This week I was happy to receive a complimentary sample package from them. They sent along a tote bag too, but I am proud to say I have been tote-free now for 7 years (everyday is a struggle). I also got a t-shirt, though sadly for me (happily for my wife) it was a medium. Apparently they did not know that I am a large man shaped, more or less, like when you blow into an empty juice box through its straw.
Calling your product line The Better Chip, takes some real cajones. Wait, gimme one more. Calling your product line The Better Chip, takes some real cornjones (snort). When your packaging is emblazoned with a name like that, you can’t show up with more of the same, dressed in a nice wrapper with some added buzzwords. You better be bringing some serious power. I’m talking the high cheese. The stinky limburger. Where my Rookie of the Year fans at?
Thankfully The Better Chip is not playing around, and their moxie-loaded moniker rings true.
One of their big talking points (and rightfully so) is that each chip contain 40 percent produce. Yea, like actual food things. Like from nature. That 40 percent is a huge deal. From a visual perspective, these look great. You can see slices of red pepper and jalapeños bedazzled throughout every chip.
More importantly, that 40% leads to some really strong aromas and authentic flavors.
The nosegrope of the Fresh Corn and Sea Salt smells delightfully like real corn. More so than I’ve ever found in packaged chip. The sea salt brings out the bright, clean flavors of the corn nicely. Each chip is heavier and denser that your average corn chip, and that, coupled with the straightforward taste, makes this a fantastically simple and satisfying effort.
The Red Pepper with Salsa Fresca chips smell strongly of red peppers and chili powder (maybe a little too much chili powder). Each is lightly dusted with a mixture of tomato, bell pepper, onion, and garlic powders, along with some other spices that help to liven up the party, fresca-style (ain’t no party like a fresca party). The salsa flavors are far superior to the recent rash of tomato and pepper-based chip varieties being trotted out by other, more mainstream chips.
The nosegrope of the Jalapeño with Sea Salt chips was the strongest. It was green and peppery and in your face. With these, the jalapeños do all of the work. You can see them in each chip and you can taste them. There is nothing in these to muddy up the jalapeñosity (drop that at your next fresca party). Being a spice-wuss, I like the level of heat they brought as well. Assertive but enjoyable.
The Sweet Onion and White Cheddar chips were my favorite. Again, simple and straightforward. The creamy cheese powder (which tasted like cheese) pairs nicely with the sweetness of the onion. The powder coats the mouth and welcomes the onion as it is crunched into being. Very balanced.
These chips are great. It’s nice to read a flavor on a chip package and have the product inside actually taste like that flavor. Not an approximation. Not a food lab recreation. An actual, found-in-nature flavor. All it takes is the right combination of ingredients and some company men willing to get out of the way.
And if Rookie of the Year has taught us anything, it’s that a good combination… it’s that not getting out of the way…hmmm…it’s that when you miss a fly ball and break your arm…
Ok. That’s a dumb movie.
(Editor’s Note/Disclaimer – Steve received free The Better Chip samples from the PR firm that represents the company. We received no compensation for this review. Well, Steve got free chips, along with the tote bag and t-shirt, but the swag had no influence on his review. To be honest, I hate when companies send t-shirts because I never want to wear them. Yes, I’m a t-shirt snob.)
(Nutrition Facts – 1 bag (28g) – Fresh Corn and Sea Salt – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Red Pepper and Salsa Fresco – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Jalapeno and Sea Salt – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sweet Onion and White Cheddar – 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)
Other The Better Chip reviews:
The Cheap Gourmet
Delightfully Gluten Free
FamFriendsFood
Item:Â The Better Chip All Natural Tortilla Chips (Fresh Corn and Sea Salt, Red Pepper and Salsa Fresca, Jalapeno and Sea Salt, and Sweet Onion and White Cheddar)
Price: FREEÂ
Size:Â 1 ounce
Purchased at:Â Received for free from The Better Chip
Rating:Â 8 out of 10 (Fresh Corn and Sea Salt)
Rating:Â 8 out of 10 (Red Pepper and Salsa Fresca)
Rating:Â 8 out of 10 (Jalapeno and Sea Salt)
Rating:Â 9 out of 10 (Sweet Onion and White Cheddar)
Pros:Â All natural. Bedazzling. Produce. Fresca parties. Thomas Ian Nicholas. Non-GMO.
Cons:Â Limited local availability. Eating flies. Gary Busey.