Nik Naks Nice 'n' Spicy Snacks, 45g

This is the classic Nik Naks in the original Nice 'n' Spicy flavour, in the 45g grab bag: knobbly, irregular sticks of corn with a sweet, curried seasoning. The pack says the bag is one serving. 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 (36%) 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.

Cooked in sunflower oil

The pack says the sticks are cooked in 100% sunflower oil, and the listing gives the oil as 36% of the snack. That is why the fat figure is high: 36g per 100g, 16g in the bag.

Knobbly sticks

The pack calls them 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 for the bag

The pack gives 255 kcal (1062 kJ), 16g of fat, 1.5g of saturates, 24g of carbohydrate, 1.9g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 2.7g of protein and 0.81g of salt for the 45g bag. That is about 13% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 23% of the fat and 14% 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 big bag for one

At 255 kcal, the 45g bag is a substantial snack for one, more than twice the 113 kcal of a 20g bag from the six pack.

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.

The pack

The orange bag carries a yellow grab bag band across the top, the Nik Naks name in white and a red Nice 'n' Spicy flash beside the 45g weight.

Who it suits

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

Serving the bag

A grab bag goes with a cheese sandwich or a chicken wrap, and a cold drink to cool the spice.

In the kitchen

Crushed, one bag makes enough curried crumb to coat a couple of chicken breasts or top a cauliflower cheese for two.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place.

Other sizes

The same recipe comes in a 130g sharing 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.