Let’s talk about the great British snack obsession: sweet and savoury, sometimes at the same time, sometimes one after the other, and sometimes on the same plate. Crisps with chocolate. Jam with cheese. Biscuits as a legitimate lunch substitute. We’re not judging (we are British), but let’s just say… not everyone snacks like we do.
So, where does this sweet–savoury balancing act come from — and why do other countries think we’ve lost the plot?
We’re Addicted to Variety (and Chaos)
Ask any Brit to name their favourite snack and there’s a 75% chance the answer involves crisps. All hail the crisp! But ask them to choose just one flavour? That’s when the internal crisis begins. Cheese & Onion? Smoky Bacon? Prawn Cocktail??
And here’s the thing: we rarely stop at crisps. The sweet tooth kicks in approximately 4.3 seconds after finishing the savoury. So we follow it up with a Penguin bar, a bag of Wine Gums, or something that was definitely meant for a child’s lunchbox. Balance, innit?
It’s not that we can’t commit — we just like to keep things interesting. And maybe, just maybe, we like a little snack drama.
Meanwhile, Elsewhere in the World…
Now, this is where it gets fun — because every country has its own snack rules. And many of them would raise an eyebrow at our crunchy/sweet/salty/sour rollercoaster.
🇯🇵 Japan: Snacks Are an Art Form
Japanese snacks lean heavily into umami, with things like soy sauce rice crackers, seaweed crisps, and savoury puffed corn. Sweets exist (hi, matcha KitKats!), but there’s often less sugar and more subtlety. Mixing sweet and savoury? Not common — unless it’s in a Bento box and perfectly arranged.
🇲🇽 Mexico: Spicy Reigns Supreme
You haven’t truly snacked until you’ve had tamarind candy dusted with chilli powder. Sweet? Yes. Sour? Yep. Spicy? Definitely. Mexicans treat their tastebuds like a theme park. But savoury and sweet in the same sitting? Still usually separate occasions.
🇫🇷 France: Snack? You Mean “Aperitif”?
Snacking in France is more refined. You’ll see mini cheeses, olives, maybe a slice of bread with tapenade. Not a pack of Monster Munch followed by a chocolate digestive. Sweet snacks tend to wait politely for dessert time, like good little pastries.
🇰🇷 South Korea: Inventors of the Snack You Didn’t Know You Needed
Want squid-flavoured peanuts? Corn ice cream? Sweet garlic crisps? South Korea is where snack logic goes out the window — and we love them for it. But even they rarely go back and forth between sweet and savoury the way the UK does. It’s more of a fusion, less of a see-saw.
So, Why Do Brits Snack Like This?
Here’s our theory (completely unscientific, 100% correct):
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Tea culture trained us to want a little biscuit with everything.
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The pub life gave us peanuts and crisps before dinner, then sticky toffee pudding after.
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Our tastebuds are thrill seekers — we chase that flavour contrast like it’s a hobby.
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Childhood lunchboxes set us up for this: mini cheddars and a mini roll? Sign us up.
Also, let’s be honest — snacking is emotional. Sweet for comfort, savoury for satisfaction. Combine the two? That’s full-on snack therapy.
What This Means for Your Snackary Box
At Snackary, we embrace the chaos. That’s why you’ll always get a mix of sweet, savoury, crunchy, chewy, fizzy, weird, and wonderful — sometimes from the same country, sometimes from five. Some snacks will confuse you, some will delight you, and some will make you say “why does this taste like pickles dipped in sugar... and why do I want more?”
But hey, that’s the fun of it.
Whether you’re a crisps-then-chocolate kind of person, or you eat your snacks in strict categories like a civilized human — we’ve got you covered.
Now go enjoy that cola-flavoured marshmallow next to your curry-flavoured chip sticks. You’re among friends here.