6 November 2010

Nando’s Nuts [Mixed & Cashew] (Morrison’s) [By Spectre]

Nando’s restaurant is a favourite haunt of mine and I’ve recently found out that a new restaurant is opening nearby in Wolverhampton. It’s a great place for a big group of people or just for two to eat spicy chicken, drink refillable soft drinks and slurp healthy flavoured frozen yoghurt for dessert. For starters we usually share a side of Peri-Peri nuts and a side of mixed olives. Looks like they’ve brought out the nuts into the open market and not before time!



Peri-Peri Mixed Nuts – Medium

It states on the front of the bag that these nuts are the same as in the restaurant. They are an assortment of mixed almonds, cashews and macadamias. The warning notice on the back of the packet states that the African Bird’s Eye Chilli flavouring on the nuts may make you need a drink after eating. Apparently a stranger had suggested they put their restaurant nuts in a bag as they are so good. I believe there was more than one stranger that suggested selling them outside the restaurant as anyone who tastes the nuts in Nando’s would probably be desperate to eat them any time.

Having said that, these don’t seem to have exactly the same spicy flavour as the nuts in the restaurant though, I don’t know whether my mind was playing tricks on me as I ate them at my desk in the office, but they just didn’t taste the same. I couldn’t see how it could simply be the atmosphere of the restaurant missing in the taste of the nuts, and when I think about it, I could actually taste the flavour of the nuts. In the restaurant nuts you can’t really taste the nuts, just the tangy Peri-Peri flavour. I’m sure there is more paprika and a touch of garlic in the flavour too. Checking the back of the packet it doesn’t mention paprika or garlic. Therefore I don’t think I was missing the restaurant, although half a grilled medium spiced Peri-Peri chicken with some Peri-Peri fries and a side of coleslaw would have gone down very well, I just think they forgot to add some extra spice!



Peri-Peri Cashews – Hot

The back of the packet states that if you like eating hot coals, you’ll like eating these nuts. I’ve tried Nando’s Hot flavoured crisps and they make your mouth burn. They are a great snack with a cool beer and a good film, so hopefully these nuts live up to that taste for a bit of diversity in snacking. Sadly, stuck at work, I didn’t have a beer or a good film to watch, so I figured that I’d just have to sweat these nuts out during my lunch hour.

Saying “I’ll sweat these nuts out” was a serious over estimation. On first taste I didn’t get any heat or feel an even slightly uncomfortable tingle. I ate a few more, but just couldn’t stand their dull spice-less taste. I even sucked on some for a while to try and magic up some chilli heat, but sadly no luck. These nuts were a big disappointment and an emergency return to the drawing board for Nando’s is needed here.

Nando’s crisp flavours are some of my favourite crisps on the market. They came from no where with their big paprika and chilli tastes. They waltzed passed big brands like Walkers, Kettle and McCoys to produce top quality moreish crispy hot chilli snacks. So what went wrong with these nuts? They have the Medium flavour to a tee in the restaurant nuts, but not in the bag. I’m sure some of the spices were missing? The Hot Cashews have no heat or spice and are simply not to my taste. Yet Nando’s have proved that they are experts in tangy spicy heat from their glorious range of sauces and other products.

As a stranger had suggested Nando’s bag their Medium flavoured nuts, here’s a stranger suggesting they box up and sell their side of mixed olives. This is a healthy tasty snack that goes like magic with their Peri-Peri nuts. Who knows, maybe that was what I was missing with the Medium nuts? But the Hot flavoured nuts needs a rethink… consult the Hot flavoured crisps as they know best.
By Spectre

No comments: