Spice Advice

I looked forward to Lay’s interpretation of kettle cooked chips, however I was slightly disappointed. The chips have a slight jalapeño taste, but the main flavor I tasted was onion powder. The chips were crisp and not very greasy, however the onion flavor was a bit overwhelming. I would rate the spiciness as a disappointing 5, and the taste as a 5 as well. Overall, I would not purchase these chips again.

These are both peculiar and NOT bad. We have to admit that there isn’t very much heat in these babies but the flavor is pretty interesting and pleasant. The flavors are somewhat complex but unfortunately there is a pretty significant variation in the tastiness of the almonds.  I even had one that was a tad rancid… arrrggghhh.

The major complaint is that these are about 50% shy on the heat factor.

Nice attempt at a hot chip, but not really. The flavors are interesting and the chip is almost hot.  There is quite a bit of lemon flavor, chili pepper and onion.  Taste a lot like too many bland others.  With about 80% more heat the chips could be interesting.

These are a good place to start if you are not really into hot and spicy things but want to break yourself in slowly.

The box describes this treat as “sweetened, unsulfered chile mango pieces drenched in rich, dark chocolate and sprinkled with a spritely blend of aromatic spices.”  That about says it all.  This is one of the most interesting flavor profiles I’ve had in a long time.  It reminds me of Xocolatl, but fruitier and spicier.  There’s a saltiness at first, followed quickly by the sweetness of the mango, the bitterness of the chocolate, and then the spices.  The chocolate on the outside is crisp and the mango is pleasantly chewy.  The spice stays with you for awhile which is nice.  In all, there’s a pretty great burst that erupts in your mouth immediately: salty, fruity, sweet, bitter, and spicy.  I don’t think I’ve ever had anything quite like it, but I want more.  Unfortunately, Trader Joe’s is very far from me.  Hint hint, Trader Joe’s!

The only word to describe these little treasures is sinful.  They’re unevenly spiced, with some containing barely any spice and others packing a real whallop.  On average, however, these suprising little treats are a religious experience.  Trader Joe’s protects its secret recipe by only listing the spices as “spices” but there’s a presence of cayenne and paprika, I’m sure.  The overall effect is delicious sweet buttery toffee with a kick on top of a lightly roasted nut.  You must try these.

This spicy little chip comes with a lot of kick.  If you like flavorful spice, its quite good!  There’s something that distinctly tastes of Chinese food, and I’m not sure that’s a bad thing.  The first bite has a very fresh taste: tangy and sweet.  Once you’ve finished chewing the chip you’re left with a good heat and some vinegar flavor.  Perhaps too much vinegar, but the heat is really dead on.  Not so much that its an exercise in masochism, but enough to warrant its appearance on this site.  Definitely worth a try.

For many years I’ve lusted after BBQ chips; I once went through about a 5 year snap of bingeing on KC Masterpiece BBQ chips.  These chips are a barbecue-lovers dream!  Even though I have a stuffed nose, the sweetness and hickory notes come through in exactly the right proportions.  The texture of the chip is crisp and crunchy without being too greasy.  There’s the right amount of tangy flavor and the chips themselves only range from bite-size to pleasantly large–no bottom-of-the-bag crumbles here.  The only thing that could improve on this chip is if there were more heat, because as it is there isn’t much to speak of.  This is the perfect chip for a person who loves flavor but isn’t into spicy.  Two thumbs up!