Tyla ranks South African snacks from Ghost Pops to Peppermint Crisp

South Africans can argue endlessly about which snack deserves the top spot, but Tyla has now had her say.

During an interview with Elle UK, the South African superstar was handed a mystery box filled with some of the country’s most familiar treats and asked to rank them.

Before getting to the snacks, however, Tyla revealed that one of her first stops whenever she returns to South Africa is Nando’s.

“As soon as I land I go straight to Nando’s,” she said, revealing that her usual order is an extra hot quarter chicken and chips, a Nando’s roll, chicken livers and a Sprite.

And after a night out with friends, she said a braai with her family is a must.

When it came to the mystery box, Ghost Pops immediately made a strong impression.

“These are the best,” Tyla said as she tried the Simba snack, placing it at the top of her list.

Next came Baxtons Apricots, a sweet that will be familiar to plenty of South Africans who grew up eating them. For Tyla, however, the childhood memories were perhaps a little too strong.

She joked that she was now “allergic” to them after eating so many as a child, meaning the treat did not rank particularly highly.

Peppermint Crisp was a different story.

Tyla’s reaction changed as soon as the chocolate appeared, and she even shared that if you are lucky enough to have a dessert made by her, there is a good chance it could be a Peppermint Crisp tart.

There was just one warning: it is very minty and, according to Tyla, can taste a little like toothpaste.

Then came Sparletta Sparberry, the bright red fizzy drink many South Africans will remember from childhood parties.

Tyla revealed that her mother used to tell her it was medicine when she was young. That childhood association clearly stuck because, after taking a sip, she said it still tasted like medicine to her.

The Simba Mrs Balls Chutney chips proved to be another favourite.

In fact, Tyla admitted she had made a mistake with her initial ranking and decided they deserved to be placed even higher than Ghost Pops.

Romany Creams, meanwhile, came with a family connection.

Tyla explained that she used to buy the biscuits for her dad on his birthday. But because she is not particularly fond of biscuits herself, they did not make it very far up her ranking.

The Fizzer brought out one of the most entertaining stories of the interview.

Tyla recalled being accused of shoplifting one when she was a child after she and her sister walked out of a shop while she was chewing.

The owner apparently assumed she had stolen the sweet, but after checking the store’s camera footage, they discovered that she had actually entered the shop with an ice cream.

“It was so dramatic,” she recalled.

Biltong, unsurprisingly, was another strong contender.

Tyla’s reason for loving it was simple: “The thing that I love about biltong is that it’s actual real meat.”

She also pointed to it as a good source of protein, putting it among her favourites.

And when faced with the ultimate South African food choice of a braai or bunny chow, Tyla did not hesitate.

She chose the braai, explaining that she loves the variety because you can have different types of meat as well as salad.

For a global superstar who spends much of her time travelling, the snack challenge was a reminder that some of Tyla’s strongest connections to home are the familiar tastes and memories she grew up with.

Her ranking may spark a few arguments among South Africans, but one thing is clear: Tyla has not forgotten the treats that made up her childhood.

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