French Fry Diary 680: West Coast Truffle Fries Potato Chips

Do Us A Flavor 2015 Taste Test #2 - West Coast Truffle Fries flavored potato chips, wavy style, submitted by Angie Fu:

I have to admit, these potato chips had me both excited and worried at the same time. On the one hand, it rocks to have a Do Us A Flavor finalist based on French fries, but on the other... while it's a grail seasoning for fries, one has to be very careful how much truffle oil or seasoning one puts on a fry or chip. Not enough and it's untraceable and too much you may get sick.

A nice feature this year is the finalist's name on the front of the bag, as well as a picture and quote on the back. I think this is a nice personal touch. "Every time I see Truffle Fries on the menu, it is the first thing I order... the aromatic flavor is mouth-watering." Angie Fu really likes truffle fries, good for her.

I also wanted to note that just like yesterday's Greektown Gyro's ingredients included "gyro seasoning," these chips include "truffle fries seasoning," although they actually tell us what's in them this time. Among other things, these chips include Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, and actual black truffle.

Upon opening the bag the aroma was not overbearing and actually pretty pleasant and enticing. After The Bride tried the first one for me, proclaiming, "They're pretty good," I felt a bit better than I had with the Gyro chips and tried one of them. They were indeed pretty good. We only tried a couple each of the Gyro chips whereas we began to devour these Truffle Fries chips right away.

I tasted the Romano and Parmesan cheese right away, and after a few chips the truffle was there as well, as a cumulative aftertaste. Not too much, not too little, just the perfect amount of truffle. Somebody at the Frito-Lay labs really knows what they're doing. These are some really good potato chips, and as a bonus, they're wavy making them excellent for dipping.

So far, two finalists down, the Truffle Fries have made a high mark to beat. These were very good. There is one nagging question however... how are west coast truffle fries different from east coast truffle fries? 

Now to find the other two...

French Fry Diary 572: Simply Ruffles

I have had varying degrees of success and failure with potato products that start with the word 'simply.' That would be the only reason I was hesitant to try these new Simply Ruffles from Frito Lay.

I like Ruffles a lot, they are the go-to ripple chip for dipping, rippled and relatively thick, they rock. The trouble would be they get tend to get a little greasy if you're eating a lot at once. A healthier style would be great, and that's what Simply Ruffles is, the better alternative.

Simply Ruffles are just potatoes, expeller-pressed sunflower oil, and sea salt. 'Expeller-pressed'? That means the oil is extracted mechanically using high pressure. How that is better or worse, I don't know. These chips are also gluten free, with no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Good chips, healthy chips, recommended.

They're Back

From the Frito-Lay Facebook page, the three final flavors of the contest earlier this year, are now all available for consumption. Get 'em while you can!

French Fry Diary 472: Lay's Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips

I still haven't been able to find the Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips. Oh well. Onward and upward. Unlike yesterday's Sriracha chips, the Chicken & Waffles flavored chips at least seem a little more appetizing.

While not something I have ever had, as a catastrophically picky eater, it is worth mentioning I haven't had them together, but I do like both chicken and waffles. And this wouldn't be the first time I've reviewed chicken flavored potato chips either.

Chicken and waffles is a regional and cultural phenomenon that comes in two varieties. The soul food type is fried chicken and waffles drowned in butter and syrup. The Pennsylvania Dutch prefer stewed chicken on a waffle with gravy poured over it. Looking the ingredients, I would say that Lay's chips have more soul. No real chicken though.

When I opened the bag a thick sweet aroma wafted over my nose... molasses? Maple syrup maybe? Color me intrigued. I do like how they smell. It's almost hypnotic, like Cinnabon. Like the Sriracha chips, these were the thin regular chips so typical of Lay's.

The taste. The taste is truly something unreal and unexpected on a potato chip. There is maple syrup, and butter, and waffles, and yes, even chicken. It's all there. Eating the chips I felt like Violet Beauregarde chewing her final piece of gum in the classic Willy Wonka movie. All those flavors are in there. Hopefully I won't be turning into a giant chicken with waffles…

These weren't bad at all, and I definitely ate more of these than I did of the Sriracha chips, but after a while the heavy sweetness got to me. If this flavor wins, it is definitely a once in a blue moon snack. Very heavy.

Now, as soon as I find the Cheesy Garlic Bread potato chips, I'll be back with a review. Until then, does anyone know where to find them in the South Jersey area?

French Fry Diary 471: Lay's Sriracha Potato Chips

We're in the midst of an historic contest from the Frito-Lay folks. They took suggestions, millions of them, for potential new potato chip flavors.

I even tried my hand at it, suggesting Poutine flavored chips to not only cash in on the Canadian market but also appease those folks down here in the US who can't get it of haven't tried it yet. I suppose they either already have that flavor, or they just figured it was too gross. ;-)

The powers that be narrowed the field down to three finalists: Sriracha, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Chicken & Waffles. Before even tasting, my personal preference would be Cheesy Garlic Bread, that's just a no-brainer. I've even had over twenty folks online tell me they are the better chips.

However, it has been impossible for me to find these things in South Jersey. I'm still looking, and would appreciate any help from my FFD friends out there. Where are the Cheesy Garlic Bread chips?

In the meantime, I did manage to find the other two. First up, Sriracha. For those not in the know, myself included, until I looked it up, Sriracha is a (very) hot sauce made from chili peppers, frequently used with seafood, and named after Si Racha, a city on the coast of Thailand. This soooo doesn't sound like me. I'm afraid of this potato chip.

Upon opening the bag, a spicy not unpleasant aroma hit my nose. Their appearance, other than typical thin regular Lay's potato chips, was that of a simple barbecue chip, perhaps with slightly darker seasoning than usual.

The first chip was good, so was the second, tasting like a spicier than usual BBQ chip... then the afterburn hit. It is a serious heat but it only lasts a few seconds. I was surprised. That was it? Not that I want my mouth burned out, mind you, but I was expecting a bit more fiery punch, you know? These are really not bad at all.

Tomorrow: Chicken & Waffles Potato Chips. And don't forget to vote for Cheesy Garlic Bread Potato Chips, and let me know where you found them!

Weird Flavors of Lay's Potato Chips

Friend and fellow writer Mieke Zamora-MacKay hipped me to these, twenty-five of Lay's weirdest (at least to us here in the States) flavors of potato chips.

Here's the link right here.

Some of the flavors are intriguing, like Mint, Mango, and Blueberry. Some are pretty much no-brainers like Bacon, Ketchup, Wasabi, and Curry. I know I would love a decent bacon or curry flavored potato chip. While others are just… insane to my tender palate. Squid, seaweed, and salmon? Not for me.

Thanks, Mieke! And don't forget, everyone, check out the blog and Twitter of this terrific writer. She also has a great story in the new anthology Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey. You can order the book here.

French Fry Diary 436: Lay's Wavy

I gotta say right up front that I am not a fan of Lay's potato chips. Like Wise's chips, I find them just a bit too thin for my tastes and sometimes too greasy as well. I guess that's why I found Lay's Wavy Original potato chips such a pleasant surprise.

These chips, while being rippled, similar to Herr's 'pink foil,' are substantially thicker than the usual Lay's chips. This means more potato flavor and also a better dipping chip. This is a great party chip.

I was also very surprised by the amount of large and sizable chips in the two packages I picked up (two for one sale at CVS). There were many many more than other bags of chips. When most bags are nothing but crumbs and broken chips, Lay's Wavy still had big whole ones.

I have to admit puzzlement over the 'Original' claim on the package. I understand that these are the regular chip flavor, but by saying that, doesn't it imply there's a Wavy version of say, barbecue or sour cream and onion? If so, I've never seen them. And if a barbecue does exist, bring it on!

Great party chips, great dipping chips, recommended.

French Fry Diary 408: Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Flavored

Yeah, I know that's quite a mouthful, Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Flavored potato chips. I've tried a lot of different bizarre flavored chips like the various rib chips, the steak chips, and even the chicken chips. There's even a hot dog flavored chip from Herr's I've been trying to track down. At least these are sorta tater related.

I had only a couple chips. I'm not a big fan of sour cream or Romano cheese and those flavors jumped right out immediately. There is also bacon and cheddar in there, but the former two flavors are overpowering. These chips were definitely not my cup of tea, and so not my bag of chips.

I had initially picked them up for The Bride, but she only thought they were okay. If you're into this kind of thing, go for it, but Ruffles Loaded Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins were just not for me.

French Fry Diary 346: Lay's Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Flavored Potato Chips

I had just purchased ice cream at the local Wawa and was perusing the snack aisle looking for something to dip with it. Yeah, I know. I do that, get over it. I was wondering why, for like the hundredth time, they don't have BBQ Ruffles in my area, when I saw this bag of Lay's Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Flavored Potato Chips and decided to go with them. There were a dozen other choices, but I wanted barbeque.

Now usually ridges are best for dipping, but kettle cooking makes a thick hard break easily chip that is also good for dipping. The only problem with this particular chip is, as you can see from the picture, kinda on the small side. Still they work, not as well as I would have liked, but they work.

For those looking for the health info, there's good news. These chips are free of MSG, transfats, or bizarrely enough, anything related to pigs. They are also a good source of Vitamin C, yeah, right, but I guess that shouldn't be a surprise based on their orange color.

The flavor is a good sweet barbeque flavor, but without a burn or an aftertaste. That's a win-win situation in my book. Not the best BBQ chips I have ever had but pretty darn good ones. And they were terrific dipped in the ice cream.

French Fry Diary 292: Baked Lay's Potato Crisps

What is most interesting about this product is that it doesn't actually say potato chips on the bag. The front of the bag pretty much just reads "Baked!" and then under that the Lay's logo and below that "original" to indicate the flavor.

On the back of the bag we learn they are called Baked! Lay's Original Potato Crisps. Now while crisps in the UK would indicate potato chips, but here in the US it means made from dried potatoes, like Pringles. And that also explains the bland taste of these cardboard reasons I really don't care for baked potato chips.

For the healthy conscious folks out there (who I have no idea why you're reading this blog, but I thank you) these start with all natural ingredients, have 80% less fat, no transfats, no MSG, no preservatives, and are gluten free.

They might be good for dipping but not for flavor. Not recommended, unless you have nothing else to munch.

French Fry Diary 282: Lay's Light

The Bride picked these up just before hurricane Irene hit, as a snack that needed to neither be cooked nor refrigerated.

I was a bit hesitant about Lay's Light Potato Chips Original Flavor, and not because of their healthiness. Sure, they are fat free and have "1/2 the calories of regular potato chips," but they were also cooked with olestra, a fat substitute that has had a variety of not so nice side effects, not the least of which would be diarrhea and abdominal cramping. I know it never sits well with me. I'm actually surprised the Frito-Lay company is still using it.

But then again, part of this blog could be about me eating the dangerous stuff, so you don't have to. The chips themselves are very thin, like most Lay's but also kind of bland, also like Pringles. Not great, and I'm sure I'll pay for eating them later. Not recommended.

French Fry Diary 277: Lay's Stax

Folks that know me personally, know, that for a variety of reasons and health issues, I take a lot of pills. It's not a big deal, and keeps me kicking, that's what counts. The problem is that not all of these pills go down easy, and some have a rather crappy aftertaste, so there are a variety of things I'll eat during taking them and afterward to kill that taste. A good jellied candy will do it, or a couple M&Ms, but sometimes I turn to one or two potato chips. The processed ones like Pringles seem to work best, but they also usually taste like crap as well.

On the recent vacation I picked up the best alternative, Stax from Lay's. Similarly packaged in a plastic can, this potato flake perfect-formed chip has two grand advantages over the Pringles. First they have weight, a little more thicker and substantial, and second, they have flavor. And if they have flavor, you kinda want to eat more. Not necessarily what I wanted in a chip on my vacation, but still a bonus.

My weapon of choice is the Mesquite Barbecue flavor, which have a wonderful smoky vibe to them. And the thickness also makes them a great dipping chip. Stax also come in original, cheddar, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, and ranch. They have a taste and flavor to get rid of any other bad taste in your mouth, and are a great snack anytime as well. Check 'em out.

The Devil You Say...

French Fry Diary 201: Lay's Kettle Cooked Original Potato Chips

My biggest complaint with Lay's Potato Chips is how thin they are. In my opinion, they are so thin, they are almost insubstantial. It's why I lean toward Herr's and other brands most of the time. When I saw Lay's Kettle Cooked Original on the shelf, I thought they might be different.

The process of kettle cooking potato chips requires a thicker chip most of the time, but it seems Lay's has kept with their thickness (or thinness) factor. While they taste just like Lay's (a bit greasy and also too salty for my taste) and have the funky cool dipping shapes that kettle cooking creates, they are still too thin for me. I imagine they might break while dipping just like regular Lay's.

These are good in a pinch, like any Lay's, if they are the only brand in a vending machine, and you need a potatoey snack, but not recommended.

French Fry Diary 135: Lay's Tangy Carolina BBQ Potato Chips

I'm a big fan of honey barbeque sauce, and barbeque sauce in general. It's just fantastic on French fries. Recently I had the chance to sample some honey barbeque potato chips from Lay's but haven't been able to find them. While looking however, I found these - Lay's Tangy Carolina BBQ potato chips.

Now usually when it comes to the word 'tangy' it's used as an advertisement or a promise rather than an actual adjective for taste. These babies however are tangy, just like the bag says. The seasoning is very hot and very sweet, and will open up your sinuses.

The taste reminds me very much of the late lamented Rib-It restaurant chain. Their barbeque sauce was perfect for their steak fries. They are much missed, but here is a wonderful reminder, these chips will make you miss Rib-It even more, but at least you'll be able to taste a hint of their old bbq sauce. Recommended.

French Fry Diary 99: Munchos

These potato crisps, or more accurately ‘potato snack,’ not chips, come from the Pringles school of design. Munchos from Frito-Lay are processed from dehydrated potatoes and are perfect circles before hitting the frying oil. Their selling point is their lightness. They have an almost fluffy texture as if they’ve puffed up during cooking.

Taste-wise they continue the fluffy light vibe. They also don’t quite have a potato taste. I guess that’s what it is. I’m not sure really. They get shapes like kettle chips, which make them excellent for dipping, especially with slightly melted ice cream or cheese.

The taste however gets old after a while. If I haven’t had Munchos in some time I will crave them, but if I’ve just had some – it will be some time before I want them again. Weird. Munchos are good once in a while, and great for dipping.

French Fry Diary 31: Earl of Sandwich, Downtown Disney

Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney doesn’t have French fries, but gosh darn it they should. It’s an upper class Subway type place that specializes in, duh, sandwiches.

As I said, no fries, but they do have potato chips and it should be noted that chips are merely an extra slice away from being fries. It’s almost the same animal.

At Earl of Sandwich, they have Miss Vickie’s chips, a French crunchy kettle chip that appears to be all fancy-schmancy due to the French thing. The flavor I sampled, one I might add isn’t made any longer, was "Mesquite B-B-Q/B-B-Q Champetre." They were very crunchy, spicy and tasty – and must be consumed with a beverage, preferably milk.

Closer inspection does lead to a disappointment however. Hidden on the back with the bilingual (French and English) ingredients and back story is the wicked truth that Miss Vickie is actually a subsidiary of Frito Lay. It doesn’t change the taste but it does mess with the whole French fantasy thing...

*reviewed from my 2005 trip to Walt Disney World.