Move over deep-fried Mars bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—there’s a new culinary trend making waves in the UK: milk and crisps.
PepsiCo’s latest snack offering, ‘Extra Flamin’ Hot’, made its debut in the UK last week. This fiery new flavor, available in the Walkers MAX, Doritos, and Wotsits Crunchy ranges, has garnered mixed reviews from snack enthusiasts, with some finding the heat too intense.
To cool down the spice-induced heat, the brains behind Extra Flamin’ Hot have decided to introduce milk miniatures alongside the snacks. However, it’s worth noting that this news coincides with ‘April Fool’s Day’, a time when pranks abound.
The ‘Not Extra Flamin’ Hot Milk’ will hit shelves today (Monday, April 1st) and will be available “until British taste buds acclimate to the spice,” according to Dalila FopsRoy, Head of Brand Innovation.
Milk was chosen for its spice-neutralizing properties, as it contains a protein called casein that can break down capsaicin, the compound responsible for the heat in peppers, explains Dr. Paolo Salify, Extra Flamin’ Hot’s Director of Heat Transference.
Alongside the April Fools’ prank, Extra Flamin’ Hot conducted real research to identify regions in the UK with a penchant for spicy food. The data reveals that Glasgow residents have the highest affinity for spice, with two-thirds (67%) expressing either a liking or a love for it, while those in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have the lowest tolerance—41% have either a low or no tolerance for spicy food.
“We’ve been considering offering milk alongside Extra Flamin’ Hot Wotsits Crunchy, Doritos, and Walkers MAX for a while now. With the release of this new data, we decided to fast-track that decision and get it on shelves as soon as possible,” says Dr. Salify.
‘Not Extra Flamin’ Hot Milk’ will initially be available in Belfast, with plans for a nationwide rollout in the coming days and weeks—unless, of course, it’s all just part of the April Fools’ joke!
