Tag: Chips

REVIEW: Pringles Mingles

Marvo 10 Comments

Years ago, Pringles attempted to convince us to flavor stack, combining different flavors to create new ones. I don’t know how successful that campaign was, but I don’t recall ever doing it. But now Pringles is doing the flavor mixing for us with the cornmeal-based Pringles Mingles, a new line of crunchy puffy snacks with four fused flavors: Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch, Cheddar & Sour Cream, BBQ & Pizza, and Dill Pickle & Ranch. However, I could only procure three of the four at Walmart.

First off, let me say how much I love this product’s name because it’s incredibly clever, it’s fun to say, and I’m a sucker for rhyming. Saying Pringles Mingles gives me the giggles and tingles. The puffs come in a curved bow tie shape, and they have a texture that’s not as airy as Cheetos Puffs but also not as dense as Cheetos Crunchy. Also, a serving is frickin’ 56 PIECES!!!

The Cheddar & Sour Cream one is the tastiest of the three I tried, but I’m not surprised. Numerous other crunchy snacks have shown us that the two flavors work exceptionally well when paired. For example, Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream is the best Ruffles variety. Heck, even regular Pringles has a tasty Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor. There’s a pleasant tanginess from the sour cream and a sharp bite from the cheddar flavoring. Also, my taste buds sometimes got a Cheetos Puffs vibe from them. I could eat these light orange puffs all day, every day.

When I first tried the Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch one, I instantly thought it tasted familiar. At first, my mind leaned towards a White Cheddar Cheetos, but that didn’t seem right in my head. Its flavor starts with a sharp cheesiness, and then the ranch kicks in the background. It’s got a great savory flavor, but it’s not as addictive as the Cheddar & Sour Cream one. After eating one-third of the bag, I finally realized why this tasted so familiar. The aftertaste reminded me of Chicken in a Biskit crackers. I could eat these white speckled puffs some of the time.

Finally, there’s the BBQ & Pizza, which I found to taste odd initially. The pizza seasoning is the most dominant of the two. Its cheese, herb, and tomato flavor is common with most pizza-flavored snacks, and the smoky, sweet taste similar to other barbecue-flavored snacks is right underneath it. While I did think the combination was weird at first, the more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it. I think it helps that pizza is the dominant flavor because I love me some pizza-flavored snacks. I could see myself eating these dark orange puffs every so often.

While I enjoy the three flavors, the one slight downside to them is that the seasoning left on my fingers isn’t as flavorful as what I’d taste after eating a Cheetos or Doritos. Also, I totally forgot to mingle the Pringles Mingles to stack even more flavors. I’m such a dingle…berry.

Purchased Price: $4.24 each
Size: 5.5 oz bags
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Cheddar & Sour Cream), 7 out of 10 (Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch), 7 out of 10 (BBQ & Pizza)
Nutrition Facts: (56 pieces/1 oz) Cheddar & Sour Cream – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Sharp White Cheddar & Ranch – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. BBQ & Pizza – 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese

Marvo 1 Comment

Unlike the mosh pits at metal festivals with names like Brutal Assault, Hellfest, Sonicblast, Bloodstock, Deathfest, Aftershock, Full Terror Assault, Hellprint, Dark Troll, Metalhead Meeting, Metalyard, and Summer Breeze Open Air, there haven’t been a lot of collisions between Doritos flavors. Last year, Tangy Pickle and Cool Ranch slammed into each other, and Ultimate Cheddar crashed into Doritos Blaze in 2018. But, this year, we have Loaded Taco smashing into Nacho Cheese as a Sam’s Club exclusive variety.

If you haven’t tried Doritos Loaded Taco because it’s a Kroger-exclusive, here’s your chance to taste it…if you have a Sam’s Club membership, and if you can pick it out from the Nacho Cheese chips in the pillow-sized bag. To be honest, it’s not difficult to do because the black specks in the Loaded Taco seasoning make them easy to spot. So, there is no Doritos Roulette deception here. However, after you do that, I’m going to suggest you just eat these chips blindly. Don’t even look into the bag again. Let the photo below be the image you look at when you want to peer into Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese bag.

I’m suggesting this because the two chips complement each other so well that eating them separately would do a disservice to both. To be honest, after opening the bag, I searched for the Loaded Taco chips because there are no Kroger stores near me, but once I tried them together, I decided I would not spend any more time hunting and pecking at Doritos. I will eat them the way the snacking gods intended by blindly shoving multiple chips into my mouth with reckless abandon.

The Loaded Taco seasoning has all the notes you’d taste with taco seasoning — garlic, onion, tomato, and chili pepper. There’s also a noticeable cheesiness that’s different than the Nacho Cheese seasoning, but when the two chips come together, the Nacho Cheese flavor overwhelms the Loaded Taco’s cheesiness. So it tastes like a taco with a Nacho Cheese Doritos shell. I’m not going to say these replicate like Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos, but I can’t but help think of that when I eat this flavor combination. However, if Doritos and Taco Bell decided to rebrand this as “Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos Doritos,” I’d be totally fine with that.

To be honest, the combination is the most sane of all the Collisions varieties so far. It’s also the one that makes the most sense, a natural pairing, if you will. The others seemed more random, like the folks at Frito Lay threw Doritos like ninja stars at a board, and the first two that stuck would be the two in the bag together.

Doritos Collisions Loaded Taco and Nacho Cheese is a delicious mashup, and I hope we don’t need to slam down a Sam’s Club membership to buy it someday.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 18 3/8 oz bag
Purchased at: (Available at Sam’s Club)
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (28 grams/about 11 chips) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Maruchan Hot & Spicy Chicken Ramen Funyuns

Vin 4 Comments

In my recent review of Korean-Style Sweet & Spicy Chili Ruffles, I whined and pined for more snacks with flavors inspired by the Far East. Well, not two weeks later, the good folks over at Frito Lay obliged.

Now, I’m not saying they saw the review, called the folks over at Maruchan, brainstormed, decided to collab on new Hot & Spicy Chicken Ramen Funyuns, and then went into a fast-tracked production process that put bags on shelves in world record timing, but… that’s exactly what I’m saying. That’s clearly what happened. The Impulsive Buy has that much pull in the snack industry.

The pairing was surprising, especially coming from a snack line that rarely remixes the original recipe, but I’m glad these two brands linked up because this is really good. It also made me ponder why we haven’t been sprinkling ramen flavor packets on things other than ramen all this time?

I have a little bit of a love-only relationship with Funyuns, but I’m happy to say these scratched the flavor itch I was yearning for, as well as the roof of my mouth (more on that later).

When I opened the bag of what looked like seasoned curly fries, I got a big whiff of poultry seasoning, but it somehow also smelled “hot,” so they were off to an accurate start.

That accuracy rolled on because, yeah, these taste like crispy Funyuns coated in a packet of spicy chicken ramen seasoning. Mission accomplished.

There’s a dryness to them that I always get from chicken-flavored snacks. For some reason, I associate that with chicken flavor. These could have easily just been “Spicy Chicken” flavored, but there is a little of that fabled “Asian flare” that I can’t articulate to make it resemble the flavors of a bowl of ramen – a cheap bowl of ramen, but I still like the cheap stuff.

Since reviewing Spicy Queso Funyuns, I was a little worried that these would also completely swallow up the traditional onion flavor of the Funyuns. But it actually managed to come through a bit on the finish. Maybe it was just a little onion powder in the spice concoction, but I tasted it nevertheless.

As for the heat level, I’d put these at about two-thirds of the way to “Flamin’ Hot,” which is more than tolerable. You won’t have any problem eating a small bag in one sitting… but you’re gonna tear your mouth up. I somehow avoided that on the Spicy Queso, but the dreaded “savory Cap’n’ Crunch” Funyuns got me this time. That, coupled with the salt and spice, dried my mouth out for hours, but whatever, it was kinda worth it.

Honestly, this is probably the best Funyuns offshoot I’ve had, and while I think this flavor would have been even better on a chip, I’d love to see a few more ramen-inspired releases.

That’s back-to-back really tasty Asian-inspired products from Frito Lay. I hope they keep ’em comin’.

Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 2 1/8 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 13 pieces) 130 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Takis Cobra and Kaboom Tortilla Chips

Marvo 2 Comments

I can’t help but think about G.I. Joe and yell “COBRA!” whenever I look at the Takis Cobra design. The serpent’s red color really drives that thought into my head. But unlike Cobra’s attempts at world domination, these Takis Cobra Tortilla Chips don’t fail.

The reddish rolled tortilla chips are Worcestershire sauce flavored and have a medium level of heat, according to Takis’ heat thermometer. The sauce is not listed as an ingredient, but whatever natural and artificial flavors are used, they hit all the right notes in the dark sauce. There’s a pepperiness and vinegary tanginess with a hint of garlic and citrus. All of that creates a seasoning that’s gosh darn tasty and recognizable as the famous sauce I can never spell correctly off the top of my head.

The heat doesn’t come until a few moments later, and I agree with the thermometer that it’s a medium heat in the Takis universe. Cobra is definitely spicy but pales in comparison with Fuego or Blue Heat, which I need to take a break from with a cool liquid when eating them. As someone who likes to make a quick dipping sauce with Worcestershire and ketchup when my local McDonald’s forgets to include the Hot Mustard sauce I ordered with my McNuggets, I very much enjoy the flavor of these Takis. In fact, these make me disappointed that there has never been a Worcestershire potato chip in the US.

While Takis Cobra is as new as new can be, Kaboom has been out for a bit. It made its debut in Canada and it’s interesting to note that the Canadian version is ketchup and sriracha flavored, while this US version is described as “sweet and spicy sriracha flavored.” However, these rolled tortilla chips taste more like spicy ketchup than sriracha to me because of the wonderful vinegary tang, tomatoey punch, and noticeable sweetness these have. But that doesn’t bother me one bit because I am all for having more ketchup-seasoned chips in the US. Why does Canada get to have all vinegary and tomatoey fun?

Kaboom’s heat is also in the medium range, but I found them to be slightly spicier than Cobra. But it’s not hot enough to take away from its great flavor.

If I had to pick between the two, I would prefer Kaboom over Cobra because its ketchup taste tickles my taste buds more. Sadly, the former is a limited edition offering, while the latter seems to be a permanent addition. But I hope Takis brings back Kaboom every year for the summer season.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples from Takis. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: Received free samples
Size: 9.9 oz bags
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cobra), 9 out of 10 (Kaboom)
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 12 pieces) Cobra – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Kaboom – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ruffles Korean-Style Sweet & Spicy Chili Potato Chips

Vin 4 Comments

I’m not an envious person by nature. I don’t “yearn” for much. I try my best to be satisfied with what I have… but that all changes whenever I see the chip flavors they get over in Asia.

Before my Impulsive Buy days, I wanted to start a blog called, “Lay’s for Days,” where I’d seek out and try every crazy chip flavor from around the globe. In my delusional brain, I’d start by dropping a small fortune eBaying crazy flavors, and I’d get so popular that people would willingly send me bags to try.

Once I realized I no write no good and couldn’t even figure out Blogspot, the short-lived dream died.

Thankfully, the Frito-Lay corporation has slowly let some interesting flavors trickle out over the years, and it’s not impossible to find international releases if you know where to look.

Enter Korean-Style Sweet & Spicy Chili Ruffles, a chip with all the hallmarks I’ve been looking for. Asian-inspired flavors? Check. A super long, intriguing name? Check. RRRidges? Check! These have to be good, right?

Right. They’re pretty damn good.

Sweet chili is elite. It never fails. It should be a standard flavor across all snacks. If you like sweet chili, these are for you.

These have a heat level I’d put a tick below “Flamin’ Hot.” Props to them for ignoring the siren call and not slapping those two words on this bag like Frito-Lay seemingly does with everything else. Like an annoying guy describing Vegas, it’s a “dry heat” and tolerable, leaving a slight afterburn on the back of the tongue.

As I was eating and enjoying myself, I started to get nervous because I didn’t really know how to articulate the flavor. I don’t think my initial thought of, “This tastes like Asian food,” would’ve been kosher, literally or figuratively. I can’t condense an entire continent into one chip, but I sometimes have difficulty distinguishing international flavor.

These instantly tasted more Chinese-inspired. I’ve had more Chinese food than Korean food in my life, so maybe that played a role, but the spice profile just reminded me of a vague Chow Mein-style sauce you’d get slathered on some protein and vegetables. As I chomped on, I started to convince myself I might be tasting some kimchi and settled on what they ultimately reminded me of – Korean BBQ. Yeah, wow, very descriptive, huh? I actually thought of Korean Chicken Tacos more than anything.

The ingredient list is basically all the usual suspect spices you get in a chip like this with nothing distinct standing out. That, mixed with the pronounced chili flavor and “dryness,” just made me think of Asian-inspired BBQ chicken.

Either way, these are pretty complex and taste really good. The sweetness is there, but it’s not distinguishable from anything beyond, I guess, a pinch of brown sugar?

I won’t say these are as good as purple bag Doritos or the G.O.A.T. Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles, but they’re not far behind either. Grab ’em if you see ’em. Hopefully, you find a sale because I might as well have eBay’d these at the price I paid.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 8 oz
Purchased at: Acme
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (About 13 Chips) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of protein.