Portlebay Pop Sushi
€3.95 for 125g
Sushi? Really? In a bag that looks for all the world like regular popcorn? We had to give this a try because of its newness. This is hand-popped in Devon, and the makers describe it as being original since – wait for it – “2012”. Amazing. You will struggle to find this in your local corner shop: look for it in high-end delis like Fallon & Byrne. It is nice, but we’d have to wonder if it is so nice that we’d be rushing out to get it again and pay this kind of money for it. The wasabi lends some of the popped corn a serious punch – and gives it a not entirely pleasant green hue.
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Verdict: Unusual but pricey
Star Rating: ***
Tayto Bistro
€1.79 for 75g
We thought this was promising, but it disappointed us on many levels. We are big fans of Tayto, both in its original format and for its newer bistro-style crisps, but we reckon this is overreaching. For a start, how can popcorn possibly be described as bistro? That is not the biggest concern. The absence of flavour was more problematic, and after just a few handfuls of this we got bored. That is not so say the line lacks promise – it doesn’t – but we’d just like it to be given more of a kick.
Verdict: Needs work
Star rating: ***
Perri Popcorn
€1.65 for 120g
This was not what we expected or wanted in a bag of popcorn at all. It is made with "butter salt flavouring", which sounds like something we would love, but it tasted all wrong. Caramel colouring was also listed as
an ingredient. Why any popcorn would need such an adornment is beyond us.
The texture was too soft, and
the bag was too small. It is not terrible by any means, but it let us down all the same.
Verdict: Disappointing
Star rating: **
Manhattan
€1.79 for 100g
This is much more like it. Only three ingredients are listed: maize, sunflower oil and salt. This is,
by any measure, a great little snack – and a much-better- for-you alternative to crisps. It tastes delicious, is high in fibre and low in calories and is very widely available. It is very salty (no more than the others, mind), but we like that – even if our heart is not so keen. The company has kept it simple, and it works. It is only when you compare it with newer, fancier options that you realise how good it is.
Verdict: Flawless
Star rating: *****
