Walkers Wotsits Giants Sweet and Spicy Snacks, 130g

Wotsits Giants are the classic Wotsits made big, and Sweet and Spicy is the Flamin' Hot 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 Flamin' Hot flavour baked 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 Flamin' Hot flavour of sugar, acidity regulators (sodium acetates and malic acid), flavour enhancers (monosodium glutamate and disodium 5' ribonucleotide), flavouring (containing soya and wheat), fructose, salt, onion powder, hydrolysed vegetable protein (soya), garlic powder, soybean derivatives, wheat derivatives and colours (paprika extract and sulphite ammonia caramel).

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. The label gives 31g of fat per 100g, red on the front of pack scale, and 2.5g of saturates, amber.

The sweet

Sugar leads the flavour and fructose, a fruit sugar, follows, so the coating is sweet first. The label gives 3.7g of sugars per 100g, green on the front of pack scale.

The heat

No chilli is named on the list: the Flamin' Hot heat comes from the flavouring, with onion and garlic behind it. It is a warm, building kick, softened by the sugar.

Umami

Hydrolysed vegetable protein, soya and wheat derivatives and the flavour enhancers give a deep, savoury taste under the sweetness. This bag does contain MSG.

The acids

Sodium acetates, from the acid of vinegar, and malic acid, the acid of apples, give the coating a sharp, sweet and sour edge.

The colours

Paprika extract gives the red orange colour, and sulphite ammonia caramel, a caramel colour, darkens it.

Numbers per serving

The pack gives 160 kcal (668 kJ), 9.3g of fat, 0.8g of saturates, 17g of carbohydrate, 1.1g of sugars, 0.5g of fibre, 1.7g of protein and 0.51g of salt for a 30g serving, which it puts at 8% of an average adult's daily energy reference intake, 13% of the fat and 9% of the salt.

Numbers per 100g

Per 100g the pack gives 532 kcal (2225 kJ), 31g of fat, 2.5g of saturates, 57g of carbohydrate, 3.7g of sugars, 1.7g of fibre, 5.7g of protein and 1.7g of salt.

Reading the front of the pack

On the UK front of pack scale, per 100g, fat at 31g is red. Saturates at 2.5g are amber. Sugars at 3.7g are green. Salt at 1.7g is red.

Salt

The label gives 1.7g of salt per 100g and 0.51g in a 30g serving; the Really Cheesy Giants carry 1.6g per 100g.

Carbohydrate and fibre

The label gives 57g of carbohydrate per 100g, of which 3.7g are sugars; the rest is starch from the corn. Fibre is 1.7g and protein 5.7g per 100g.

Corn

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

Fructose

Fructose is the sugar of fruit, sweeter than table sugar, so a little goes a long way in the coating.

Rapeseed oil

Rapeseed oil is the only oil on the list.

Allergens and diet

The printed ingredients highlight soya and wheat, in the flavouring, the hydrolysed vegetable protein and the soybean and wheat derivatives. The allergy advice on the pack says the puffs 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 or soya. 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.

No preservatives

The pack says there are no preservatives.

Fingers

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

The pack

The red bag carries the Walkers logo, the word baked above the Wotsits name, the word Giants in white, one giant curled puff, a dark banner reading sweet and spicy with Flamin' Hot in script and the 130g weight.

Who it suits

A giant, sweet and spicy baked puff suits anyone who likes Flamin' Hot snacks, and the vegetarian statement suits most tables. It is not suitable for anyone avoiding gluten, soya or MSG.

At a party

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

In the kitchen

Crushed, the puffs make a sweet, spicy crumb for chicken goujons, or a topping for a chilli cheese bake.

With a dip

A spicy puff goes well with a cooling soured cream and chive dip.

At a film night

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

Other Wotsits Giants

We also stock Walkers Wotsits Giants Really Cheesy 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.