Paper Boat Chikki Review – We Tried 3 Variants

Chikkis and winters go hand in hand in India. Chikki, gajak or patti are usually made with warming ingredients like peanuts, sesame, jaggery, and other dry fruits. And so, no wonder, that these make for wonderful wintertime munchies. Chikkis are excellent for when you want to nibble on something sweet post a heavy meal or simply to satisfy mid-day hunger pangs. Paper Boat has introduced four new chikkis – Chikki (peanuts), Crushed Peanut Chikki, Dry Fruit Chikki, and Sesame Chikki.

We reviewed three variants from the Paper Boat Chikki range to see if these are tasty enough to replace our favorite chikkis from the local kirana wala. Here is our Paper Boat Chikki Review.

This is an updated review. Earlier we tried the peanut and sesame variant. Now, we have added our review of the dry fruit chikki. 

Here are a few pointers that you need to know about the Paper Boat Chikki! 

1. Available Variants

Paper Boat offers the following variants in its range of chikki :

• Peanut Bar 
• Dry Fruit Chikki 
• Sesame Chikki 
• Honey Roasted Almond Bar  

2. Available Quantities

Paper Boat chikkis are available in a set of 10 pieces having 28 gm or 25 gm  each or jar packaging that contains 50 pieces having 16 gm each. The quantity varies depending upon the flavor.   

The peanut bar and sesame chikki is available in jar packaging whereas the dry fruit chikki and honey roasted almond bar comes in packs of 10 pieces. 

3. Price Range

These chikkis are available in a price range of Rs 250/- to 300/-. The price varies from flavor to flavor.

4. Shelf Life

The shelf life is 6 months.

Did you know Paper Boat has pani puri pellets?

Apart from the packaging and the main ingredients, here is a detailed overview of our other review factors.

1. Packaging

Any packaged chikki must be securely packed so that it doesn’t turn out to be soggy when we open it. 

 A jar containing 50 units is priced at Rs 300/- and each chikki is priced at Rs 6/-. The packaging is very convenient for people who would like to carry these in tiffins or have them on-the-go. You can also buy these as individual pieces at local stores, but when buying them online you may need to buy the full jar.

The Dry Fruit Chikki comes in a set of 10 pieces weighing 28 gm each. 

2. Main Ingredients

Here is the list of the main ingredients used in each of the Paper Boat variants we reviewed : 

Sesame Chikki : Sesame seeds, Jaggery, Sugar and Liquid Glucose. 

Dry Fruit Chikki : Mixed nuts (50%) (cashew, almonds and pistachios), Jaggery, Sugar, Glucose syrup and Edible common salt.

Peanut Bar : Peanuts (50%), Jaggery, Sugar and Liquid Glucose. 

3. Taste

Taste is a significant factor that has a considerable impact on the overall experience of having any packaged chikki. During our review, we examine how well balanced is the sweetness and whether we could taste all the ingredients that have been used. 

Is the flavor of jaggery prominent? How fresh do the roasted nuts and seeds taste? 

4. Texture & Crunch

Chikkis are supposed to be crisp with well-roasted nuts. A chikki that turns out to be soggy and soft, or dry and brittle automatically lowers the overall experience. How is the texture of these chikkis? Does it appear to be dry, sticky or just right? Is the crunch pronounced? 

5. Appearance

All the reviewed flavors of the Paper boat chikki come in a rectangular shape. The nuts and seeds are spread evenly across the chikki.

Here is a tabular comparison of the different Paper Boat Chikki flavors. 

Before beginning with the detailed review of the different flavors we reviewed, here are a few points you must note.

• We ordered the jar pack of the Sesame Chikki and Peanut which was priced at Rs. 300/-. There are 50 pieces of chikki in this jar that weigh about 16 gm each. 
• The Dry Fruit Chikki was available in a set of 10 pieces weighing 28 gm each and priced at Rs. 300/-.
• These chikkis contain no added colors and preservatives. 

Til patti or til gajak is considered dry when compared to a peanut-jaggery chikki, but has a crunchy texture that almost melts in your mouth as soon as you take a bite. The Paper Boat Sesame Chikki is very dry and brittle. It is packed too densely and falls short in the texture and consistency department. 

Unlike some chikkis, where the sesame can get very bitter, the sesame seeds in this one taste good, natural, and are beautifully toasted. The sweetness levels are much lower than the peanut chikki, which is good. This chikki tastes a lot like the revadi we get from the market. While the sesame chikki taste alright, they fail to deliver the desired texture.

Features

• The transparent jar includes 50 pieces of the chikki. 
• All the chikkis come individually packed. 
• It is free from added colors and preservatives. 
• Each chikki weighs 16 gm each. 
• Main Ingredients : Sesame seeds, Jaggery, Sugar and Liquid Glucose. 
• The shelf life is 6 months from manufacture. 

Pros

• The sesame seeds taste natural, are well toasted and leave no bitter taste. 
• The sweetness is well balanced. 

Cons

• The texture of this chikki is dry and brittle. We expected the texture to be slightly better.

This variant contains a mix of different nuts – cashew, almonds and pistachios. Talking about the texture, the dry fruit chikki is super crunchy! The broken and huge pieces of almonds are the most noticeable in this chikki. 

All the nuts including the cashews, pistachios and almonds are perfectly coated with jaggery. There is a slight saltiness present in this chikki which tends to lower the sweetness. The nuts are fresh tasting. This chikki has a slight industrial taste which is why it scored low on our scale.

Features

• These chikkis contain no added colors and preservatives. 
• This pack of 10 chikkis weighs 28 gm each. 
• Main Ingredients :  Mixed nuts (50%) (cashew, almonds and pistachios), Jaggery, Sugar, Glucose syrup and Edible common salt. 
• It has a shelf life of 6 months from manufacture. 

Pros

• The nuts in this chikki taste fresh.  
• Crunch of this chikki is bang-on!
• Loaded with nuts. 

Cons

• We could feel a tad bit of industrial taste in this chikki.

When we think of jaggery and peanut brittle (yes, that’s the fancy name for good old chikki!), we expect a caramel butteriness coming from the jaggery, that goes naturally well with crunchy, well-roasted peanuts. Sadly, the Paper Boat Chikki has none of it.

The chikkis taste more of sugar than jaggery which is a big let down. We could barely taste the jaggery and the sugar flavor is very unidimensional! This is very different from the uneven crunchy, chunky, peanut, and jaggery brittle we have all been eating since childhood. We did not like the thin strips and dry texture of the chikki, and would rather return to our usual chunky peanut chikkis from the local grocery shop.

Features

• It comes packed in a transparent jar which includes 50 pieces of the chikki. 
• The individually packed chikkis are ideal to carry while traveling. 
• No added colors and preservatives are used. 
• The main ingredients are : Peanuts (50%), Jaggery, Sugar and Liquid Glucose. 
• The shelf life is 6 months from manufacture. 

Pros

• The individually packed chikkis make them travel-friendly.  

Cons

• It has an overpowering taste of sugar rather than jaggery. 
• The texture is dry and brittle.

We do not have a clear winner that excels in both parameters. 

We reviewed 3 flavors of the Paper Boat chikki – Peanut Chikki, Sesame Chikki and Dry Fruit Chikki. The dry fruit chikki has a very crunchy texture and is loaded with nuts, but it has a slight industrial taste which is a letdown. The sesame chikki tastes good and has perfectly toasted seeds however the dry, brittle texture is something that needs improvement. The peanut was a disappointment both taste and texture-wise.

Yet, if we have to pick the best amongst the lot, we would go for the sesame variant.

To wrap-up, we liked the sesame chikki just a little more than the dry fruit and peanut chikki. We do not recommend trying the peanut chikki since it has an overpowering taste of sugar and the dry texture of these chikki was unappealing. 

Have you tried the Paper Boat Chikki yet? Did you have a similar experience? Drop in your comments below and do let us know.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Paper Boat Chikki.

1. Is chikki good for your health? Can we consume chikki everyday as a snack?

Moderate, occasional consumption should not be a problem. Though these contain jaggery and nuts, you need to be mindful of the presence of sugar and liquid glucose as well. We do not recommend you to consume these chikki as a snack everyday for a long period of time. 

2. Why is glucose syrup added?

Glucose syrup is used as a liquid sweetener to improve the taste and shelf life. 

3. Can chikki be paired with tea or coffee?

Yes, you can have these chikkis with tea or coffee. Though these are best eaten as a standalone snack in-between meals. 

4. Is this chikki made with jaggery or sugar?

This chikki is made using both jaggery and sugar. 

5. How many chikkis are there in total in one jar?

There are a total of 50 individually packed chikkis in one jar (sesame and peanut). For the dry fruit variant, there are 10 in one jar.

Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.