There is chili pepper spicy of which I am obviously am a fan based on the many posts I have put on this site. And there is also wasabi/horseradish spicy of which I am also a lover. (There’s also garlic spicy, and yes, I am a fan of that as well). Wasabi/horseradish has a different type of heat, a pungent punch that goes right up into the nose when you get a big bite of the stuff. I love wasabi with sushi and horseradish in mustard or just by itself (especially with roast beef). And when the flavor gets added to snack items, that is always a good thing.
Hawaiian Brand chips puts out limited edition “special batch” chips from time to time, and one of their most recent is Way Out Wasabi Kettle Style Potato Chips (batch number 35 if you are counting). The chips are kettle-cooked “Hawaiian style” and following is the very island-friendly description of the their product on the bag: “Find the perfect wave on the perfect beach and you’ve got an idea how the best of simple things can make each other better.”
The Way Out Wasabi chips have a good saltiness combined with plenty of wasabi taste and just a slight hint of sweetness. You don’t quite feel it in your nose like when you get that excruciatingly wonderful blast from a potent bite of wasabi, but they still deliver plenty of taste. Enough so that if you are not a fan of wasabi, you probably will not like them. They also have a good thickness and crunch, which is what you expect from a kettle chip. And a word of warning that these are very addictive, you certainly cannot eat just one.
But before you go imagining native Hawaiians stirring up pots of frying potatoes while wearing grass skirts at a luau, here’s the rub on these chips: not only are they not made in Hawaii, they use no ingredients or recipes from the state. The brand name is just supposed to invoke the island spirit, but these are actually made in Washington state by Tim’s Cascade Snacks.
Hawaiian Brand chips were originally made by Granny Goose in Maui (and I remembered getting little bags of the Maui Onion flavored chips as an in-flight snack when traveling back in the ‘90s). But Tim’s bought them up in the 1996, and they have been made on the mainland since then. Nowhere on the bag does it say “Made in Hawaii” or suggest that the chips come from there. Tim’s is just using that state as a pleasant marketing image. (They do still make the Maui Onion chips, and those are pretty darn good).
So if the misleading advertising bothers you, then you may want to avoid the Hawaiian Brand chips. But if that’s not an issue, then I can vouch that the Way Out Wasabi chips are worth picking up as are other flavors from this brand. The Sweet & Spicy Luau BBQ chips are also quite good (though not as spicy as they used to be), and I always keep an eye out for the latest special batch. I usually find these at World Market, and you can probably find them at other gourmet stores or online. This special batch will not be available long, though, so be sure to grab a bag while you still can.
Tale of the Tape:
Ingredients: Potatoes , Corn Oil, Sunflower Oil and/or Safflower Oil, Rice Flour, Salt, Spices (Including Mustard), Sugar, Onion Powder, Natural Flavors (Contains Modified Corn Starch, Maltodextrin), Yeast Extract, Horseradish Powder, Garlic Powder, Citric Acid
Serving Size: 28g (About 17 Chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (1g Sat/0 Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 16g
Sodium: 230mg
Love the Hawaiian Brand, Kettle Style Potato Chips-Way Out Wasabi Flavor but can’t find it anywhere.
Those are special batch chips with only limited runs, so they may be hard to come by now. If you have a World Market near you, check and see if they still have a few bags.