I have grumped on this site several times about how the major snack makers–particularly Frito-Lay’s–regularly put out the latest, greatest “spicy” chip trying to convince us they have amped up the heat, only to discover it is mostly marketing and little burn. The fact is that they cater to the average consumer, and the heat level of their munchies typically regresses to the mean. However, just recently I have found two different bags of chips in the aisle–from Lay’s no less–that actually deliver a kick and that I can recommend to other lovers of spicy food. The Flamin’ Hot Baked Ruffles I recently covered here.
As for the Honey Habanero Kettle Chips, I just happened to stumble open them at an end cap in the frozen food section (a rather odd place to put chips) and decided to give them a try. These are certainly a limited-time-only deal as I can’t even find them mentioned on the Lay’s website. They have “EXTRA” in all caps on the bag suggesting that they have an additional kick of seasoning and crunch. And this time around, I was not disappointed.
Taste-wise, these are a lot like a sweet barbeque chip. There are some hints of honey, but you might not pick that out if you did not see it in the name of the chip. They are actually almost too sweet, but then the heat cuts in adding just the right counterbalance to turn this into an excellent taste experience. And they bring a decent amount of heat for a major brand. I would put them just above medium and the burn builds the more you eat them. These won’t send you running for a fire extinguisher, but they will satisfy your craving for heat.
Since they are kettle cooked, they have a good heft and crunch to them, which I consider to be a plus. I have long been a fan of the kettle chip and I am typically more likely to try out new flavors of this type rather than the rather than the regular, wimpy chips. Do these have “EXTRA” crunch? Not really sure I would say that, but they do hold up as a satisfying munchie. And unlike the many Flamin’ Hot varieties Lay’s puts out, these are not overly sour and they deliver on the heat.
As mentioned above, I literally just stumbled upon them in the store and if I had just been looking in the chip aisle I would have missed them. I found them at Super Target, but have not seen them in any other stores yet. Online, I see that Kroger also indicates they carry them and you can buy them from Amazon as well. But if you want to give them a try, I suggest getting grabbing a bag sooner than later. The bus back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville may be leaving soon and you likely will not be able to find them after that.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Potatoes , Vegetable Oil ( Sunflower , Corn , and/or Canola Oil ) , Sugar , Salt , Natural Flavors , Maltodextrin ( Made , from : Corn ) , Brown Sugar , Whey , Dextrose , Tomato Powder , Cheddar Cheese ( Milk , Cheese Cultures , Salt , Enzymes ) , Onion Powder , Spices , Yeast Extract , Cream , Sour Cream ( Cultured Cream , Skim Milk ) , Paprika Extracts , Honey , Garlic Powder , Habanero Chili Pepper , Artificial Color ( Yellow 6 Lake , Red 40 Lake , Blue 1 Lake ) , Butter ( Cream , Salt ) , Monterey Jack Cheese ( Milk , Cheese Cultures , Salt , Enzymes ) and Swiss Cheese ( Milk , Cheese Cultures , Salt , Enzymes )
Serving Size: 28g (About 15 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 8g (1g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 190mg