My latest edition of spicy snack roundup starts with a chef-inspired chip that some may find a little bit odd but that is worth a try.
Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno Doritos: These chips are part of the Doritos Solid Black initiative which focuses on Black Changemakers and they come from Chris Williams of the Houston restaurant Lucille’s. You may not think that pineapple would work well in a salty snack, but if you like chips with pineapple salsa, you may just enjoy these because they do a good job replicating that experience. The taste of pineapple comes through rather strong with some hints of jalapeno and other seasonings as well. It is somewhat off-putting at first and I didn’t really like the chips when I initially tried them. But I decided to forage ahead and they started to grow on me. There is a fair amount of sweetness in these, but not to the point that I would call them a desert chip. The sweet is offset by the kick of heat and the spices, and everything comes together once you get past the initial oddness. These will definitely be a love-it-or-hate-it affair, but give them a chance before you decide to hate them.
Heat-wise, they have a nice little kick, but nothing that will set your mouth ablaze. They start off Mild but eventually work their way close to Medium on my scale after a few bites. These are nowhere near as hot as the Blaze Doritos (which they need to bring back), but they still have a nice bite. And the pineapple flavor throws in that interesting twist to turn them into somewhat of an experience. These may not be chips you munch on every day, but they offer a nice change of pace. This is a limited-time-only flavor, though, so they may be gone from the shelves soon.
BBQ Flamin’ Hot Fritos: This new Fritos flavor is very similar to the Flamin’ Hot version, though with hints of barbeque sauce thrown in. They have a nice peppery taste to them with a little bit of hot sauce tang. They have only a slight bit of that smoky flavor you might expect, but enough to add some depth. The good thing is that they do not have much of the sourness you get from Doritos or Cheetos flavored with the Flamin’ Hot seasoning. Perhaps it’s the boldness of the Frito corn chip, which also brings just a little bit of sweetness, that acts as a counterbalance. Or perhaps the added barbeque flavor tempers the sourness (the regular Flamin’ Hot Fritos also avoid too much of the pucker).
At first, these do not seem too hot as they only reached the Mild level on my scale after munching on a couple of chips. But as I continued, they worked their way up to Medium and after finishing one serving my mouth was definitely tingling. Not quite as much as the regular Flamin’ Hot Fritos, but close. So overall, I would put them just above Medium with the others heading toward Hot. The Fritos chips–which got their start right here in San Antonio–definitely work well with the Flamin’ Hot seasoning, and I will seek these out again.
Pringles Las Meras Meras Habaneras: These are referred to as “Mexican inspired” chips (sorry, make that crisps), and I stumbled upon them at my local Walmart. They have a very tangy taste, sort of like a hot sauce flavor with some lime in there as well. But the tang pretty much dominates and you don’t get the taste of habanero chilis which is a shame because those are some of the most flavorful peppers. The chips are not quite as sour as the Lay’s Flamin’ Hot varieties, but these do produce some pucker, almost too much.
They also deliver some heat, though, and that is where they succeed. Unlike most other hot Pringles varieties, these do have some burn. I would put them above Medium on my scale and heading for hot. The average mortal may shy away from these after a chip or two, but chiliheads should like them if they can handle the tang factor.
Nutrition Info:
Spicy Pineapple Jalapeno Doritos
Ingredients: Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/Or Sunflower Oil), Less Than 2% Of Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Sugar, Salt, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Dextrose, Jalapeño Pepper, Torula Yeast, Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Citric Acid, Spices, Onion Powder, Potassium Salt, Garlic Powder, Pineapple Juice, Whey, And Yeast Extract
Serving Size: 28g (About 11 Chips
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 18g
Sodium: 150mg
BBQ Flamin’ Hot Fritos
Ingredients: Corn, Corn Oil, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Salt, Spices, Paprika, Molasses, Onion Powder, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Yeast Extract, Tomato Powder, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Potassium Salt, Citric Acid, Sodium Diacetate, Natural Flavors (Contains Milk and Animal Ingredients), and Garlic Powder
Serving Size: 28g (About 31 Chips)
Calories: 160
Fat: 9g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 16g
Sodium: 190mg
Pringles Las Meras Meras Habaneras
Ingredients: Dried potatoes, vegetable oil (corn, cottonseed, high oleic soybean, and/or sunflower), degerminated yellow corn flour, cornstarch, rice flour, maltodextrin, mono- and diglycerides, salt. contains 2% or less of citric acid, monosodium glutamate, malic acid, sugar, spice, onion powder, garlic powder, corn syrup solids, yeast extract, lime juice concentrate, sodium diacetate, natural and artificial flavor, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, whey, yellow 6 lake, wheat starch, yellow 5 lake.
Serving Size: 28g (About 14 Crisps)
Calories: 150
Fat: 9g (2.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 310mg