Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Crisps, 150g

Thai Sweet Chilli is the sweet, gently hot flavour of the Walkers Sensations range, and the one we stock in the most sizes. This is the 150g sharing bag, which the pack says holds five servings. The full product name on the pack is Thai sweet chilli flavour potato crisps, and 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 Thai sweet chilli seasoning, a firming agent (calcium lactate) and antioxidants (rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, tocopherol rich extract and citric acid).

The seasoning

The seasoning lists sugar, soya sauce powder (containing wheat), fructose, flavouring, hydrolysed vegetable protein (containing soya), potassium chloride, salt, dried onion, dried red chilli flakes, dried garlic, dried parsley, dried tomato, paprika powder, red bell pepper powder, citric acid and paprika extract for colour.

Sweet first

Sugar and fructose, a fruit sugar, lead the seasoning, so the first taste is sweet, like the Thai style sweet chilli sauce the flavour is named after. The pack says the flavour opens gently, with sweet onion and a touch of chilli.

Then the herbs

Next, the pack describes fragrant herbs. On the list that is dried parsley with garlic, onion and flavouring, while dried tomato and red bell pepper give the sauce its fruity body.

Finishing with heat

The pack promises a sweet heat to finish. The dried red chilli flakes bring it, with paprika for a sweet pepper note. It is a gentle, building warmth rather than a fiery one.

Soya sauce and savoury depth

Soya sauce powder and hydrolysed vegetable protein give the seasoning its savoury depth under the sweetness. The pack says no added MSG, and none is on the list; soya sauce and hydrolysed vegetable protein are naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether.

Sugar in a sweet crisp

Despite the sweet taste, sugars are 3.7g per 100g and 1.1g in a serving, green on the front of pack scale. A little sugar goes a long way on the surface of a crisp.

Thicker cut

The pack says Sensations use specially selected potato varieties, cut thicker for a satisfying crunch. A thicker slice holds more seasoning and has a firmer bite than a standard crisp.

Calcium lactate and the antioxidants

Calcium lactate is a firming agent: the calcium helps the potato slice keep its structure through frying. The antioxidants, rosemary extract, vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and tocopherols, protect the oil from going stale.

Potassium chloride and the salt figure

Potassium chloride sits in the seasoning beside salt. It tastes salty but contains no sodium, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium. The label gives 0.64g of salt per 100g and 0.19g for a 30g serving.

Numbers per serving

The pack gives 147 kcal (612 kJ), 7.8g of fat, 0.6g of saturates, 16g of carbohydrate, 1.1g of sugars, 1.8g of fibre, 2g of protein and 0.19g of salt for each 30g serving, which it puts at 7% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 11% of the fat and 3% of the salt. Per 100g it is 489 kcal (2041 kJ), 26g of fat, 2.1g of saturates, 54g of carbohydrate, 3.7g of sugars, 5.9g of fibre, 6.6g of protein and 0.64g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 26g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.1g are amber. Sugars at 3.7g are green. Salt at 0.64g is amber, in the lower part of its band.

Allergens and diet

The published ingredients highlight soya, in the soya sauce powder and the hydrolysed vegetable protein, and wheat, in the soya sauce powder. The allergy advice on the pack says the crisps may contain milk, gluten, barley, celery and mustard. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; there is no vegan statement, and they are not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

The pack

The black bag shows a ring of red pepper with its seeds and green herbs in a sweep of red light beside the Sensations name.

Other sizes

The same recipe comes in a 40g bag for one and a five bag multipack of 25g bags. There is also a Thai Sweet Chilli Wavy Cut at 140g, a ridged crisp with its own recipe, and Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Poppadoms.

Who it suits

A sweet, gently hot crisp suits anyone who likes a little chilli without much heat, and it makes a sharing bowl most of the table will eat. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya.

Serving the bag

Thai sweet chilli goes with a cream cheese or soured cream dip, a platter of spring rolls and prawn crackers, or a cold lager. Serve it beside a Thai curry night or a barbecue.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the crisps make a sweet chilli crumb for chicken or prawns, or a topping for a noodle salad.

Five servings

The pack says the bag contains 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 eating the crisps within three days of opening; the bag is packed in a protective atmosphere, which keeps the crisps fresh until it is opened. The pack points you to recycling the packet in store.

Other Sensations flavours

In the same 150g bag we stock Walkers Sensations Mature Cheddar and Chilli Chutney, Roasted Chicken and Thyme and Balsamic Vinegar and Caramelised Onion.

Sizes of Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Crisps 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.