Walkers Max Strong Jalapeño and Cheese Crisps, 140g

Walkers Max is Walkers' deep ridged range, and Strong Jalapeño and Cheese is its hot one: thick, ridged crisps with a seasoning that pairs chilli heat with a creamy, cheesy note. This is the 140g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves four to five. The pack names Walkers Snack Foods Ltd as the maker.

The ingredients

According to the published pack listing, the crisps are made from potatoes, vegetable oils (sunflower and rapeseed, in varying proportions), a jalapeño and cheese seasoning (whey powder from milk, flavourings containing milk, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper powder, onion powder, citric acid, potassium chloride, garlic powder and black pepper), and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, tocopherol rich extract and citric acid).

What the list does and does not say

Neither jalapeño nor cheese appears as an ingredient. The seasoning builds the flavour instead: whey powder and flavourings containing milk give the creamy, cheesy side, and the flavourings carry the jalapeño character. The heat itself comes from cayenne pepper powder, with black pepper adding a second, sharper warmth.

How hot is it

The pack calls it strong, and cayenne pepper powder sits fifth in the seasoning, ahead of the onion and garlic. Expect a real, building heat that lingers, softened a little by the whey and sugar. It is one of the hotter crisps we stock, so try one before handing the bag round.

Sugar and whey

A little sugar and the milk sugar in the whey round off the heat, but the label gives only 0.7g of sugars in a 30g serving, because the seasoning is a small part of each crisp.

Potassium chloride

Potassium chloride sits in the seasoning beside salt. It tastes salty but contains no sodium, so it adds saltiness without adding to the salt figure on the label, which is 1.2g per 100g.

Deep ridges

Max crisps are cut with deep ridges, which makes each slice thicker and stiffer than a classic crisp. The ridges hold more seasoning and give a heavier, more pronounced crunch, which suits a strong flavour.

Why the dairy matters

Chilli heat comes from capsaicin, which dissolves in fat rather than water. Dairy helps carry it, which is why a creamy seasoning makes a hot crisp taste rounder, and why a cold glass of milk or a yoghurt dip is the best way to cool down.

Antioxidants

Rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, which is vitamin C, and a tocopherol rich extract, a source of vitamin E, are there to protect the oil from going stale, not to flavour the crisps. Once opened, the pack says to eat them within three days.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 152 kcal, 8.8g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 15g of carbohydrate, 0.7g of sugars, 1.3g of fibre, 2g of protein and 0.37g of salt for each 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 13% of the fat and 6% of the salt. Per 100g it is 507 kcal, 29g of fat, 2.4g of saturates, 52g of carbohydrate, 2.2g of sugars, 4.4g of fibre, 6.8g of protein and 1.2g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 29g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.4g are amber. Sugars at 2.2g are green. Salt at 1.2g is amber.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight milk, in the whey powder and the flavourings. The allergy advice says the crisps may contain celery, cereals containing gluten, mustard and soya. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan, because of the milk, and there is no gluten free claim. 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 and no added MSG. There is no colour on this list at all.

Who it suits

A strong, hot crisp suits anyone who likes chilli and wants more than a gentle warmth. It is not one for younger children, and the celery and mustard in the may contain advice matter for anyone with those allergies.

A sharing bag

At 140g, the bag suggests four to five servings of 30g. Tip it into a bowl rather than eating from the bag, so the portion is easier to judge.

Serving the bag

A hot crisp suits a big night in, a match on the television or a party table. Serve it with a cold lager, a soured cream and chive dip, or a bowl of guacamole to cool the heat.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a hot, cheesy crumb for the top of a macaroni cheese or a chilli con carne. Scatter them on nachos for extra crunch.

Storage

The pack advises a cool, dry place and, once opened, eating the crisps within three days. Clip the bag shut between servings.

Other Walkers Max flavours

In the same 140g bag we stock Walkers Max Punchy Paprika, Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak and KFC Original Chicken. Punchy Paprika and Flame Grilled Steak are milder, with 0.65g and 0.67g of salt per 100g.

Other 140g packs of Walkers Max 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.