SA expats miss many things about home; if it’s not the weather, it’s the snacks! A new snack has everyone excited because they are apparently just like NikNaks.
United Kingdom (28 March 2023) – When you are feeling snackish, what is your go to? Is it a bag of chips, maybe Flings, Big Korn Bites or NikNaks (um where are the Salt and Vinegar chips, guys, where???), do you reach for some billies? Or are you a sweet tooth kind of snacker? If you are a South African expat, some of your best snacks might feel like a world away.
One South African living in London, Tarryn Lea, recently found a brand of chips that makes a pretty good substitute for South African NikNaks. She shared her findings on Twitter and it caught our interest because we know Good Things Guy readers love a UK-based Saffa treat. Curious, we reached out to friends and family about the chips and got some rave reviews about the likeness.
my time has come. UK finally has a convincing dupe for SA cheese Niknaks 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AZLEU3zuHc
— Tarrynosaurus Rex 🦖 (@Tarryn_Lea) March 28, 2023
If you are an expat living abroad, you can agree that nothing tastes more like home than a good bit of biltong, a juicy boerewors, a splash of Mrs Balls chutney, some Beacon marshmallow eggs at Easter and NikNaks. Having lived overseas for a time, these things were some of the best when found on foreign soil.
You will find South African wines sold at most stores (remember when a UK supermarket tried to save our wine industry during lockdown?), but things like the above-mentioned treats and favourites like Tasty Wheat, Aromat, Black Cat peanut butter and Ouma rusks, are much harder to come by.
Biltong is also a firm favourite, in 2021Â we wrote about how two SA expats started a biltong cafe in Hong Kong, and people went nuts for it! We know of a few butchers in the UK who have started making biltong to feed their local saffa communities.
South African expats love it when they can find things that taste like home. When you are feeling a little homesick, sometimes a little homegrown snack can really perk up your spirit.
Speaking to family based in the UK, they vouched that the new chips called Wotsits Crunchy are flippen good. When they can be found at the local grocery stores, they get bought six bags at a time. Apparently they are currently very popular. Mom swears the chilli flavour is even better than the cheese. So if you need a little bit of home, apparently this will do it until you can get back for a visit.
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