Junk food that’s good for you? An oxymoron to be sure- but if you’ve ever tasted Phileas Fogg’s “crisps” (or chips as they’re called in North America) - you’ll know that the previous statement rings true. Made in the UK by United Biscuits, these little foil packets of flavour offer up, as their tagline rightly says, “authentic tastes from around the world.” Well, as authentic as you can get in a back of crisps- and they do a fine job.
Gourmet International Flavours Galore
The gourmet-like flavour of the Sea salt and Indonesian Black Peppercorn intrigues with its latent heat and almost citrusy, fruit-like flavour from this particular kind of pepper that’s sundried. Paired with a little bubbly and you’ve got a lovely aperitif- they’re that sophisticated! Other fun flavours include the Mexican Sweet Chili (featuring Mexican Serrano chiles no less for a smouldering and very acceptable level of heat) and the tried and true Irish Cheddar and Onion Chutney (Guinness, anyone??). The tangy Irish cheddar plays off beautifully against the sweetness of the caramelized onion chutney.
These folks have thought through their flavour pairings- they’re subtly, wonderfully spice. Unlike our various attempts here in North America, they’re not too salty, too sweet or too much. We have a tendency to do that to all of our snack foods (cloyingly sweet chocolate bars full of high fructose corn syrup- I’m talking to you!) and make things more “in your face.” They’re not greasy either. These aren’t the kinds of snacks that leave the dreaded “oil slick” on the roof of your mouth. Thankfully!
Minus the Unnecessary Additions
While the flavours are fabulous, the real reason to get excited about Phileas Fogg’s chips is the fact that they’re fried in 100% Sunflower oil, there are No artificial flavours or colours added, there’s no hydrogenated vegetable oil used and there’s not a speck of MSG.
Named after the Jules Verne character in “80 Days Around the World,” Phileas Fogg seeks to give the snacker with a refined palate a gourmet alternative. If crisps aren’t your bag, Food Trends recommends you give the Indian Red Chilli Poppadoms a savour. Spiced with the legendary red chiles of India’s Guntur region, they are a crisp, flavourful indulgence any time. And yes, you can even pronounce all of the ingredients on the back flap: black gram flour, sunflower oil, salt, raising agent calcium oxide, rice flour (to keep things light and crunchy) and Indian red chile flakes.
The company also offers nuts and tortillas in a variety of flavours including roasted and salted Persian Pistachios and Brazilian Cashew nuts. Literally a world of flavour to discover.
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