Bottom Line: The flavor from the Paqui Haunted Ghost Chili Chips may seem rather one-dimensional at first, but they quickly become addictive and definitely deliver on the heat.
Paqui is an Austin-based company that makes flavored tortilla chips from “100% Real Ingredients” and they happen to specialize in spicy seasonings for their products. I stumbled across the Haunted Ghost Pepper chips in my local HEB and figured I had to see just how spicy they are. They are also known for the Carolina Reaper “One Chip Challenge”, but we will get to that in a little bit.
The Haunted Ghost Pepper chips have a strong peppery taste with that unique hint of ghost chili and a little bit of saltiness, though they actually do not have a lot of flavor beyond that. The chip itself has the rustic, earthy taste you expect from a product made with all-natural ingredients. At first, I found myself wishing for some tomato tanginess or barbeque smokiness, and/or a bit of sweetness to engage the taste buds. But after eating a few, I found they became rather addictive and decided that the taste was fine. And as far as heat, these chips definitely deliver! But a word of warning that they are rather deceptive, and you will probably think these are not too hot after eating the first one or two. By the time you are on your third or fourth chip, though, that spice is kicking up a very pungent party in your mouth!
These will not send chiliheads running from the room, but they will satisfy as a very spicy snack. The average mortal will likely bow out after only one or two chips (or perhaps after their first sniff of the contents), though they have been warned because the heat level on the bag is indicated as “Freakin’ Hot”! And even those of us who can take the heat will still almost certainly want to have some sort of libation close by to dowse the fire after eating a few of these. And when you get to the end of the bag and you start eating those little bits with a higher ratio of seasoning to chips (those are the best!), you better brace yourself because you will feel the heat! I definitely give these the thumbs up when it comes to truly spicy snacks!
Paqui makes several other flavors–all at lesser heat levels–including Fiery Chile Limon, Zesty Salsa Verde, and Jalapeno Tropicale. I have not tried those yet but will be seeking them out at some point. They also have a “One Chip Challenge” that is a single Carolina Reaper flavored tortilla chip which they refer to as “Scorching Hot”. The challenge is to see if you can eat the whole thing and to share your experience, preferably with a video. (It’s actually a brilliant marketing move if you think about it. Get the customers to do the advertising!) Only a limited number are released each year and 2020’s batch has been sold out. It sells for about six bucks and I never did find one close to me, though I did not go on an extensive search for the chip. You can see some videos of people eating the chips on YouTube, and if you search around you can find them for sale on eBay or Amazon Sellers. Just expect to pay significantly more than the $6 retail. When they do their next release, I plan on making a more concerted effort to track down one of these.
Paqui (prounounced pah-kee) is an Aztec word that means “to be happy”. Their chips are 100% Non-GMO with no artificial ingredients, flavors or preservatives, and they are also Gluten free, Vegan, and contain no trans-fat. I’m not quite certain all that makes them a healthy option (those celery sticks are calling), but at least healthier than many of the overly processed snack selections put out by the mega-corps. They are located here in Texas, but available in other parts of the country. You can check and see if they are on sale near you with the store locator on their website.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Ground Corn, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil and/or Sunflower Oil, Salt, Ghost Pepper, Potato Starch, Cayenne Pepper, Chipotle Pepper Powder, Cane Sugar, Natural Flavor, Yeast Extract, Onion Powder, Citric Acid (for flavor), Garlic Powder, Chili Powder
Serving Size: 1 Oz (about 10 chips)
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 18g
Sodium: 210mg