Love Corn Smoked BBQ Roasted Corn, 115g

Love Corn makes crunchy snacks from whole corn kernels, and Smoked BBQ is the smoky, savoury one. This is the 115g sharing bag of roasted corn, and the label gives its figures per 100g and for a 28g serving.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the snack is made from corn, paprika, onion, garlic, sea salt, citric acid, sugar, natural flavouring and high oleic sunflower oil. Nine ingredients in all, with corn first and the seasoning after it.

Whole kernels

Each piece is a whole kernel of corn, crunchy right through, closer in bite to a roasted nut than to a crisp. It is not popcorn: the kernels keep their shape and are not popped.

The barbecue

Paprika comes straight after the corn, so it leads the seasoning, with onion and garlic behind it. No smoked ingredient is named on the list; the barbecue taste comes from the paprika, onion, garlic and natural flavouring.

Citric acid and sugar

Citric acid adds a light tang and a little sugar rounds it, as in a barbecue sauce. The label gives 2.8g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

Salt

The label gives 1.1g of salt per 100g, amber, level with the Salt and Vinegar Love Corn and just under the Sweet and Salty at 1.2g.

High oleic sunflower oil

High oleic sunflower oil is a sunflower oil bred to be rich in oleic acid, the main fat in olive oil, which makes it stable when heated. It is the only oil on the list.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 123 kcal (517 kJ), 3.6g of fat, 0.4g of saturates, 19.9g of carbohydrate, 0.8g of sugars, 2g of fibre, 2g of protein and 0.3g of salt for a 28g serving. That is about 6% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 5% of the fat and 5% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the label gives 440 kcal (1848 kJ), 13g of fat, 1.4g of saturates, 71g of carbohydrate, 2.8g of sugars, 7g of fibre, 7.3g of protein and 1.1g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 13g is amber. Saturates at 1.4g are green. Sugars at 2.8g are green. Salt at 1.1g is amber.

Fibre and protein

The label gives 7g of fibre and 7.3g of protein per 100g, from the whole corn kernels.

Allergens and diet

The pack's allergy advice says it may contain nuts and peanuts. The pack says it is suitable for vegans. The pack front carries a GF gluten free roundel. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

A 28g serving

The label's serving is 28g, a small handful, and the 115g bag holds about four of them. Tip a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Storage

The published listing gives no storage advice. Keep the bag cool and dry, and close it well after opening so the corn stays crunchy.

The pack

The deep red bag carries the 115g sharing bag band, the Love Corn name in large pink letters with a heart in the O, a perfect crunch arrow pointing to a few kernels, a GF gluten free roundel and the word bbq beside a small flame.

Paprika

Paprika is ground dried red pepper, and it gives the kernels their orange brown colour and a warm, sweet pepper taste without real heat.

Onion and garlic

Onion and garlic come straight after the paprika, the savoury base of most barbecue rubs and sauces.

Carbohydrate

The label gives 71g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 2.8g are sugars; the rest is starch from the corn.

Savoury, not sweet

At 2.8g of sugars per 100g, the barbecue corn is a savoury snack, far from the Sweet and Salty Love Corn at 17g, and closer to the Salt and Vinegar at 0.5g.

The brand's voice

The pack talks to you: a line calling the corn a crunchy corn snack, a p.s. about finding love in the simple things, and a perfect crunch arrow pointing at the kernels.

Who it suits

A smoky, savoury corn snack suits anyone who likes barbecue crisps but wants a harder, deeper crunch. The pack's allergy advice says it may contain nuts and peanuts.

Serving ideas

Put a bowl out with drinks, or serve the corn beside cold meats, cheese and pickles on a board.

In the kitchen

Scatter a handful over a bean salad, a chilli or a bowl of sweetcorn soup for a smoky crunch.

With a burger

A bowl of barbecue corn goes well beside a burger or a pulled pork bap at a barbecue.

With drinks

A bowl of barbecue corn goes well with a cold lager, a cider or a cola.

Other Love Corn

In the same 115g bag we stock Love Corn Sweet and Salty and Salt and Vinegar.

Other 115g packs of Love Corn 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.