A leading food scientist, Dr Stuart Farrimond of the University of Chester, has named chicken tikka filling and ready salted crisps as the ultimate match when it comes to crisp sandwiches.
He carried out this unique research in a team-up with fast-food franchise Subway to find the best crips sandwich combinations.
The expert arrived at his conclusion after using consumer data and flavour science to analyse the taste, aroma, and texture of foods to identify the top 10 sandwich filling and crisp pairings.
He said: "Chicken tikka has a wide range of flavours that stimulate sweet, sour and umami tastes - a ‘savoury’ flavour sensation that also gives foods a more-ish quality - as well as spicy heat.
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"The salty seasoning in the crisps enhances an already diverse bouquet of flavours in the chicken."
Dr Farrimond went on to say that "sandwiches are a much-loved lunchtime staple, but flavour-pairing theory and consumer testing has allowed us to explore new ways that we can elevate this familiar meal and boost both texture and flavour.
"Subway and Walkers briefed me to analyse the flavour compounds in iconic sandwiches and crisp flavours in this study, allowing us to reveal the definitive list of the tastiest crisp sandwich flavour pairings and hopefully give Brits some more lunchtime inspiration."
Tuna mayonnaise and prawn cocktail crisps were awarded second place in the rankings as "prawn cocktail flavoured crisps carry the piquant taste of Marie Rose sauce, which complements and accentuates the fish flavours of the tuna mayo."
And in third place were meatballs and ready salted crisps - with the food expert claiming the potato snacks "elevated" each bite by offering "a textual contrast through additional 'crunch'."
Other scientifically-approved crisp sandwich combinations included chicken salad with cheese and onion and a classic BLT - bacon, lettuce and tomato - with salt and vinegar, salami with ready salted, a festive slice of turkey with cheese and onion.
When analysing the results of the study, Dr Farrimond concluded that most sandwich fillings can be improved with crisps.
Subway's Senior Marketing Director, Angie Gosal, commend: "At Subway, we are serious about crisp sandwiches - and to bring this delicacy to a wider audience, we have appointed the world’s first Crisp Sandwich Sommelier in partnership with Walkers.
"Poppy O’Toole is the first person appointed to this new role and the goal is for her to share her knowledge for making perfect crisp sandwiches, so our guests can experience the joy of adding more crunch to their lunch."
In her new role, Poppy will be making lunchtime visits to Subway restaurants to educate guests about the perfect Walkers crisps flavour combinations to add to their Subs - as well providing expert advice on crisp layering techniques.
Poppy O'Toole is a Michelin-trained chef and TikTok star who says she wants to “bring the joy of crisp sandwiches to a wider audience” and she landed the role as a result of her passion for finding perfect flavour pairings.
After losing her job during the Covid-19 pandemic, the 28-year-old thought her dreams of becoming a chef were in tatters, so she took to TikTok to share her love of potato recipes - earning her more than 2.1 million followers and the title of 'Potato Queen' in the process.
Here's a look at the top 10 crisp sandwich combinations Dr Farrimond found:
1. Chicken Tikka and Ready Salted Crisps
2. Tuna Mayonnaise and Prawn Cocktail Crisps
3. Meatball and Ready Salted Crisps
4. Chicken Salad and Cheese & Onion Crisps
5. Cheese and Salt & Vinegar Crisps
6. Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato and Salt & Vinegar Crisps
7. Ham and Cheese & Onion Crisps
8. Turkey and Cheese & Onion Crisps
9. Salami and Ready Salted Crisps
10. Steak and Prawn Cocktail Crisps
What's your favourite combination? Let us know in the comments below.
