Jalapeno Chip Review

Special - Food Should Taste Good Jalapeno Tortilla Chips

2008-04-17T17:36:00.007-05:00

Price: $2.50

Size: 6oz

We're taking a small detour this week into the land of non-potato chips. In other words, my husband bought me something that wasn't a potato chip, but that was jalapeno-flavored, so now I'm writing about it.

I'm not really into whole-grain, natural, organic, etc etc, especially when it comes to snack foods that are supposed to not-be-good-for-you. Trans fat? Put it in my chips! I like trans fat! Five hundred different types of grain? I don't care - you can put that in my chips, too, but only if there's also trans fat!

The point I'm trying to make is I'm always hesitant when the bag boasts "An All Natural Recipe". FoodShouldTasteGood makes all-natural jalapeno tortilla chips, and this week I ate some of them.

I'll be really honest - these chips are pink. Not a natural pink, but nearly a deep pepto-pink. It's strange. I thought at first the light in my kitchen was wonky, so I actually took a chip outside and, yep, it was still pink. I should've known from the picture on the bag.

Again, honestly, they taste just like regular tortilla chips except for the small bite that comes afterwards. Pretty plain jane. I gussied mine up with some cheese, salsa, and sour cream and all of the sudden they tasted like awesome.

Eat this plain? I probably won't again. Eat these as nachos? Sure, why not.

Cape Cod Jalapeno & Aged Cheddar Potato Chips

2008-04-12T16:47:00.006-05:00

Cost: $3.29
Size: 8oz

This brand initially got picked simply upon name merit, because my favorite drink is a cape cod. You can't go wrong with vodka, cranberry juice, and lime. Presumably, you also can't go wrong with jalapeno and aged cheddar in chip form.

Cape Cod's website promises "a spicy, yet creamy jalapeno cheddar flavor that is sure to please the most discriminating jalapeno fans". Well. We'll just see about that.

Upon opening the bag, I'm initially concerned with small green spots on the chips, thinking yet again that there's unnecessary chives on my jalapeno chips. Gladly, I soon find that the small green dots are actually jalapenos! Imagine that!

Biting into the first chip is a great experience - immediately an aged cheddar taste comes through. It's definitely in the forefront. However, soon after that comes the biting jalapeno feel and then the hot jalapeno taste. There's a nice sting, but it's not overpowering to the flavor.

These chips are kettle-cooked, so nice and crunchy is the word. Other than being a bit high in price, there's nothing I can complain about. They are currently at the top of my jalapeno chip list. Congratulations, Cape Cod chips - you don't suck.

Taste & Flavoring	-
Hotness	-
Consistency	-
Value	-
_____________	-	_____
Overall	-

Miss Vickie's Hand-Picked Jalapeno All Natural Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

2008-04-03T18:36:00.003-05:00

Cost: $2.49
Size: 5oz

So, Miss Vicki. You started making potato chips in Canada and are owned by the chip giant Frito Lay. Already, things are looking down for you. However, you're producing "all natural" kettle chips, and I really like kettle chips. Down here in these parts, we deep fry everything. In a kettle.

I was especially concerned when I opened the bag and spotted little green spots all over the chips. Really, do dried chives have anything to add to a jalapeno-flavored chip? I think not. But, surely, you can't be all bad - I see you all the time at Subway. In fact, I'm almost positive you have the only jalapeno chip available at Subway. How'd you corner that market?

The chip is nearly all after-bite with no flavor. Seriously. I put the nice, crunchy chip in my mouth, chew, wait for the flavor, swallow, wait for the flavor ... wait for the flavor... and .... I'm done with the chip and all that's left is the sting of jalapeno. What happened to the flavor? I DEMAND FLAVOR! What's up with that, Miss Vicki?

I blame the green spots. Heed my warning - little tiny green spots on jalapeno chips are a bad omen.

Taste & Flavoring	-
Hotness	-
Consistency	-
Value	-
_____________	-	_____
Overall	-

You're probably looking at that wondering how it came out with an average of 2 peppers. First of all, you've got too much time on your hands if you're really doing all the number crunching. Second of all, Taste & Flavoring counts twice, because it's just that important. And third of all, it's my blog and I can fudge numbers.

Jalapeno Chips? Really?

2008-03-25T19:47:00.001-05:00

This blog is really about jalapeno-flavored potato chips?
Why yes, this blog is really about jalapeno-flavored potato chips.

Why are you writing a blog about jalapeno chips?
Because I'm a sad, lonely person. OK, not really. I love jalapeno chips. If I had to pick one flavor of chip to eat foreverandeveramen, it would be of the jalapeno variety. I buy about one bag of jalapeno chips per week, which may not seem like a lot, but I'm really not a chip eater, so it is.

So ... what exactly is this all about?
Well, just what it sounds like. Each week, I'll eat a new kind of jalapeno potato chip and write a review of it, covering the following:
1) Taste & Flavoring - because that's what is really important.
2) Hotness factor - do you want the sting in your mouth to overwhelm the flavor? I don't.
3) Consistency - I like some crunchy potato-ness in my chip.
4) Value - chips shouldn't be expensive; an expensive chip is almost an oxymoron.
5) Overall - an average of all of the above.

What happens when you run out of chips?
I've pondered that question and at this point I do not have an answer. Other than also covering jalapeno-flavored corn chips (and they're out there - I've seen 'em), I may also take the occasional break to review jalapeno products, foods, and recipes.

Who are you?
I'm a technical analyst in desktop support for a school system in Texas. I have a wonderful eight year-old daughter (who is not fond of jalapeno chips) and a great husband (who is relatively ambivalent on the topic). I also have two gerbils (Cheeze and Crackerz) and a dwarf hamster (Chuck Norris). I'm working on my bachelor's degree and hope to finish it this year, taking only twice as long as the normal person takes to finish the same degree - go me! In my spare time, I sleep. And eat jalapeno chips.

Got any other questions? Email me.