Red box cracker showdown: Jatz v Savoy v Ritz
Plus, one (easy?) trick to remembering which ones to get.
I was getting sick of remembering which ones were the good crackers so I bought the two that look the same (Savoy and Jatz), and a box of Ritz for good measure.
While I was buying staring at the ocean of red boxes at IGA, I started thinking about the illusion of choice. Why so many options for something so simple? Are we really getting variety, or are we being tricked into thinking these crackers are all that different? Are there any that are better than the rest?
So from the menu of options, I’d chosen the Big 3 (Savoy, Jatz, and Ritz). Despite the sea of red boxes on the shelf, and the creative decision behind making Savoy and Jatz boxes exactly the same, Thankfully, I’ve solved this for you (they’re only slightly different, and it’s Savoy).
Cracking the cracker code: which cracker is all it’s cracked up to be?
Jatz
Texture: The hardest of the three, brittle in the mouth.
Appearance: Palest of the three, also the thinnest, and the least salted.
Flavour: The most savoury, but also the least flavorful overall. Quite salty, leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Of basic crackers, these are the simplest - imagine a salty cracker and it’s this. They’re a little too bland - they feel a little like the discount version of Savoys, you know?
Savoy
Texture: A slightly softer crunch than Jatz, crumbles before you have to bite down too hard. Doesn’t flake as you bite, though.
Appearance: Deeper in colour, also have a “Savoy” imprint on them. They’re also a touch thicker than Jatz, and have more visible salt.
Flavour: It feels trite, but these have the most umami flavour. It’s not obvious, but clear compared to the other two. They’re also just a touch sweeter than Jatz, and the salt granules do make a difference.
Of the big 3, Savoy was my favourite. The crunch on them was right - you didn’t have to bite down harder than you’d expect to get, and the flavour was just a little richer and fuller without being not a cracker. You know?
Ritz
Texture: The softest of the three - gives puff pastry vibes. A very light cracker, and falls apart when you push your finger into it.
Appearance: The deepest colour of the three, slightly smaller. Similar amount of salt to Savoy.
Flavour: The sweetest of them all. Like a cracker that’s been designed to be in the pastry family.
Despite being another cracker in a red box, Ritz feels like it’s in a league of its own. It sort of had me feel like it would be better as the base of a cheese cake than as a cracker on a cheese platter. It’s a crowd favourite for that reason though: crumbly, buttery, slightly sweet and goes down easy.
This cracker is too hard! This cracker is too soft! This cracker is just right!
Imagine the Goldilocks of crackers:
Jatz is Papa Bear: a little too tough and sparse on flavour.
Ritz is Mama Bear: too soft and sweet.
But Savoy is Baby Bear, just right. It has the best balance of texture and flavour, making it the winner for me.
So, the Goldilocks zone for crackers, based on the Big 3, is Savoy. There’s something about the extra salt and the addition of golden syrup that pushes it slightly over the edge for me.
And the only way I will remember that next time I’m on the market for crackers in a red box is that out of the three, Savoy is the only one that has 5 letters, and no Z in the name. I can only hope this will work for you, too.
Okay, bye!
PS: I want you to know I also tested all three of these with cheese and it was the same outcome. I also tested this with third parties (the people I live with) and had similar conclusions.
PPS: Here’s where you can also think about the illusion of choice.
PPS: If you, like me, now have yourself with 3 boxes of crackers, make yourself a Mexican mole. Crackers is what gives those beautiful sauces their body.