Kettle Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Potato Chips, 130g

Balsamic vinegar is the sweet, dark vinegar from Modena in northern Italy, and Kettle uses it in place of the malt vinegar of a classic salt and vinegar crisp. This is the 130g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves five. The full product name on the pack is Hand Cooked Potato Chips with Sea Salt and Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP.

A short seasoning

According to the published pack listing, the chips are made from select potatoes, vegetable oils (rapeseed and sunflower, in varying proportions) and a seasoning with sea salt and balsamic vinegar of Modena, made of balsamic vinegar of Modena, sugar, potato starch, potato maltodextrin, natural flavourings, sea salt and citric acid. The label notes that the chips may be fried in either oil or a blend, depending on supply.

What balsamic vinegar of Modena is

Balsamic vinegar of Modena is made from grape must, the pressed juice of grapes, blended with wine vinegar and aged in wooden barrels. It is darker, sweeter and rounder than malt or spirit vinegar. The IGP in the full name on the pack is the Italian form of PGI, Protected Geographical Indication, which means the vinegar must be made in the Modena area to a set method. On a crisp, it gives a sharpness with a sweet, fruity depth rather than a harsh bite.

How the flavour works

Balsamic vinegar comes first in the seasoning, so the grape and vinegar note leads. Sugar follows to round it, potato starch and maltodextrin carry the vinegar so it can be dusted on dry, and sea salt gives the salty half of the name. Citric acid sharpens the finish. It is a cleaner, fruitier salt and vinegar than the malt style, and it suits people who find a classic salt and vinegar crisp too aggressive.

Hand cooked in Norfolk

The pack says the chips are hand cooked in Norfolk with British potatoes, and it states absolutely nothing artificial. Hand cooking in batches gives a thicker, harder, curled chip with a deeper colour, and the crunch stands up well to a sharp seasoning.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 511 kcal (2132 kJ), 29.4g of fat, 2.5g of saturates, 52.5g of carbohydrate, 2.5g of sugars, 4.5g of fibre, 6.9g of protein and 0.58g of salt per 100g. With five servings in the bag, a serving is about a fifth of the bag.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 29.4g is red. Saturates at 2.5g are amber. Sugars at 2.5g are green. Salt at 0.58g is amber, in the lower half of the band; the vinegar does much of the work that salt would.

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 pack says the chips are suitable for vegans and carries a gluten free claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Potato starch and maltodextrin

A liquid vinegar cannot simply be sprinkled on a crisp. The seasoning solves that by carrying the balsamic on potato starch and potato maltodextrin, two mild powders made from potato, which absorb the vinegar and let it be dusted on dry. Both come from potato, so the seasoning adds no gluten containing cereal, in line with the pack's gluten free claim.

The oils

The label lists rapeseed and sunflower oils in varying proportions and notes that the chips may be fried in either or a blend, depending on supply. Both are light oils, and the label gives 2.5g of saturates per 100g, amber on the front of pack scale.

A gentler salt and vinegar

For people who find a classic malt vinegar crisp too sharp, balsamic is the easier route. The sugar in the seasoning and the natural sweetness of the grape must soften the acid, and the salt is modest at 0.58g per 100g, so the flavour is fruity and rounded rather than eye watering.

Serving the bag

A balsamic crisp suits an Italian style board: cured meats, olives, mozzarella or burrata, sun dried tomatoes and a glass of red wine. It also works beside a steak sandwich or a tomato and basil salad, and with a cold lager at a barbecue.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the chips make a sweet, sharp crumb for the top of a tomato and mozzarella bake, or a crunchy garnish on a caprese salad. For a vegan table, they add crunch to a roasted vegetable salad.

Storage and packaging

The pack's own storage advice is a cool, dry place away from bright light. The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling. The pack names Kettle Foods Ltd as the maker.

Other sizes and flavours

The same flavour comes as a five bag multipack of 25g bags. In the same 130g bag we stock Kettle Lightly Salted, Sea Salt and Crushed Black Peppercorns, Mature Cheddar and Red Onion, Brie and Caramelised Onion and Honey Dijon Mustard.

Sizes of Kettle Sea Salt and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Potato Chips 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.