Disclosure: The products featured in this review were provided as media samples. All opinions are our own.

 

Sweet potato chips sound straightforward enough, but once you start adding flavours such as Honey Butter, Mala and Cheese, things get a lot more subjective. Singapore sweet potato brand ilovesweetpotato (ILSP) recently sent us a selection from its NutriRootz range of vacuum-fried sweet potato snacks to try, including both chip and fries-style formats. The full range comes in six flavours — Original, Tomato, Cheese, Honey Butter, Mala and BBQ — and is Halal-certified; we tried five of the six, excluding Original. ILSP also sells fresh whole sweet potatoes grown on its own farms in China and delivered across Singapore.

ILSP is run by Zixin Enterprise Singapore and says it oversees its sweet potatoes from cultivation through to the finished product. The brand also states that its vacuum-frying process can reduce oil absorption by up to 80% compared with conventional frying. We have not independently verified that figure, so we would treat it as a brand claim rather than a health conclusion. What we can say from eating them is that the snacks did feel noticeably less oily than typical potato chips.

We tried six flavours: Original, Honey Butter, BBQ, Mala, Cheese and Tomato. Some worked with the natural sweetness of the sweet potato much better than others. For this review, we’ll be talking about the five unique flavours and will be excluding the Original as it’s just sweet potato and…I assume you all know how sweet potatoes taste like.

1. Honey Butter: Our Favourite

Honey Butter was the unexpected winner for us. The seasoning was not as strong as the honey-butter flavour you might get on potato chips or honey-butter almonds, but that actually worked in its favour.

It was sweet and savoury without overwhelming the sweet potato itself, and ended up being the most pleasant and balanced flavour of the lot. If you prefer your snacks flavourful without being aggressively seasoned, this would be our first pick.

2. BBQ: Smoky and Savoury, But Texture Was Inconsistent

The BBQ flavour came in a fries-style format rather than thin chips. The smoky seasoning worked well with the sweet potato and was one of the stronger savoury options in the range.

The main drawback was texture. Some pieces were noticeably harder than others, something my husband pointed out while eating them. Once the fries softened, the texture became less pleasant as well.

Flavour-wise, however, BBQ was one of the better combinations and would be our second choice after Honey Butter.

3. Mala: Pleasant Enough, But Not Very Mala

Mala came third for us, although it did not quite deliver what we expected from the name.

The seasoning needed more spice and aroma. We could barely pick out the chilli, cumin or the other spices that normally give mala its distinctive character. As a lightly seasoned sweet potato chip it was still enjoyable, but if you are buying it specifically because you want that numbing, spicy, aromatic mala experience, it may feel too restrained.

4. Cheese: The Combination Did Not Quite Work

Cheese was one of the more divisive flavours in our household. My daughter was quite happy to lick the cheese powder off the chips, but did not actually want to eat the chips themselves.

That more or less summed up our impression too: the cheese seasoning itself was fine, but it did not seem to marry particularly well with the natural sweetness of sweet potato.

5. Tomato: Our Least Favourite

Tomato was the first flavour we tried, during the National Day Parade, and it ended up being our least favourite.

That surprised me because I normally love eating sweet potato fries with ketchup, so I expected tomato and sweet potato to be an easy match. In this form, however, the flavour did not quite land. It was not unpleasant, but it was the least memorable of the five, and both my husband and daughter were not keen on it either.

The Texture Changes Quite Quickly After Opening

Across the range, one thing stood out: the snacks soften fairly quickly after the packet has been opened.

I did not personally mind the softer texture, but it was an issue for my daughter, who is quite particular about crunch. Once the chips soften, the natural sweet potato flavour also becomes more noticeable. That may appeal to people who already love sweet potato, but if you are looking for something predominantly savoury, the balance changes as the snack sits.

This also explains why the smaller individual packs inside the larger bags make practical sense. These are snacks you have to open and finish in one sitting than leave around for later.

So, Which Flavour Would We Buy Again?

Our ranking was Honey Butter, BBQ, Mala, Cheese, then Tomato.

Honey Butter worked best because the seasoning complemented the sweet potato instead of fighting with it. BBQ came close thanks to its smoky flavour, although the harder pieces pulled it down slightly. Mala was enjoyable but needed much more spice to live up to its name, while Cheese and Tomato were the least convincing combinations for us.

The biggest positive across the range was not actually the flavouring, but how much less greasy the snacks felt compared with conventional chips. That does not automatically make them a health food but purely as a snacking experience, the lighter, less oily mouthfeel was noticeable.

If you already enjoy the natural taste of sweet potato, ILSP is worth trying for the different flavour combinations. Just keep in mind that the crunch is at its best soon after opening.

Where to buy: NutriRootz sweet potato snacks are available directly from ilovesweetpotato, on Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop. The limited-edition NutriRootz x Mr Kiasu 40g packs in Original and Tomato are also available at POPULAR bookstores nationwide.

---

Images: ilovesweetpotato