BIJOU-REVIEW: Pringles – Consomme (Japan)

Rating: ©©©-1/2 chips  (notable)

This past week Chip Review was lucky enough to be shipped a box full of different chips, and chip like snacks, from our new friends at MunchPak.  The box included chips from all over the globe.  Everywhere from Germany and Korea, to Ireland and of course Japan.  It was would be fair to say that the majority of these chips were new to us.

So, who is this MunchPak?  Well, according to their website:

At MunchPak we are just a bunch of devoted snackers! We love to share our passion for foreign and familiar snacks with you and therefore only ship out a MunchPak that we ourselves would enjoy. We also strive to make your MunchPak experience on our site fast, convenient, and customizable….  Whether you’re sticking to your usual treats or are a more adventurous snacker, you can easily customize your order to include your favorites or be able to add a different kind of rare item that you wouldn’t have normally tried. No other subscription based snack service offers such customization and customer driven choices. We aim to satisfy even your most insatiable snack cravings. No one makes it as easy or as convenient to discover the best snacks from around the world like MunchPak does!

Well, that sure sounds like a cool concept to us.  And, in case you are interested in such a service, make sure to tune in and pay attention to the unique chips we will be reviewing over the next few weeks.

First up from our worldly munch-pack are these Consomme flavored Pringles from Japan.  Just in case there are any of you out there who do not know what consomme is, basically it is concentrated broth or stock.  In other words, a clarified soup.

The Japanese Pringles are a bit smaller in size than our U.S. version, as well as, a bit thicker, with a more hearty than crispy crunch.  We prefer the U.S. Pringles.  As for the consomme seasoning, well, these taste pretty darn accurate.  In other words, the crisps tastes just like they have been coated in a  chicken flavored ramen seasoning packet, or a crushed buillion cube.  The seasoning is salty and works fairly well with the potato crisps.

All in all, these Japanese Pringles were notably good.  We think that we would have liked liked this flavor even a bit more on our U.S. Pringles, but we get it, that is sort of like saying that we want to have our chips, and eat them too!

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Pringles provided to Chip Review by MunchPak for review

Pringles Official Website

MunchPak Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Pringles Exclusive Flavor! – Cheesy Quesadilla

Rating: ©-3/4 chips  (return to sender)

Sorry Walgreens!!  But, you can go ahead and chock up one more abysmal addition to Walgreens/Pringles Exclusive Flavor line-up!  Further solidifying Walgreen’s last place position among all Pringles Exclusive Flavor holders.

Personally, we here at Chip Review enjoy our quesadillas the good old fashioned way, solo de queso.  Maybe, if we are feeling spunky, we’ll add some sliced jalapeños, or crunchy chicharrón in there, along with some cilantro of course; but for the most part, we love them al naturale – cheese with more CHEESE.

Soooo, that being said, you can only imagine our surprise, and ultimately our disappointment, to find that the single most significant ingredient in a quesadilla (see paragraph above) was completely missing from the list of ingredients on this new Pringles flavor called Cheesy Quesadilla.

Yep, that’s right, NO CHEESE!  In other words Pringles is 100% lying to us by calling this flavor “Cheesy Quesadilla”.  To make matters worse it appears that Pringles has just taken a mish-mash of different seasonings, ie. tomato powder, garlic powder, sugar, MSG, buttermilk, onion powder, and sour cream; plus then a handful of other tough to pronounce ingredients that probably really drive home how completely un-cheesy these Cheesy Quesadilla Pringles really are!

We’re just going to leave you with that.  We’re not going to tell you a single thing about what these new exclusive Pringles actually taste like (*hint: they do not taste anything like any cheesy quesadillas that we have ever eaten).

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Walgreens; Hillside, Illinois

Pringles Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Pringles Exclusive Flavor! – Hot Diggity Dog

Rating: ©©-1/2 chips  (tolerable)

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggity dog!  Has someone over at Pringles been watching one too many episodes of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse?!  We can admit it, diggity is a great word!

Pringles new Hot Diggity Dog flavored potato crisps are an exclusive flavor for…..  drum roll please…..  Walgreens.  Looking back at all of our Pringles Exclusive Flavor reviews, we would say that Walmart has gotten the best selection so far, and Target easily the worst – Walgreens would fall somewhere in between.

As for the Hot Diggity Dog flavor itself, well that falls right to the bottom of Walgreen’s Exclusive Flavors!  Sorry, but these crisps are just another forgettable addition to the short list of hot dog flavored chips.  For a much finer example of how a hot dog flavored snack should actually taste, check out our review of International Popcorn’s Jersey Dog Popcorn.

It is not that these Pringles taste bad in any way, because they really don’t.  However, what they also really don’t do is taste like hot dogs in any way, shape, flavor or form!  Quick sidetrack….

• Question: “Are you a ketchup person?”  No, no, no, don’t try and give us that well what does that mean exactly…?  You know what we mean.  “Do you like ketchup, or don’t you?”  Doesn’t matter on what, or what kind, or anything else.  Simple, straightforward, yes or no, sort of question – “are you a ketchup person or aren’t you?”  As for us here at Chip Review, some of us are, and some of us aren’t.  The ones that aren’t, are very passionate about disliking ketchup.  No ketchup on anything, anywhere, ever.  Those that like the ketchup, seem to be more take it or leave it, as opposed to need it on everything, all the time (well, unless we’re talking about our Chip Reviewers who fall into the less than 5 years old range, that’s an entirely different story….who new ketchup was meant to go into milk?).

Okay, getting back on track here; as we were saying, these Pringles do not taste like hot dogs.  What they do taste like is mustard.  Lots and lots of mustard and salt.  Not an overly harsh mustard, just your typical sort of sweet-ish, vinegary sour, and pungent yellow mustard.  Also, way way way back in the flavor background, we can just recognize some very minimal sweet tomato ketchup notes.  The pretty pink Pringles canister only shows mustard being applied to the slightly charred tubular dog, so you can imagine the disgust on the faces of those Chip Reviewers who are “not ketchup people”!!

So, there you have it, these Pringles taste like mustard, with a heavy dash of salt, and a light splash of ketchup – but not like hot dogs.  For another mixed review of the Diggity Dogs check out Junk Food Guy’s review.  And for a much more glowing review, check out The Impulsive Buy’s review.

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Walgreens; Burr Ridge, Illinois

Pringles Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

Chip Review’s Honorable Mentions – 2015

25 Chips to Christmas – 11 Honorable Mentions

These chips nearly made our Top 25 of the Year, and deserve some recognition too!! (in alphabetical order)

Beanfields – Nacho Bean & Rice Chips

“These are really good!  Not – really good for a bean and rice chip – sorta good.  NO!  Really good for any type of nacho cheese flavored chip!”

Cobs – Sour Cream & Chives Popcorn

“The onion presence is sweet and pungent, without being too pronounced.  The cool, sour cream is really enhanced with a good touch of tangy cheese.  All of the flavors work harmoniously, and surprisingly enough, do not overwhelm Cobs delicious popcorn one little bit.”

D’vour Tortilla Chips made with Real Coconut – Sea Salt

“And some of us at Chip Review were even excited to try the chips with nachos; melting a whole bunch of cheese all over them and seeing how the sweet, salty and cheesy combo works out.”

Herr’s – Peppered Bacon Potato Chips

“Seems like no matter how many times we try another poorly executed bacon flavored snack, we still get excited for the next one!!”

International Popcorn – Everything Bagel Popcorn

International Popcorn – Cheddar Ranch Popcorn

“Has popcorn replaced chips as the international favorite salty snack?!?  Well, we’re not sure if popcorn is as popular around the rest of the world but right now, here in the U.S.A. popcorn is booming!!”

Popsalot – Honolulu Aloha

“The few moments when we actually landed a mix of both the caramel corn and the macadamia nuts were, lights-out fantastic.  Those precious, porcelain, roasted half nuggets of unctuously rich macadamia nuts were amazing! WOW!”

Pringles – Exclusive Flavor Wasabi & Soy Sauce

Pringles Limited Time Only! – Salted Caramel

“Turns out that it has been nearly 3 months since we reviewed any new Pringles!  THREE MONTHS!  While three months may not seem like that long of time to many of you, let us just tell you that in Pringles’ months we’re talking about a very long time between new reviews!!”

Snacks 101 – The First Baked Popcorn – Less Mess White Cheddar

“Apparently, Snacks 101 has created “The First Baked Popcorn”….  Are they messing with us?  Can this be right?  Well, we can’t find any evidence to dispute them so let’s roll with it.”

Trader Joe’s – Partially Popped Popcorn …with Butter & Sea Salt!

“Trader Joe’s Triple P embodies a real strong corn essence, and flavor.  They do in fact look like those partially popped kernels you find at the bottom of the popcorn bag or bowl, except that they don’t break your teeth when you chomp down on them.”

Ziggy’s Kettle Corn – Kickin’ Buffalo Wing with Himalayan Pink Salt

“Great combination of tangy, sweet, salty, zippy, spicy, zingy, sour-y, and did we mention spicy-spicy-spicy?!?  Seriously, lots of heat – WHOA!!”

** And here are 5 additional dishonorable mentions that we hope to never mention again… **

(in alphabetical order)

Old Dutch – Cheddar Bacon Popcorn

“First, the bacon aspect was not reminiscent of bacon but rather of standing in front of a camp fire.  Smoke, and smoke alone, does not make popcorn taste like bacon.”

Old Dutch Ripples Appetizers On The Go – Chicken Artichoke Flatbread

“But, as for the taste – uhhhh…. we do not taste any chicken, artichoke or flatbread (not that we were expecting to actually taste the flatbread).”

Pop! Gourmet Popcorn – Extravagant White Truffle Bliss Popcorn

“But, maybe it’s difficult to capture and accurately deliver the deliciously aromatic flavors of truffle onto popcorn?  Nope, we’ve tasted and reviewed a handful of truffle flavored snacks (predominantly popcorn), and most of them have actually been lip-smacking!”

Snyder’s of Hanover – Raspberry Creme Sweet Pretzel Sandwiches

“Plain and simple these pretzel sandwiches are a sweet dessert treat that should not be included anywhere among salty snack section for any rhyme or reason.  These belong on the shelf next to cookies!”

Trader Joe’s – Popcorn in a Pickle

“Popcorn in a Pickle is not only not better than Trader Joe’s Baconesque, but it makes Joe’s cheddar bacon popcorn seem lip-smacking in comparison.”

**Chip Review’s Top 25 list of the Year consists of chips that we tasted and reviewed during the 2015 calendar year for the first time.  The chips are not necessarily new to the industry, but they were new to Chip Review in 2015!

BIJOU-REVIEW: Pringles Limited Time Only! – Salted Caramel

Rating: ©©©©-1/4 chips  (lip-smacking)

Don’t you just love the holidays?!?!  First, all of the pumpkin flavored, and scented, anythings show up everywhere.  Next, comes of the game birds, and roasting nuts, and warm apple cider.  Then it snows, and you wish you had put up your Christmas lights the weekend prior.  And then, Pringles holiday pandemonium arrives!  That’s right, time to put those snow shovels down for a second, and give a taste to the newest limited edition weird Pringles seasonal flavors!!

Some people are sort of disgusted by the idea of sweet flavorings on salty snacks.  We on the other hand pretty much love trying anything new, or out of the ordinary, and for the most part we have found that those pre-disgusted people would be very surprised if they just gave the snack a shot!

These Salted Caramel flavored Pringles are a good case in point.  They are quite fantastic, and really lip-smackingly tasty!

Pringles potato crisps don’t really provide much flavor on their own so they simply act as a neutral delivery device for letting the seasoning shine, while providing the crispy textural component!  As for the seasoning, well it tasted exactly – E-X-A-C-T-L-Y – like caramel with salt.   Sweet, and buttery, and salty, and the seasoning works with the potato crisps.

Another great job Pringles!  Thanks for continuing to push the flavor combo boundaries, and dabbling in flavors that most other chip companies wouldn’t ever think of trying!

In case you were wondering, below is our ranking of the sweet seasonal Pringles that we have tasted and reviewed:

1. Tortillas Limited Time Only! – Cinnamon Sugar
2. Salted Caramel
3. White Chocolate
4. Pecan Pie
5. White Chocolate Peppermint
6. Cinnamon & Sugar
7. Milk Chocolate
8. Pumpkin Pie Spice

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Walmart; Darien, Illinois

Pringles Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

BIJOU-REVIEW: Pringles Tortillas – Chili Cheese

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

We could have sworn that we read somewhere that these new chili cheese Pringles Tortillas were yet another exclusive flavor for Walmart….but the canister we are currently eating out of (which is the same as the one directly to the left), mentions nothing of the sort.  That being said, we did acquire these new Pringles at, where else, Walmart of course.

We have been fans of the Pringles Tortillas line of crisps ever since we cracked open our very first canister.  Granted, that first canister has actually remained our favorite flavor of the bunch to date.

As for Pringles latest Tortillas flavor, well, it seems to be ending up at the other end of the preference spectrum.  That’s right, these new Chili Cheese Pringles are meh, forgettable, and tolerable.

Subtle chili, mixed with subtle and salty cheese, equals boring seasoning, on corn crisps that require a certain level of ummph to get the flavor job done.  We will be sticking with, well, any other flavor before trying these again!

Like we’ve said in the past:

Pringles Tortillas are a heartier, denser, crunchier, and can we just call them a more “rustic” corn variation of Pringles traditional potato crisps. Their mouth-feel is similar to the potato-based Pringles, only less brittle on the bite, with a grainier texture.  The crisps do still inhabit Pringles’ classically curved, oval, uniform design, allowing them to stack perfectly in their canister.  And the corn flavor is definitely front and center within these crisps, and lit pairs very well with this seasoning.

Just in case you were wondering, here is our rankings for all of the Pringles Tortillas flavors that we have tasted / reviewed:

1. Southwestern Ranch
2. Cinnamon Sugar
3. Zesty Salsa
4. Truly Original
5. Nacho Cheese
6. Chile y Limon
7. Chili Cheese

As always, these are our thoughts, we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Walmart; Countryside, Illinois

Pringles Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Pringles Exclusive Flavor! – White Cheddar & Black Pepper

Rating: ©-1/2 chips  (return to sender)

We’re sorry Target, but we just have to say it, as far as Pringles Exclusive Flavors are concerned, you got stuck with the worst of the bunch (thus far at least)!  Seriously, it is one thing to have one good flavor, and one bad flavor, but for both of your Exclusive Flavors to ultimately be less than stellar is just, well, disappointing!!

We have to admit we were pretty excited for these as the cheddar & pepper combination is not one we have seen very much of.  In fact the only other example we can find would be Lay’s Kettle Cooked Lattice Cut’s version, which we thought were lip-smacking!

So, what went wrong Pringles?!?

First of all, other than a tiny black dot here, and an even tinier black dot there, the black pepper aspect of these Pringles is practically nonexistent.  Seriously, some of our tasters could not taste any (nor see any) at all, while others said that they did catch little hints of the slightly spicy and fragrant spice.  This black pepper seasoning was not reminiscent of Pringles regular Salt & Pepper Crisps.  Strike 1.

Even worse than the black pepper facet, was the seasoning combination used to represent the white cheddar cheese!  In one word – Eeewww!  Actually, three words – eeewww, yuck, eewww!!  The seasoning just tastes off.  Apparently, the combination of cheddar cheese, buttermilk, nonfat milk, sugar and citric acid does not sit well with our palates!!  First, a shock of sour hits the tongue, then a creamy-milky wave coats the mouth, and then finally at the tail end we actually taste something recognizable as cheddar cheese powder.  It is almost impressive how weird these taste!  Not our favorite Pringles to say the least.

Still, as always, these are our thoughts, and we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree, let us know.

Discovered at Target; Hillside, Illinois

Pringles Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list