I want real duck in my crisps..... (Walkers Crispy Duck & Hoisin Crisps)

Member Name: marymoose

Product:	Walkers Crispy Duck & Hoisin Crisps
Date:	06/03/09 (440 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reasonable taste, quite moreish

Disadvantages: Aftertaste, unhealthy, only comes in big bags

Having read an abundance of these Walkers crisps reviews on dooyoo I was quite disappointed when I couldn't see them in our local Tesco, as I felt I was missing out, not being able to see for myself what they were like!

I cannot imagine that anyone reading this review will not know what it's all about - I can't imagine how you'd come across this review if you didn't know about it! But in short Walkers decided to let the public choose a new flavour for crisps...from the suggestions made they picked 6 which are as follows:
* Chocolate and Chilli
* Builder's Breakfast
* Fish and Chips
* Onion Bhaji
* Crispy Duck and Hoisin
* Cajun Squirrel

Then people will vote for which one they like best and that will be the new Walkers flavour - you need to send a text message to the number of the one you want to win (it doesn't cost anything). Each packet has a picture on the front representing the flavour, and saying who suggested it - although I imagine that each flavour was suggested by a lot of people, these are just the people picked out of the hat, or whatever! Basically it's all a big marketing and money making scheme, and it seems to be working very well - I mean it made me want to try these crisps just so I could say that I have! Oh dear, I think I need a life!

Anyway, hubby managed to find me a packet of Chocolate and Chilli crisps, and I have to say that I felt that they were absolutely vile, quite possibly the worst crisps I've ever eaten - EVER! I couldn't get a third of the way through, and was left with that taste when you've drunk too much the night before and were too drunk to clean your teeth before bed. Another day we stopped off at a service station and I had one of hubby's Builder's Breakfast crisps, and it tasted of egg which was very off-putting. I did make my way through a whole packet of Cajun Squirrel flavour, which were just about alright, nothing special though.

Last night I found that our Tesco now does sell them (no multipacks though), so I bought packets of the three I hadn't yet tried. These crisps only come in 46g bags which is too big (well saying that though I could quite happily munch through 46g of salt and vinegar!), but again that's a way to make more money. A bag of these can set you back between 50p and 70p.



---Snack Time---

It's rare that I have crisps while at work, but today I've made an exception.....

The Duck and Hoisin falvour crisps were apparently suggested by Vicky from Northwich, and a cute picture of a duck made from crisps illustrates it. The packaging is light blue with a bright purple, including a rosette saying "Vote for Me!"



---Nutritional Info---

This is the bad bit. The packet contains 241 calories (12% of the rda), 1.4g sugar (2%) 15g fat (21%), 1.2g saturates (6%), and 0.61g (10% salt). NOT a healthy snack by any means....I would feel much better if it was a 30g bag of crisps.

Onto the back of the packet and we find that the main ingredient is unsurprisingly potatoes, followed by sunflower oil (33%) and Crispy Duck and Hoisin Seasoning. The seasoning comprises of various unappetizingly sounding things - dried garlic, hydrolysed soya protein, and various extracts.

There is NO DUCK in these crisps whatsoever which I think is stupid really. I see no reason why a duck flavoured crisp should be vegetarian, but it is. I don't see why a vegetarian (unless they were a vegetarian for medical reasons) would want to eat something meat flavoured, just makes no sense to me I'm afraid!

The crisps are also suitable for coeliacs.

However, it doesn't seem to say who they are not suitable for...so not very helpful for those with allergies. I presume you need to avoid.



---The smell---

They smell a little bit like curry.



---The look---

Well, they look like crisps really - fairly yellowish.


---The taste---

They do actually taste a little bit like crispy duck...overall they do have that kind of Chinesey flavour.

I gave one to my colleague and she said she could taste the duck too.

As I munch through the bag I find that while they aren't really anything special, and aren't really anything different (haven't Walkers done a duck flavour in their Sensations range?) they are somehow quite moreish.

Unfortunately there is a bit of an aftertaste from the crisps which isn't particularly pleasant.


---The texture---

They are crisp textured! They are not as greasy as some crisps.


---My verdict---

These actually aren't too bad at all despite the aftertaste, my favourite of the 4 I've tried so far. However, they really aren't anything special, and even if this flavour wins I can't see myself ever buying them again!


---Other---

To find out more visit www.walkers.co.uk

Summary: Worth trying, but won't buy again!