Oct 3, 2025 Metro Eats
Kia ora,
Something that’s really interesting about writing about the snack aisle, is how fickle and ever-changing what’s available is. In that way, perhaps more than any other segment of food culture, observing the various and constant evolutions of snacks are a terrific way to tap into cultural moods, economic pressures and passing fascinations (e.g. Dubai chocolate and ‘Viral fruit ice creams’)
Since we last spoke about snacks, there have been developments. Proper Crisps are, later this month, launching a new “cinnamon tortilla” flavour. Intriguing to me as they’re a rare instance of a locally-made sweet chip, but also because cinnamon-flavoured things read very American sub-continent to me, and so I’m interested to see how well-received they are by New Zealand chip consumers. We tried them in the office yesterday (thanks to some gifted bags). They’re surprisingly good, and unexpectedly savoury despite the cinnamon, which is heady, but balanced by a solid saltiness. I’m not convinced I’d buy them again, but Lucy, our commercial manager, thought they’d be excellent topped with a prawn and a spoon of chilli-flecked guacamole. Try it, perhaps?
Less cheerfully, Griffin’s, owned by the German multinational Intersnack, has proposed closing two of its New Zealand chip factories: the Proper Crisps site in Nelson and the Mexicano facility in Wellington. The proposed cuts could affect 82 roles. It’s a reminder of how consolidated the local snack industry has become, and how much need there is for independent players. Solidarity with the chip workers.
And in better, sippable news, Salaam Cola, a halal cola which is also pitched as offering a non-Coca Cola/ BDS list alternative to soft drinks, has started supplying in New Zealand. At the moment you can find the cans at places like Dundale’s Fijian, Zeta Greek Kitchen and Zaitoon, but find their entire list of local suppliers on their Instagram – a welcome option for those of us trying to shop more consciously, but who also desperately need a can of sugary, fizzy stuff every now and then.
Hei kōnā mai,
Charlotte
Three good snacks.
Tupla Double Layer White Nougat
$4.80 from Safka
This isn’t the first variant of European chocolate bar to receive a positive mention in this newsletter, but this layered bar from Finland – of white nougat, almond and flecks of caramelly, crispy rice puffs – stands out for its sublimity, largely owed to its gentle, but intriguing textural composition. It’s also, by far, the closest thing I’ve tasted to what I imagine might emerge from Willy Wonka’s factory. 9.8/10
Current Spicy Cheese Balls
$4 from Hamro Mart
The biggest issue with so many things that describe themselves as ‘spicy’, is their frequent failure to deliver anything with any actual heat. So it was a pleasant surprise when these puffed corn balls from Nepal made good on this promise. The spice is assertive and lingering, and the cheese understated, but still very much in attendance. Concentrated heat like this, I believe, demands a sturdy textural base, and these, with their dense, substantial bite, did the job thoroughly well. 8/10
Vals Vivaraise Sparkling Water
$3.50 from Maison Vauron
Strolling around outside, in the evening sun (yay, daylight saving time), smelling the just-bloomed flowers, and sipping this very beautiful-looking bottle of mineral water straight from the French spa town of Vals-les-Bains instilled a lovely sense of effervescent spring cheer to the start of my week. The bubbles are light, but numerous and steady enough for an airy froth with each sip. Not-too-fizzy, unflavoured water might not sound like much fun, but there are times…when the sun is out at 6.30pm, when the flowers are out, when the bees are abuzzing…that a perfectly boring drink is more than enough. 7.5/10
Three not so good snacks.
Bret’s Goat’s Pepper Espelette
$7.99 from Safka
The bag opened with a dramatic aromatic burst of chevre and brilliant vermillion-dusted chips, which seemed to suggest something bold might follow. But the flavour, while perfectly pleasant enough, just didn’t quite meet the high expectations, of some kind of earthy, roaming, complexity, that had initially been forged. I did, however, love how clobberingly salty they were. 5.5/10
Biscoito Doce de Polvilho Globo Pacote
A gift from my mum
On Rio’s beaches, paired with sweet iced maté and sea air, these cassava-flour rings in their cheerful, promising packaging probably do make a lot of sense. In Epsom, at the tail end of winter, they absolutely do not. Comprised of manioc flour, coconut, eggs, milk, and sugar, they are astonishingly airy, nearly hollow, and possess a texture somewhere between packing foam and teething snacks. The flavour is, to put it politely, minimal. In 2016, New York Times reporter David Segal described biting into one of these “as if your teeth are at a party to which your tongue was not invited” – a remark that immediately earned him the ire of Brazil’s population, and as I am a coward, I might just leave it there. I suppose these are a persuasive case for the importance of setting when it comes to snack enjoyment. 3.5/10
Wee Sticks Sneezy Cheesy
$9.99
Given the near-total absence of independent, locally produced chips (as mentioned in my introduction), I had hoped these Ashburton-made snacks made, charmingly, by an actual asparagus farm might surprise me. That hope was, regrettably, misplaced. This bag of crisp, freeze-dried batons of asparagus, faintly dusted with parmesan-meets-pepper seasoning, was alarmingly unpleasant. I do wonder whether a more natural iteration, minus especially the cheesiness, might yield something slightly more palatable. No comment on the name. 2/10
