Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli Wavy Crisps, 140g

The Wavy Cut is Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli on a ridged crisp: deep waves in each slice, with the seasoning held in the grooves. This is the 140g sharing bag, which the label suggests serves four to five. The full product name is Thai sweet chilli flavour ridged 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 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.

Wavy cut

The slices are cut with deep waves, which make each crisp thicker and stiffer than a flat one. The brand says the ridges hold the seasoning for a stronger flavour, and the grooves do carry more of it than a flat face.

A shorter list

Unlike the flat Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, the wavy recipe lists no calcium lactate firming agent: potatoes, oil, the seasoning and the antioxidants are the whole list.

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 brand describes a gentle start of sweet onion and a little chilli warmth.

Then the herbs

Next come the fragrant herbs: dried parsley with garlic, onion and flavouring, while dried tomato and red bell pepper give the sauce its fruity body.

Finishing with heat

The dried red chilli flakes bring a gentle heat at the finish, with paprika for a sweet pepper note. It builds slowly rather than burning.

Soya sauce and savoury depth

Soya sauce powder and hydrolysed vegetable protein give the seasoning its savoury depth. 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.

Richer than the flat bag

The ridged slice has more surface than a flat one, and the wavy bag carries more fat: 30g per 100g against 26g for the flat Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli, and 512 kcal per 100g against 489.

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 0.65g of salt per 100g and 0.19g for a 30g serving.

Numbers per serving

The label gives 154 kcal (641 kJ), 9g of fat, 0.7g of saturates, 15g of carbohydrate, 1.1g of sugars, 1.5g of fibre, 2.1g of protein and 0.19g of salt for each 30g serving. That is about 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 13% of the fat and 3% of the salt. Per 100g it is 512 kcal (2137 kJ), 30g of fat, 2.3g of saturates, 51g of carbohydrate, 3.8g of sugars, 5.1g of fibre, 6.9g of protein and 0.65g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 30g is red, as it is for fried crisps generally. Saturates at 2.3g are amber. Sugars at 3.8g are green. Salt at 0.65g 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 says the crisps may contain 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. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

The pack

The bag shades from black to deep red, with slices of red chilli and a sweep of crushed spice beside the Sensations name, a wavy cut label under the flavour and a pile of ridged crisps below.

The dip crisp

The ridges make this the Sensations crisp for dipping: firm enough for a cream cheese dip, a guacamole or a soured cream and chive dip without breaking.

Who it suits

A sweet, gently hot ridged crisp suits anyone who likes a little chilli and a firm crunch. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten or soya.

Serving the bag

Serve it with two or three dips for a gathering, beside a platter of spring rolls, or with a cold lager on a film night.

In the kitchen

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

Four to five servings

At 140g, the bag suggests 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 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.

Other Sensations packs

For the flat crisp in the same flavour, we stock Walkers Sensations Thai Sweet Chilli at 150g, 40g and in a five bag multipack. In the 150g bag there are also Mature Cheddar and Chilli Chutney, Roasted Chicken and Thyme and Balsamic Vinegar and Caramelised Onion.

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.