Tyrrells Truffle and Sea Salt Crisps, 135g

Truffle is the aroma of fine dining, earthy and deep, and Tyrrells pairs it with sea salt on a hand cooked crisp. This is the 135g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves four to five. The full product name on the pack is truffle and sea salt flavour potato crisps.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, sunflower oil, maltodextrin, rice flour, natural flavourings, sea salt, garlic powder, sugar, yeast extract, ground black pepper and summer truffle powder.

Where the truffle comes from

Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so the summer truffle powder, last on the list, is the smallest part of the seasoning, and the natural flavourings ahead of it do much of the work. That is why the name on the pack says truffle and sea salt flavour. Summer truffle is the milder, lighter truffle of the warmer months, with a gentle, nutty and earthy aroma.

Garlic, pepper and yeast extract

Garlic powder, yeast extract and a little ground black pepper give the savoury depth that truffle is usually served with, as in a truffle risotto or truffled chips. Maltodextrin and rice flour carry the seasoning and help it stick, and a touch of sugar rounds it out.

The lowest salt Tyrrells we stock

The label gives 0.61g of salt per 100g, the lowest figure of the Tyrrells bags we stock, just under the 0.65g of Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted and Tyrrells Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

Why truffle and potato work

Truffle has long been paired with potato: shaved over mash, folded into a gratin or used to scent chips. The mild, starchy potato carries the aroma without competing with it, which is the same reason truffle suits a hand cooked crisp.

Hand cooked

The listing describes these as hand cooked English crisps. Hand cooking means frying the slices in batches, which gives a harder, more uneven crunch than a crisp fried continuously on a conveyor. The brand describes its potatoes as carefully selected, with the skins still on.

Numbers per 100g

The label gives 509 kcal (2124 kJ), 27.9g of fat, 2.5g of saturates, 54.3g of carbohydrate, 0.7g of sugars, 6.5g of fibre, 6.8g of protein and 0.61g of salt per 100g. The published listing gives no per serving figures; with four to five servings suggested, a serving is a quarter to a fifth of the bag.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 27.9g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.5g are amber. Sugars at 0.7g are green. Salt at 0.61g is amber, near the bottom of its band.

Sunflower oil

The only oil on the list is sunflower oil, a light oil with a neutral taste that does not compete with the truffle. The bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, which keeps oxygen away from the oil until you open it.

The 135g bag

At 135g, the bag is a little smaller than the 150g Tyrrells sharing bags we stock, and the label suggests four to five servings rather than five.

Allergens and diet

No allergens from the UK list of 14 are highlighted in the published ingredients, but the allergy advice says the crisps may contain milk. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians and carries a gluten free claim. There is no vegan claim. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

What the brand leaves out

The pack says Tyrrells never uses artificial ingredients such as artificial flavours, colours or MSG; the flavourings here are described as natural, and there is no colour on the list. Yeast extract, which is on the list, is naturally rich in glutamates, which is worth knowing for anyone who avoids glutamates altogether.

The pack

The dark purple bag uses a black and white vintage photograph, like the other Tyrrells packs we stock: a man walking through a bare winter wood with a basket, beside a pig, the traditional truffle hunter's companion.

Who it suits

A truffle crisp suits a dinner party or a grown up drinks table more than a lunchbox. There is no chilli, and the black pepper gives only a faint warmth. For anyone who finds truffle strong, Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted is the gentler choice.

Serving the bag

Truffle crisps suit a drinks table: a glass of sparkling wine or a dry martini, a board of cured meats, soft cheese and olives. They also sit well beside a steak, in place of truffled chips.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a fragrant topping for a mushroom soup, a macaroni cheese or a creamy pasta. Scatter them at the last moment so the aroma and the crunch survive.

Storage and packaging

The pack advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, an airtight container, which also keeps the truffle aroma in. The bag is packaged in a protective atmosphere, and 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 Tyrrells flavours

In 150g sharing bags we stock Tyrrells Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt and Black Pepper, Sea Salt and Cider Vinegar, Smoked Paprika, Sweet Chilli and Red Pepper, Cheddar Cheese and Chive and Roasted Chicken and Sage.

The published listing gives England 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.