Real flavour of prawn cocktail crisps will blow your mind

When it comes to crisp flavours, there are some that are accepted as being universally top tier - the rare tastes that unite us all - but most of the time, we're a nation divided.

Few flavours command a level of controversy like that sparked by the Marmite of crisps - apart from, perhaps, marmite flavour - and that is prawn cocktail.

There's just something about the pink bag and puckering taste marketed as a recreation of prawns drenched in marie rose sauce and served with lettuce in a wine glass.

Quite how or why such a flavour was conceived is a mystery, but prawn cocktail has its loyal followers, as well as its equally loyal haters.

But some people are now drawing attention to one aspect of prawn cocktail flavour crisps which is bothering them.

Prawn cocktail crisps are a controversial flavour (Walkers)

This is that they're not sure that the crisps are actually prawn flavour at all, but in fact something else entirely.

"As a non-Brit, I don't think I quite understand the complexities of this flavour," one person posed on Reddit.

"I have eaten the whole pack and I still can’t tell what it is I’m tasting."

Others have also had a lot to say about the flavour, suggesting that it's not actually 'prawn cocktail' flavour at all, but something else entirely.

Over on X, another said: "The most accepted scam of our time is that prawn cocktail crisps are tomato flavoured."

Someone else echoed: "They have no prawns in the flavouring and ‘Prawn Cocktail’ is just a very odd pseudonym for ‘Tomato Crisps’. By far the best though."

Meanwhile, another said: "Prawn cocktail crisps are literally just tomato ketchup flavour, don't f**king @ me I've done the maths."

Prawn cocktail is a retro classic (Yavuz Arslan\ullstein bild via Getty Images)

After a bit of digging, it's probable that the prawn cocktail aspect comes less from the prawns and more from that aforementioned marie rose sauce.

While there are fancier ways to make this from scratch, the accepted recipe passed down from everyone's nan who grew up with prawn cocktails as the height of sophistication involves two main ingredients - mayonnaise and ketchup.

So that might explain the similarity to another flavour, which is tomato ketchup.

To that mixture you might add paprika, cayenne pepper if you like some spice, black pepper, and lemon juice.

Then drown some prawns in that sauce, stick some lettuce in a wine glass and dump on the prawns and it's like you're back in the 1970s.

Fairfields Farm sells prawn cocktail crisps that are suitable for vegans, with its website saying: "The skin-on potato crisps are packed with flavour, infused with sweet tomato, vinegar and spices, this classic flavour is the newest to our range of handcooked crisps."

Nope, not a single mention of our crustacean pals - something that's also backed up by the ingredients list: Potatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Caster Sugar, Salt, Tomato Powder, Cider Vinegar Powder, Onion Powder, Dextrose, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Natural Flavourings, Smoked Paprika, Caraway, Dill, Paprika Extract, Rosemary Extract, Capsicum Extract, Black Pepper Extract.

(Fairfields Farm)

The same goes for Walkers' veggie-friendly prawn cocktail crisps - pay particular attention to the 'prawn cocktail seasoning' ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Prawn Cocktail Seasoning [Acids (Sodium Acetates, Potassium Acetate, Citric Acid), Sugar, Flavourings, Dextrose, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Yeast Powder, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Spice Extract, Colour (Paprika Extract), Sweetener (Sucralose)], Antioxidants (Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol Rich Extract, Citric Acid).

As for Pringles? Let's see: Dehydrated Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Palm, Corn) in varying proportions, Wheat Flour, Corn Flour, Rice Flour, Prawn Cocktail Seasoning (Sugar, Acidity Regulator {Sodium Diacetate}, Flavour Enhancer {Monosodium Glutamate}, Potassium Chloride, Tomato Powder, Modified Maize Starch, Spices, Sunflower Oil, Dextrose, Flavourings, Acid {Citric Acid}, Barley Malt Vinegar, Skimmed Milk Powder, Yeast Extract, Glucose Syrup, Salt, Milk Proteins, Colour {Paprika Extract}), Maltodextrin, Emulsifier (E471), Salt, Colour (Annatto Norbixin)

So there you have it, the dominant flavour you're experiencing is actually tomato. It's arguably just the association with prawn that makes you taste it.

FOODbible has reached out to Walkers and Fairfields Farm for comment.