Hula Hoops Cheese and Onion Potato Rings, 6 x 24g

Hula Hoops are potato rings rather than crisps: a dough of potato starch and dried potato, shaped into small hoops and cooked, and cheese and onion is one of the flavours they come in. This multipack holds six 24g bags, 144g in total. The full product name on the pack is cheese and onion flavour potato rings, and the pack gives a freepost address for KP Snacks.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the rings are made from potato (potato starch and dried potato), sunflower oil (24%), rice flour, a cheese and onion flavour (dried onion, salt, dried yeast extract, sugar, dried cheese from milk, citric acid, natural flavourings containing milk, cayenne pepper extract, black pepper extract, onion extract and paprika extract for colour), maize flour, a natural flavouring (containing potassium chloride, salt, dried yeast extract, maltodextrin and dried onion) and salt.

A ring, not a slice

The dough of potato starch and dried potato, with rice and maize flour, gives a ring that is light, even and crunchy, quite different from the brittle snap of a sliced crisp. The hole in the middle gives every ring two edges to hold the seasoning, and the ring fits neatly on a fingertip.

Rice and maize flour

Rice flour and maize flour sit beside the potato in the dough, and rice flour appears again in the seasoning. Together they help give the rings their light, even texture.

Two flavourings

The seasoning comes in two parts: the cheese and onion flavour itself, and a separate natural flavouring of potassium chloride, salt, yeast extract, maltodextrin and dried onion, which adds to the savoury, salty taste.

Sunflower oil

The label lists sunflower oil at 24% of the product, and the pack says the rings are cooked with 100% sunflower oil. The label gives 2.3g of saturates per 100g.

How the flavour is built

Dried onion leads the seasoning, so onion is the first flavour, with salt and yeast extract for a savoury base and a little sugar. Dried cheese and natural flavourings containing milk bring the cheese, citric acid sharpens it, and tiny amounts of cayenne and black pepper extract add warmth without heat.

Numbers for one bag

The label gives 120 kcal (504 kJ), 6g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 0.5g of sugars, 0.7g of fibre, 0.9g of protein and 0.43g of salt for each 24g bag. That is about 6% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 9% of the fat and 7% of the salt. Per 100g it is 502 kcal (2101 kJ), 25g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 65g of carbohydrate, 1.3g of sugars, 2.9g of fibre, 3.6g of protein and 1.8g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 25g is red and salt at 1.8g is red too, above the 1.5g line. Saturates at 2.3g are amber and sugars at 1.3g are green. The 24g bag keeps each portion small.

Salt across the range

Hula Hoops Cheese and Onion has 1.8g of salt per 100g, more than Hula Hoops Original at 1.4g and Smoky Bacon at 1.5g, and less than BBQ Beef at 2.2g.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the dried cheese and the natural flavourings. The allergy advice says the rings may contain cereals containing gluten; rice flour and maize flour are used, but there is no gluten free claim. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, because of the milk. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

What the pack leaves out

The pack says there are no artificial flavours or colours and no MSG; the colour is paprika extract. Yeast extract, which is on the list twice, is naturally rich in glutamates, which is worth knowing for anyone who avoids glutamates altogether.

Who it suits

Cheese and onion rings suit children and adults alike, and the 24g bag is a sensible portion given the salt figure. They are not suitable for anyone avoiding milk.

Six bags for the week

Six bags cover a working or school week with one to spare. A small, light bag of rings suits a lunchbox or an after school snack.

Serving ideas

Cheese and onion rings suit a party bowl, a picnic or a children's party table, and they go with a ham or tomato sandwich.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the rings make a savoury, cheesy crumb for a macaroni cheese or a pasta bake.

Storage

The pack advises a cool, dry place. Finish each bag once it is opened.

Other Hula Hoops

In the same six bag format we stock Hula Hoops Original, Salt and Vinegar, BBQ Beef and Smoky Bacon. Cheese and onion also appears in the six bag Hula Hoops Variety box, with two bags, and the twelve bag Variety box, with three.

Other 6 x 24g packs of Hula Hoops we stock

Figures as published on each pack's label.

The published listing gives the United Kingdom as the country of origin. The tasting notes on this page are our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand's published description.