Mystery flavour of Thins Light & Tangy chip finally revealed

What flavour is Light & Tangy? That’s the question that has plagued Aussies for decades – and now the recipe has been exposed.

“What flavour is Light & Tangy?”

It’s a question that has plagued Australians since the chip first launched in the 90s.

But now, one very clever businesswoman reckons she’s uncovered the answer, after she set out to identify its ingredients.

Jordyn Evans is the mastermind behind Mingle Seasoning, a multimillion dollar brand that creates all-natural versions of classic pantry staples that don’t contain “nasty” ingredients.

Since launching in 2016, Mingle Seasoning has successfully recreated some of the most iconic kitchen flavours, including BBQ and Tomato Sauce and its viral “Everything Bagel” topping which sold out nationwide recently after Aussies rushed to make a cucumber salad that contained the cult-American seasoning.

However, Mingle’s most recent product may just be its most exciting yet, after Ms Evans set her sights on uncovering the “mystery” of the Light & Tangy chip.

“Light and Tangy is a flavour that has fascinated Australians for decades. It’s nostalgic, unique, and a bit of a cult classic — but no one really knows what gives it that signature taste,” she told news.com.au.

“At Mingle, we love a challenge and saw an opportunity to recreate this iconic flavour with a modern twist: no sugar, no unnatural flavour enhancers, no maltodextrin, and no milk powder. “We wanted to celebrate this beloved Aussie flavour while making it more accessible for people to enjoy on anything, not just chips – popcorn, potatoes even on chicken.”

The ‘mystery’ flavour of Thins Light & Tangy chip has finally revealed. Picture: TikTok/MingleSeasoning

Jordyn Evans, who owns Mingle Seasoning, reckons she’s figured out the exact ingredients. Picture: TikTok/MingleSeasoning

Despite the chip’s popularity, many have longed to know just what the flavour actually is.

A popular Reddit thread debating the mystery offers some theories, with some speculating the ingredients list “offers some clues” but eventually determining there was “nothing conclusive”.

“This is a bit of a schoolyard mystery but it came up the other day... a friend claimed that it’s tomato and bbq sauce flavour,” the thread starts, before asking whether anyone else could confirm where its unique taste comes from.

“It tries to emulate a Light Sour Cream flavour,” one speculated, before adding it also has a “tang” as well as “a bit of ground parsley, salt, MSG (e621) for umami, and bobs your uncle”.

“I reckon it’s onion and tomato but I see the ingredients agree with me,” another stated.

“It’s got to be Italian or French salad dressing/vinaigrette,” guessed someone else.

News.com.au has contacted Snack Brands Australia for comment.

One internet sleuth claims the chip manufacturer has previously declined to weigh in on the debate, stating it “can’t help settle the bet” that continues to rage between Aussies.

“The ingredients that make up our flavours is proprietary information and we can’t go into detail about it but I can tell you that there is most certainly a tomato note in their, not so sure about the BBQ sauce one though,” the statement, shared on Reddit, read.

While the Thins manufacturer said the exact recipe is ‘is proprietary information’. Picture: Supplied

Ms Evans said paprika is the taste, along with tomato and onion, we’ve all been trying to identify. Picture: TikTok/MingleSeasoning

But while the Thins have kept its ingredients under wraps, Ms Evans has decided not to “gatekeep” the information after conducting a thorough investigation, ending debate once and for all.

“We started by investigating the ingredient label on the original Thins Light and Tangy chips, which only lists ‘Flavour, Spices, and Herbs’.” she told news.com.au.

“That mystery was part of its allure, but it also left a lot to the imagination. From there, we focused on recreating the perfect balance of sweetness, tanginess, and savouriness – dissecting every familiar note.

“The secret ingredient is actually paprika. The ‘light’ is simply because of the refreshing nature of the chip and the ‘tangy’ comes from onion, tomato and paprika.”

With the mystery seemingly solved and conveniently available for Aussies to buy in Woolworths, some have been reacting to the new information.

“YESSSSS IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT, I tried to make my own light and tangy seasoning years ago but failed,” one shared on TikTok.

“How am I proud of someone I don’t know?” another said.

“This whole time I thought it was just the chicken flavour,” shared someone else.

Others declared “Light & Tangy” was the “GOAT chip flavour”, with some adding the “delicious” mystery had bugged them for years.