The snack industry continues to spice up the munchies it sends to the shelves because apparently the burn brings the bucks these days. But how many of these selections are really all that spicy? Here is a look at three offerings I have sampled lately with my assessment of their heat levels:
Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Tangy Chili Fusion: Cheetos has added yet another item to its Flamin’ Hot line, and I found that I rather enjoyed it. These are the regular craggly Cheetos as opposed to the puffs and they deliver an immediate tang that is countered by a nice bit of sweetness and hints of tomato (sure enough, there is tomato powder in the ingredients). There is some earthiness there from the chili seasoning, but just enough to make its presence noticed. There is also some sourness, but not too bad and much less than the standard Cheetos Flamin’ Hot. This all works together pretty well to deliver a tasty snack with a rather unique flavor.
The tang is what you feel right away, but then that is followed by the heat. It is not too much of a bite, though, maybe just a little above Mild on my scale. But it leaves your mouth tingling and you definitely feel like you have had a spicy experience. It also does not overpower with the sour which is what I dislike about the Flamin’ Hot line in general. I’m looking for heat, not pucker. And this new selection does offer that, even if it won’t set your mouth on fire. These are available in most stores and they appear to be around for the long haul.
Smokey Chili Queso Dinamita Sticks: Doritos has brought back its Dinamita line of rolled chips (which are direct competition for the ever-popular Takis), and they have added sticks as a new shape. These are similar in consistency to Hot Fries, though made from corn instead of potatoes, and they have a taste that resembles Fritos. As for the Smokey Chili Queso flavor, there is a nice smokiness that hits right away followed by some tang. They don’t bring too much pucker, though, like some of the Dinamitas which lean heavily on the sour (just like Takis). This variety of the sticks also has a peppery flavor with maybe just a hint of the cheese from the queso component. Ultimately, these prove to be quite tasty and rather addictive.
Heat-wise, these have a kick and it lingers for a bit. I would put them close to Medium on my scale which is pretty good for one of the major manufacturers. And the more of these that you munch on, the more the burn builds in your mouth. I was pleasantly surprised with these and hope they don’t get shipped back to Limited-Time-Only-Ville too soon. Dinamita also has a Hot Honey Mustard flavor of sticks that I plan on trying soon, and you can find these as well as the rolled version in most stores.
Ruffles Double Crunch Hot Wings Chips: This variation of Ruffles has “deep-cut Ruffles ridges” which basically means that the grooves in the chip are bigger than the standard version. They definitely deliver a satisfying crunch along with a nice potato flavor due to their thickness. I have seen this style most often with chips made by Lay’s in other countries and I wish they had more varieties like this in the U.S. The Hot Wings version I found has the tang you expect from Buffalo Sauce, but it is not overstated. You get enough to know it is there, but it does not deliver much pucker. There is also a little bit of sweetness to balance that out and it delivers a pleasant enough experience that is reminiscent of the flavors you encounter when eating hot wings.
Unfortunately, the “hot” part is not emphasized as these get to only about Mild on my scale. I would have enjoyed them more if they delivered a higher level of a burn, but I still liked them enough that I would get them again. Tracking them down is not so easy, though, as this is not a variety I have seen on the shelves too often. I stumbled upon them in CVS in the 2.375 size portion and have not seen them in larger bags. Walmart shows to have them online, but I have not seen them in the stores. If you do happen to find them on the shelves, I recommend picking them up even if they don’t deliver much heat.
Nutrition Info:
Cheetos Flamin’ Hot Tangy Chili Fusion
Ingredients: Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/Or Sunflower Oil), Less Than 2% Of The Following: Natural And Artificial Flavors, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Spices (Including Chili Peppers And Red Peppers), Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Red Bell Peppers, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake), Tomato Powder, Whey, Paprika, Jalapeno Peppers, Malic Acid, Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Yeast Extract, Disodium Inosinate, And Disodium Guanylate. Contains Milk Ingredients.
Serving Size: 28g (About 21 pieces)
Calories: 150
Fat: 10g (1.5g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 1g
Carbs: 15g
Sodium: 200mg
Smokey Chili Queso Dinamita Sticks
Ingredients: Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/Or Sunflower Oil), Spices (Including Jalapeno Peppers And Red Peppers), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), And Less Than 2% Of Salt, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Tomato Powder, Buttermilk, Corn Syrup Solids, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Lactic Acid, Vinegar, Garlic Powder, Lime Juice, Calcium Lactate, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, And Paprika Extracts. CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS.
Serving Size: 28g (About 26 pieces)
Calories: 140
Fat: 7g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 18g
Sodium: 180mg
Ruffles Double Crunch Hot Wings Chips
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, and/or Canola Oil), Hot Wings Seasoning (Maltodextrin [Made from Corn], Salt, Natural Flavors, Monosodium Glutamate, Spice, Onion Powder, Chicken Fat, Garlic Powder, Yeast Extract, Citric Acid, Brown Sugar, Paprika Extracts, Butter [Cream, Salt], Chicken Broth, Chicken Powder, and Skim Milk)
Serving Size: 28g (About 11 chips)
Calories: 150
Fat: 8g (1g Sat/0g Trans)
Protein: 2g
Carbs: 17g
Sodium: 140mg