Nik Naks Nice 'n' Spicy Snacks, 130g

Nice 'n' Spicy is the original Nik Naks flavour on the original shape: knobbly, irregular sticks of corn with a sweet, curried seasoning. This is the 130g sharing bag, which the label says holds four to five servings. The full product name on the pack is Nice 'n' Spicy flavour corn snack, and the pack gives a freepost address for KP Snacks.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the snacks are made from maize, sunflower oil and a Nice 'n' Spicy flavour of sugar, yeast extract, natural flavourings (containing barley malt vinegar, barley malt extract, soya sauce and wheat flour), salt, dried onion, citric acid, curry powder (spices, rice flour and salt), malic acid, spice, paprika extract for colour, spice extracts and garlic extract.

Knobbly sticks

The pack describes them as knobbly sticks of corn: each piece is an irregular, lumpy stick, crunchier and denser than a puffed corn snack, with plenty of nooks for the seasoning.

Sweet first

Sugar leads the seasoning, so the first taste is sweet, followed by the savoury depth of yeast extract.

Then the spice

Curry powder, spice and spice extracts give the warm, curried character, with dried onion and garlic behind. The heat is mild to medium: warm and building rather than hot.

The tang

Barley malt vinegar in the natural flavourings, with citric and malic acid, gives a sharp, pickled tang, and soya sauce and barley malt extract add depth.

Curry powder

The curry powder on the list is a blend of spices with rice flour and salt. The pack does not name the individual spices, so expect a warm, rounded curry note rather than one spice leading, and no chilli is named on its own.

Barley malt

Barley malt vinegar and barley malt extract come from malted barley, which is why barley is highlighted as a cereal containing gluten.

Sugars

Sugar leads the seasoning, but the label gives 4.3g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

No MSG

The pack says no MSG, and none is on the list. Yeast extract, soya sauce and malt extract are naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 170 kcal (708 kJ), 11g of fat, 1g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 1.3g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 1.8g of protein and 0.54g of salt for each 30g serving. That is about 9% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 16% of the fat and 9% of the salt. Per 100g it is 566 kcal (2361 kJ), 36g of fat, 3.3g of saturates, 53g of carbohydrate, 4.3g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 6.1g of protein and 1.8g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 36g is red. Saturates at 3.3g are amber. Sugars at 4.3g are green. Salt at 1.8g is red.

A rich snack

At 566 kcal and 36g of fat per 100g, Nik Naks are among the richest snacks we stock, so a 30g serving is a sensible handful.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight barley, in the barley malt vinegar and malt extract, wheat, in the wheat flour, and soya, in the soya sauce, all within the natural flavourings. The allergy advice says the snacks may contain eggs, milk and mustard. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya. 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 colours or flavours. The colour is paprika extract.

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is the only oil on the list, and the label gives 3.3g of saturates per 100g.

The pack

The orange bag carries the Nik Naks name in white, with a red Nice 'n' Spicy flash, the 130g weight and a red band across the top.

Who it suits

A sweet, curried corn stick suits anyone who likes a warm, spiced snack with a crunch. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya.

Serving the bag

Tip a serving into a bowl for a film night, or put Nik Naks beside a curry night spread of poppadoms and chutney. It goes with a cold lager.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the sticks make a curried crumb for chicken or the top of a cauliflower cheese.

Four to five servings

The label says the 130g bag holds four to five servings of 30g. Tip a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, an airtight container. The published recycling guidance says the whole packaging can be recycled with carrier bags at large supermarkets and should not go in home recycling.

Other sizes

The same recipe comes in a 45g grab bag and a six bag pack of 20g bags. For a twisted shape, there are Nik Naks Twisters in Nice 'n' Spicy and Tangy 'n' Cheesy.

Sizes of Nik Naks Nice 'n' Spicy Snacks 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.