sunflower oil bred to be rich in oleic acid, the main fat in olive oil. The label gives 2.2g of saturates per 100g.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 480 kcal (2010 kJ), 25.5g of fat, 2.2g of saturates, 65.5g of carbohydrate, 0.9g of sugars, 6.2g of fibre, 6.4g of protein and 0.9g of salt per 100g. The listing gives no serving size, so the figures on this page are per 100g.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 25.5g is red. Saturates at 2.2g are amber. Sugars at 0.9g are green. Salt at 0.9g is amber, in the middle of its band.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients, and the published listing gives no may contain advice. The listing says the chips are suitable for vegans and gluten free. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Rice flour

Rice flour joins the corn in the chip and carries the seasoning. It contains no gluten, and with corn and rice as the grains, the chips can carry a gluten free claim.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract gives savoury depth under the heat. It is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether.

Made in Ireland

The listing gives Ireland as the country of origin for these Mexican style chips.

The pack

The cream bag carries the Blanco Niño name in green over an illustration of a jungle waterfall, creamy jalapeño in script, a window showing the chips, and a top line that reads fully recyclable bag, vegan, gluten free.

The Blanco Niño range

We stock three Blanco Niño bags, all 170g, all white corn, all fried in high oleic sunflower oil and all vegan and gluten free by the listing: Lightly Salted with Celestún salt, Creamy Jalapeño and Smoky Chipotle.

A sharing bag

At 170g, the bag is made for sharing. The listing gives no serving size, so tip a handful into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

A fully recyclable bag

The top line of the pack says the bag is fully recyclable. Check your local recycling guidance for flexible packaging.

Tortilla chips and dips

A tortilla chip is sturdier than most crisps, so it holds its shape in a thick dip: guacamole, a bean dip or a warm queso.

Who it suits

A hot, herby tortilla chip suits anyone who likes a proper chilli kick, and the vegan and gluten free statements suit most diets.

Serving the bag

Serve it with a guacamole, a pico de gallo or a bowl of black bean dip, and a cold Mexican beer with lime.

In the kitchen

Scatter the chips over a bowl of chilli, or bake them with cheese and sliced jalapeños for a quick nacho tray.

Storage

The listing advises a cool, dry place away from bright light. Clip the bag shut between servings.

Other Blanco Niño

In the same 170g bag we stock Blanco Niño Smoky Chipotle and White Corn Tortilla Chips with Celestún Salt.

Other 170g packs of Blanco Niño we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.