Walkers Wotsits Giants Really Cheesy Snacks, 130g

Wotsits Giants are the classic Wotsits made big, and Really Cheesy is the cheese one. The pack says Wotsits are now supersized. This is the 130g sharing bag, which the pack says holds four to five servings. The full product name on the pack is really cheesy flavour corn puffs, and the maker on the label is Walkers Snack Foods Ltd.

The ingredients

According to the printed pack, the puffs are made from corn (maize), rapeseed oil and a cheese flavour of whey permeate (milk), dried cheese (milk, 6%), salt, cheese solids (milk), dairy solids (milk), yeast extract, potassium chloride, lactic acid, a flavour enhancer (disodium 5' ribonucleotides), colours (paprika extract and annatto norbixin) and natural flavouring (milk).

Giants

Each puff is a big, curled Wotsit, much bigger than a classic one. The back of the pack asks whether you are a cruncher or a melter: you can bite a Giant in half or let it melt.

Baked, not fried

The pack says baked not fried, and the brand's own images say baked in Britain. The label gives 32g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.9g of saturates, amber.

Real cheese

Dried cheese makes up 6% of the puffs, with whey permeate leading the flavour and cheese solids, dairy solids and a natural flavouring, all from milk. Lactic acid gives the tang of a sharp cheese.

The flavour enhancer

Disodium 5' ribonucleotides are a flavour enhancer that strengthens the savoury taste of the cheese and yeast extract. There is no MSG on the list.

The orange

Paprika extract and annatto norbixin, a colour from the seeds of the achiote tree, give the puffs their bright orange coat. The pack says there are no artificial colours or preservatives.

Sugars

Sugar itself is not on the list; the 7.2g of sugars per 100g comes mostly from the whey permeate, which is largely lactose, the sugar in milk. That is amber on the front of pack scale.

Potassium chloride

Potassium chloride sits beside the salt. It tastes salty but contains no sodium, and the salt figure on a UK label is worked out from sodium.

Numbers per serving

The pack gives 148 kcal (618 kJ), 9.6g of fat, 0.9g of saturates, 14g of carbohydrate, 2.2g of sugars, 1.6g of protein and 0.47g of salt for a 30g serving, which it puts at 7% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 14% of the fat and 8% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the pack gives 494 kcal (2059 kJ), 32g of fat, 2.9g of saturates, 46g of carbohydrate, 7.2g of sugars, 0.2g of fibre, 5.4g of protein and 1.6g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 32g is red. Saturates at 2.9g are amber. Sugars at 7.2g are amber. Salt at 1.6g is red.

Salt

The label gives 1.6g of salt per 100g and 0.47g in a 30g serving; the Sweet and Spicy Giants carry 1.7g per 100g.

Corn

Corn, or maize, is the first ingredient, puffed into the shapes before the coating goes on.

Yeast extract

Yeast extract adds savoury depth behind the cheese. It is naturally rich in glutamates, worth knowing for anyone who avoids them altogether.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 46g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 7.2g are sugars; the rest is starch from the corn. Fibre is 0.2g and protein 5.4g per 100g.

Rapeseed oil

Rapeseed oil is the only oil on the list.

Allergens and diet

The printed ingredients highlight milk, in the whey permeate, dried cheese, cheese solids, dairy solids and natural flavouring. The allergy advice on the pack says the puffs may contain soya, wheat, barley, gluten, celery and mustard. The pack says they are suitable for vegetarians; they are not vegan. Recipes and factory arrangements change, so check the allergy advice on the pack you receive.

Four to five servings

The pack says it holds four to five servings of 30g. Tip a serving into a bowl rather than eating from the bag.

Once opened

The listing advises a cool, dry place and says to eat the puffs within 3 days of opening, so fold the bag down and clip it shut.

Cheesy fingers

The orange coating comes off on your fingers, more so with a Giant, so keep a napkin by the bowl.

The pack

The blue bag carries the Walkers logo, the word baked above the Wotsits name, the word Giants in white, one giant curled puff, a red banner reading really cheesy and the 130g weight.

Who it suits

A giant, cheesy, baked puff suits Wotsits fans and children's parties, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding milk.

At a party

Tip the bag into a bowl beside the Sweet and Spicy Giants for a party pair, one mild and one hot.

In the kitchen

Crushed, the puffs make a bright, cheesy crumb for the top of a macaroni cheese.

At a film night

A bowl of Giants goes well with a cold drink at a film night.

In a lunchbox

Tip a few Giants into a small pot for a lunchbox, and clip the bag shut.

Other Wotsits Giants

We also stock Walkers Wotsits Giants Sweet and Spicy in the same 130g bag.

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.