Bottom Line: The Crispy Thai Chilies & Sesame Seeds from Trader Joe’s are a tasty snack alternative to chips and they have some heat.
There are plenty of selections out there to munch on between meals when the hunger pangs strike, and several that bring some heat. But sometimes you want to reach for something a little more healthy than chips or crackers, and maybe you have grown tired of nuts (plus they are pretty heavy on the calories). Well, Trader Joe’s usually has has some good options, and their Crispy Thai Chilies & Sesame Seeds certainly deliver a kick.
These consist of red chili peppers and sesame seeds cooked together with seasonings (I believe they are baked and not fried) to deliver (as the bag says) “a crispy, savory, spicy Thai snack”. Based on the ingredients, I believe these would count as vegan, but they do have soy and they are not gluten free.
When you bite into one of these dried chili peppers, you are met with a nutty, sesame seed taste, but they also have almost a bacon-like flavor to them that is quite pleasing. (Don’t worry, no pigs were harmed during the making of this product). The skin of the chilis is very thin and almost cellophane-like, and the texture from that is a little off-putting. But it’s not enough to stop me from chomping down on a handful of these and I usually have to keep the bag at a distance because I keep reaching for some more.
Not only are these chili pepper snacks tasty, but as you might expect from dried pods, they have some burn! I would put these at least above the Medium heat level and approaching Hot (that may vary from bag to bag), and as you keep eating them that continues to rise. And that heat lingers for a while so that you know you have been eating something spicy.
These are definitely great just to munch on as a healthy alternative to more greasy snacks, but these can be used as an ingredient as well. They go great in a stir fry, and you can add them to a sandwich for some crunch and heat. You can also mix them with some scrambled eggs and put that in a tortilla for a vegetarian alternative to a spicy bacon and egg taco. You can also throw these into a fish taco to give it some crunch and a boost of heat. These have so many uses that you will need to have a few bags in the pantry. Some for munching, and some for cooking.
Calorie-wise, a serving is 180 cals, but that is for a half a cup. I find that more satisfying than the same amount of chips, but these are so addicting that I know I will probably sneak another half serving or more. And since they have 14g of fat, you may want to portion things out in advance to control your temptations.
This is just one of many snack choices at Trader Joe’s that are a little bit more on the healthy side than what you might find at your usual grocery store. I don’t always see these on the shelves, but they tend to have them more often than not. And when I do find them in stock, I’ll buy a few bags because I know they won’t go to waste.
Tale of the Tape
Ingredients: Red chili peppers, sesame seeds, wheat flour, rice bran oil, seasoning blend (corn maltodextrin, salt, natural flavor, soy sauce powder [soy sauce {soybeans, water, salt}, corn maltodextrin, yeast extract], spices [chili powder, cumin], onion powder, tomato powder, garlic powder, silicon dioxide), salt, sesame oil
Serving Size: 28g (¼ Cup)
Calories: 180
Fat: 14g (2.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 3g
Carbs: 9g
Sodium: 200mg