Thursday, February 8, 2007

The quest for delicious heat

Ok! It's time to try the (hopefully) hot snacks!
Are ya ready? Get ready! Here we go!

(1) Snyder's "Hot Buffalo Wing" pretzel pieces: Upon opening the bag, I noticed the scent of vinegar. Like those vinegar-based hot sauces that are often used for making hot wings. The flavor is slightly reminiscent of those kinds of sauces. In other words, not really hot. The flavor is ok, I suppose. I'll definitely finish the bag, and might actually buy these again-- but I'll do so realizing that I am NOT actually getting anything resembling HOT Buffalo Wings. It's just a mild vinegary peppery flavor. Try some "Franks Red Hot" sauce (which is also not really hot), and reduce the heat factor by about half. That's the level we're talking about here.

(2)
Pringles Select "Szechuan Barbecue" rice chips: Oh my gosh. These are really good. They're not "Hot" at all, but the flavor is delicious. It's a savory Asian spice blend, like what you'd get on a good spicy Chinese/Szechuan dish. Yummy flavor. I love these. I wish they were HOTTER, but I still love them. The rice chip itself has a good delicate texture and flavor. I will definitely buy these again.
(In case you haven't heard of the new "Pringles Select" varieties, they're different from regular pringles. They're not stacked in a can-- they're in a bag instead-- and they're a completely different shape and texture and flavor. They come in the following flavors: Parmesan Garlic, Sundried Tomato, Szechuan Barbecue, and Cinnamon Sweet Potato. So far the Szechuan is the only variety I've tried.)

(3)
Mikesell's Kettle-Cooked "Hoppin' Hot Habanero" potato chips: The texture is that good rough "kettle crunch". The flavor is... uh... well, for the first 2 or 3 chips, I honestly wondered if there had been "plain" chips put in my bag by mistake. After trying a few more, I did detect some small amount of seasoning. After a few more, the heat level did grow a little. Not much, but a little. There was a small amount of "burn", maybe a 5 or 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10). I probably won't get these again, just because I wanted more of a BURST of flavor. There was no burst. When I bite into a chip, I want a phenomenal one-two punch of HEAT AND FLAVOR. These didn't deliver.

Soooo, of the three I tried today:
Overall Favorite: the Pringles.
Hottest: (which isn't saying much) The Mikesell's.

9 comments:

Travis Cody said...

I'm not a fan of the spicy, but if the product is being advertised as "hot" then methinks it should perhaps set off a sprinkler or two.

No Mas said...

I keep cayanne pepper on hand for sprinkling on trail mix and chips that are lame. Spice it up girl!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh i'm going to get some of the pringles, thanks!

smiles, bee

Steven said...

Spicy and hot makes my poo burn when it comes out.

I don't like spicy and hot. ;)

Steve~

Janna said...

Travis: All too often, when the package says "Hot", it's a dirty rotten lie.

Nomas: Great idea!

Bee: They're really good!

Novak: You wuss. :)

Liz Hill said...

I agree--if it says "hoppin' Hot" I wanna dance a jig from the burn

Janna said...

Turnbaby: Yes! Exactly!

Cheesy said...

janna~have you tried the Cheetos hot and spicey?? If not give um a whirl... I think my lips bled

Tim's makes a Wasabi chip.. pretty yummy!

Crankster said...

Try Route 11 brand "Mama Zuma's Revenge" habanero potato chips. Not mind-numbingly hot, but nice and really spicy.