Hula Hoops facts for kids
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| Owner | KP Snacks |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Introduced | 1973 |
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Hula Hoops are a popular snack food. They are made from potatoes and corn. These tasty snacks are shaped like small, hollow tubes or cylinders.
Hula Hoops were first created in the United Kingdom in 1973 by a company called KP Snacks. You can find them in the UK, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa. They are also sold in Belgium under the name "Croky" and in France by Vico.
Hula Hoops come in many different flavours. KP Snacks, the company that makes them, even launched a new type in 2008 called 'Hula Hoops Tortilla'. These are made with corn and come in flavours like Cool Original, Chilli Salsa, and Nacho Cheese.
Contents
Discover Hula Hoops Flavours
Hula Hoops come in many exciting flavours. Here are some you might find today:
- BBQ Beef (brown packet)
- Cheese & Onion (green packet)
- Original (red packet)
- Roast Chicken (mustard packet)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue packet)
- Smoky Bacon (purple packet)
Other flavours that have been available include:
- Sweet Chilli (pink packet)
- Tikka (deep purple packet)
- Crisp Roulette (dark red packet)
- Tangy Cheese (light orange packet)
Past Hula Hoops Flavours
Over the years, some Hula Hoops flavours were only around for a short time. This might have been for special events or because they weren't as popular.
- Barbecue (brown packet)
- Beef and Mustard (black 'Big O's' & XL bag)
- Cheese (yellow packet)
- Prawn Cocktail (purple packet)
- Sour Cream and Chive (dark green packet)
- Tomato Ketchup (blue packet)
- Vanilla Cream (dark pink crisp roulette bag)
Different Kinds of Hula Hoops
Hula Hoops have changed and grown over the years. Here are some of the different versions that have been made:
Big O's
In 1998, KP Snacks launched 'Big O's'. These were much larger Hula Hoops. They came in bigger bags and were only available in Beef & Mustard flavour. Comedians Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse even helped advertise them! Big O's are not made anymore.
Shoks
In the early 2000s, KP made Hula Hoops Shoks. These were tiny versions of the classic Hula Hoop. They had a much stronger flavour! Shoks came in small plastic cubes or pots. KP Snacks hoped these tiny snacks would be a big hit. They were made for young people aged 12 to 24.
Shoks came in these flavours:
- Totally Cheesy (orange, cube)
- Beef (brown, pot)
- Pickled Onion (green, cube)
- Sweet Chilli (pink, cube or pot)
- Salt and Vinegar (blue, cube)
- Rib and Saucy (purple, cube)
Hula Hoops XL
In 2001, 'Hula Hoops XL' were launched. Like Big O's, these were larger than regular Hula Hoops. They also came in bigger bags. However, they didn't sell very well and were soon stopped.
XL Hula Hoops were available in these flavours:
- Beef & Mustard
- Chilli
- Nacho cheese
- Curry
Frozen Hula Hoops
In 1999, KP tried something different: Hula Hoops you could cook at home! These weren't crisps. They were more like hash browns. They started making them again in 2013. You could find them only in Iceland stores.
As of 2021, you can find them in these flavours:
- Original Salted (red)
- BBQ Beef (brown)
Big Hoops
In 2011, 'Big Hoops' came out. These were also larger Hula Hoops, similar to the XL range. They were made for adults who remembered putting regular Hula Hoops on their fingers but couldn't anymore because they were too small.
Big Hoops have been available in these flavours:
- Salted, formerly Original (red)
- Sour Cream & Chive (dark green) (no longer made)
- Sweet Chilli (pink) (no longer made)
- BBQ Beef (brown)
- Chilli (black) (no longer made)
- Spicy Chilli (magenta)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue)
Puft
In early 2015, KP Snacks launched Hula Hoops Puft. These are a "lighter version" of Hula Hoops. They are described as "Light and crispy puffed hoops." Puft came in a cheese flavour first, which was new for the brand.
As of 2021, Puft is available in four flavours:
- Salted (red)
- Sweet Chili (purple)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue)
- Beef (brown)
Flavarings
In May 2018, KP started making Hula Hoops Flavarings. These are larger rings than regular Hula Hoops. They are made from maize (corn), not potato. This gives them a different texture, a bit like Monster Munch. They are known for their "Big crispy bursts of flavour."
As of 2021, Flavarings come in these flavours:
- Tangy Cheese (yellow)
- Salt & Vinegar (blue)
- Spicy (red)
Hula Hoops and Your Health
A small bag (24g) of original Hula Hoops has about 120 calories. They also contain some protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The exact amounts can change depending on the flavour.
Hula Hoops and Charity
In 2010, Hula Hoops worked with Sport Relief, a charity event. They helped organize big hula hoop events called Hoopathons. On March 21, 1,388 people hula-hooped at the same time across the UK for two minutes. This set a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people hula-hooping together!
