Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (WHSmith)

I first spotted these Hippeas chickpea puffs a few weeks ago in the WHSmith in Birmingham train station. I looked at the price and assumed that I'd be able to pick them up cheaper elsewhere (seeing as train station stores are usually so overpriced). The trouble was, I couldn't find Hippeas again anywhere! So on my way back from London on Saturday afternoon I made sure that I popped into the Paddington WHSmith especially to pick some up. At £1.50 for two bags they had also come on offer and didn't break the bank, hurrah!

Sowhat are Hippeas? Hippeas are organic, vegan, gluten-free, high fibre, and low fat puffed chickpeas. The company are also keen to 'give back' and say:

"We believe in change from the ground up. That’s why we support Farm Africa, a charity who do just that.Working in Sub-Saharan Africa, they help farmers become more pioneering andproductive, climate-smart and competitive, enabling them and their communitiesto grow their own way out of poverty."

So, they're healthy and ecologically friendly, but that only matters if they taste good! I picked up a pack of the "Pepper Power" and "In Herbs We Trust" to try.

Pepper Power

Why did I opt for this flavour when I know I'm not keen on overly hot foods? WHSmith only had two varieties and I wanted to be able to compare both. 

The bag was only half full, but that's on par with most other savoury snack bags, and it only claimed to weigh 22g after all. The golden puffs looked like larger -less luminous- Wotsits, but the texture was entirely different. They were crunchier, and more satisfying to eat than the cheesy maize based snack. The trouble was, they were very 'flavourful' -and by that I mean they were super peppery. I needed a large glass of water to wash them down with!

6/10

In Herbs We Trust
This Hippeas flavour seemed to be much more up my street. A quick scout at the ingredients list revealed that they were seasoned with a mixture of sea salt, onions, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper. That sounds almost Italian. I like Italian.

Wow, as soon as the bag was open I was struck by the most wonderfully Mediterranean aroma. Seriously, had I just wandered down the streets of Sorrento? It was clear that these shouldn't be eaten on the train or bus -for fear that you'd be mugged for them. I hoped that the smell would be a true indication of the taste...

..and it was. They were so utterly moreish. The earthy tones of the chickpeas amalgamated with the flavourings perfectly. I enjoyed their crunchiness too, which was much more satiating than eating a bag of potato crisps. They were seriously good.

10/10

Summary
Pepper Power might not be my bag, but if you like spice I'm sure that you'll be able to handle it better than me. I loved the herby flavour, and now am desperately seeking the "Far Out Fajita" and "Sweet & Smokin'" packs too. I've noticed that Holland & Barrett have just started stocking Hippeas, but our local branch only stocks the two flavours I've reviewed! Keeping my eyes peeled...

Garbanzo Bombay Firecracker Dry Roasted Chickpeas (Holland & Barrett)

I can easily promise you now that I wouldn't have even considered buying a pack of these Garbanzo dry roasted chickpeas if it wasn't for instagram. I've been seeing them pop up all over my feed for months now with plenty of people saying they're addicted to them. This piqued my interest enough to start a search. I tried Hereford, Birmingham, Worcester and Cardiff Holland & Barretts to no avail, before I gave in and placed a rather large order with the health store (who happen to have a buy on get on half price deal on all of their stock at the moment FYI). 

What are the benefits of dry roasted chickpeas? Well according to Garbanzo:

"they release their energy slowly over time leaving you satisfied for much longer than most other low calorie snacks. Its low rating on the Glycaemic Index means that this underrated super food is good for your heart and truly plays a part in maintaining a healthy diet. In addition we avoided any preservatives, additives or indeed any common allergens creating a truly wholesome snack to be enjoyed anytime of the day".

The savoury chickpeas come in three flavours: bombay firecracker, tomato garlic & herb, and sweet chilli. As tomato and chilli are more commonplace flavours than anything Indian I decided to give the Bombay Firecracker a go. Each 65g bag contains only 88cals and -as far as I can tell- is suitable for Vegans.

I was surprised by the size of the chickpeas, they were much smaller than the tinned variety, but what Garbanzo lost in size they made up for in abundance and flavouring. There were seemingly hundreds of the little seeds (I always thought they were legumes) generously dusted with aromatic spicy coating. For reference the photo below shows about half of what was in the bag. 

Ouch. I've mentioned before about the poor state of my fragile teeth, and once I took my first bite I really thought I'd struggle to eat the rest of the chickpeas. They were seriously crunchy, taking an awful lot of energy to eat -which I imagine would be a good thing for dieters! The problem was, the flavouring was absolutely delicious, and it was this moreish curry-like taste that kept me munching. I think it took me a good 20 minutes to eat them all (and I'm by no means a slow eater) but I felt satiated once I'd reached the end. 

At £1.29 per bag I don't think I'll buy them regularly, but I might have to eat my words as I've just discovered that the sleepy little market town where I've recently started working has a tiny Holland & Barrett, which strangely stocks Garbanzo! 

7/10