Rating: ©©©©-1/2 chips (lip-smacking)
Way, way, way back, there was a period of time when Kettle Brand….then known simply as Kettle Chips (that is until everyone started calling their chips kettle chips)…. used to have their own new flavor promotion called ‘People’s Choice‘. This promotion was very akin to Lay’s recent ‘Do Us a Flavor‘ promotion, which we are guessing, and hoping, that you are familiar with, except for that we the people were not creating the new flavors, only voting on them.
Anyways…..our real point is, that some years back Kettle Brand released a very similar chili lime flavored potato chip during one of their People’s Choice promotions called Twisted Chili Lime Krinkle Cut Potato Chips. This was before a time when we actually began reviewing chips, and probably a time before anyone was actually using 100% Avocado Oil to fry their kettle chips. What we do remember is liking them very much back then, and we’ve got to assume that Kettle Brand has kinda, sorta, re-released, at the very least, a similarly delicious chili lime flavor blend combination.
Let’s get the avocado oil discussion out of the way right from the start. Is avocado oil important to us, or you? Is this the next big thing to take the snack market by tasty storm? Must be fairly important to Kettle Brand at least because they sure have taken up a big portion of the front of their packaging letting us know that these chips have been cooked in 100% Avocado Oil. From what we can research avocado oil is known for its antioxidants and heart healthy monounsaturated fats, but we all know that the real question is ‘does it taste any different?‘ And, even more importantly ‘does it taste good?‘ Well, as far as we can tell it really does not taste any differently, especially on seasoned chips. Luckily, it does seem to do the frying trick, as these kettle cooked potato chips are just as delicious as they typically are from Kettle Brand.
Over the years we have tried quite a few different versions of the chili pepper and lime flavor combination. So many different brands in fact that we would go so far as to call this flavor combo a classic now, that should be included in a everyone’s line-ups. Among these many versions, there have been ups and downs, goods and bads, and Kettle Brand’s new version is definitely one of the goods!
Delicious! Probably the single most impressive aspect of this seasoning is the citrus infused sea salt. The flavored salt delivers a unique lime flavor that is not overly citrus-y or acidic, like we are used to tasting with lime flavored chips, but simply more of a pure lime essence. It is almost as if fresh lime has been zested and sprinkled all over these chips. Very unique and delicious. On the tail end of the lime flavor, our tongues also noticed a slight hint of sweetness that helped to accentuate the lime.
The chili half of the flavor combo equation was also impressive in its own right. We’re not talking about the usual, over the top, in your face, abrasive and yet at the same time one note, tangy red chili powder. No. Instead, what we have here is the usage of the jalapeño chili pepper, which provides much more of a real vegetal chili heat. Delicious! Combine this with supporting seasoning characters like tomato, garlic and onion powders, and we’re talking about a fantastic flavor fiesta! Who brought the guacamole…? Anyone?? No? Well, at least we do have some avocado, even if we can’t really taste it!
Chips discovered at World Market; Oak Brook, Illinois
Kettle Brand Official Website
Chip Ratings Scale:
(1/4 increments)
© – return to sender
©© – tolerable
©©© – notable
©©©© – lip-smacking
©©©©© – “A” list
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