Snack Attack - Broccoli Chips

Can these really be called 'chips' if they are made of broccoli? If you look up the definition of chip you either get something relating to wood, stone, microchips, gambling or POTATO. Yet we are in the world of healthy snacks and so things such as kale chips have become popular. There are also chips made of hummus, peas, beans and quinoa to name a few so it isn't surprising to see broccoli chips on the market. I happened upon these whilst browsing one of my local supermarkets and was curious. What would they look like? How would they taste? Would someone who hates broccoli like these?

These are Gluten Free, have no preservatives, no trans fats, are pesticide free, vegetarian and have only 43 calories per serve. The guilt free snack with the claim that one 40g portion of broccoli chips is made up of approximately 400g raw nutritious broccoli, which I find hard to believe. Vacuum fried in rice bran oil for a healthier result, will these be the new potato chip?

Sea Salt

Upon opening the packet I struggled to even smell these, they had almost no smell except a slight oil scent. I was happy to see that these were pieces of broccoli like I had thought they might have been, it would have been strange if they had mushed them up and turned them into potato chip shapes. Airy and light inside with a slight crunch resistance especially when biting through the stalk. These don't taste like broccoli as much as I would have thought, there is a vague vegetable taste but you can also taste the oil. The chips aren't over salted which is nice as some companies add too much. A good snack but it didn't blow me away.

Spicy

These had a much stronger smell then the sea salt ones, you could smell a beany/soy smell sort of like a baked edamame or broad bean. The broccoli is coated in specks of flavouring and chilli flakes. The chilli doesn't hold back, it has a real kick that keeps getting more and more intense as you eat them but not too hot that you want to stop. It is the kind of spice that disappears quickly so once you stop eating them it doesn't linger for long. I enjoyed these a lot more then the sea salt ones but I think mixing them together would be a good idea so you don't get overwhelmed with all the flavouring.

BBQ

I've never had much luck when it comes to BBQ flavoured snacks. They tend to be too much to handle and I almost end up with palate fatigue before I've had more then three snacks. These had a slight BBQ smell to them but it didn't smack you in the face. The taste is the essence of BBQ but with using very minimal spices to achieve it and not as artificial as some flavourings can taste. A more subtle flavour then the spicy ones, these were enjoyable to snack on and I would recommend these for people who are on the fence about BBQ flavoured snacks and those who are all about BBQ.

Overall these were a pleasant snack. Were they better then potato chips? No, but they are a good healthy alternative and did satisfy the part of me that wanted a crunchy snack. If you hate broccoli would you like these? Possibly, since they don't have a strong broccoli taste you might just find yourself enjoying them, the look might be a bit weird for you. They do have very nifty resealable bags which is great as that's a downfall chips packets don't have. I don't see these taking over the world of potato chips but they have their place in the snack world.

Do yourself a flavour and give these a try.