REVIEW: Terra Celery Root – Aged Cheese

Rating: ©-1/4 chips  (return to sender)

WOW!  These real vegetable chips are easily….. E-ZAH-LEE, by a large landslide, the most unique, and challenging chips that we have tried in a long time!  We’re talking more weird than Chicken and Waffle flavored potato chips, or White Chocolate Peppermint flavored potato crisps, or Thick Juicy Steak and Horseradish, or Thai Coconut Curry flavored popcorn.  Yep, Terra’s Aged Cheese flavored Celery Root Chips (yes, we said Celery Root Chips) are a first of a kind, both perplexing, and off-putting, and as much as we respect them, we just can’t quite stomach them.

First of all, can we take one second and discuss the image of the chips on the front of the bag.  Take a good look at them, and tell us what you see.  Aren’t they beautiful?  Doesn’t it sort of look like the chips have been piled up in such a way that they resemble a plant?  We’ve decided that it looks like either an exotic mushroom, or something from the bottom of the ocean.

Let’s move onto shape and texture next.  These celery root chips are extremely thinly cut.  Almost paper thin.  Lots of different sizes and wiggles and folds, all with a burnt-orange, sunset hue.  On the surface everything seems pretty normal, no red flags, but then we pop the first chip into our mouths and….are these chips CHEWY?!?  We aren’t kidding, literally chewy.  No crunch, no crispy to them at all.  We bit down, and the semi-soft celery root chip folds in upon itself, and then your teeth begin working on these chewy chips!  Unlike anything we have ever tried.  And believe it or not but the texture isn’t necessarily off putting to many of us (we’re pretty sure that it may be to the majority of people), but really just peculiar and different and unexpected.

As for the flavor, well first and foremost these chips really do taste like celery root!  And celery root tastes very much like celery, with a dash of parsley thrown in.  So, celery root chips that taste like celery, we are off to a weird start.  And then Terra, sticking with their strategy of weirdness, decides to season these new chips with what else…..aged cheese.  That’s right, now our mouths are tasting stinky, sort of sweet and bitter and tangy seasoning mingling with celery and parsley.  All we can say is that in our opinion the combination is really off-putting, and barring on disgusting.  We did not like this flavor in the least.

In the end, we recognize Terra’s willingness to push the boundaries and deliver something completely unique to the industry, but we are more than certain that all we want to do with this delivery is return it to sender!

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

Discovered at World Market; Willowbrook, IL

Terra 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

REVIEW: International Popcorn – Jersey Dog

Rating: ©©©©-1/2 chips  (lip-smacking)

International Popcorn may be a catchy brand name suggesting a diverse, multi-cultural variety of flavors, but as unique and varied as International Popcorn’s flavor line-up has been (remember Everything Bagel?!), we wouldn’t necessarily say that the flavors we’ve tasted are “international” by any means….(although, there are a few more exotic flavors on their Flavors Around The World webpage).

Case in point – take their newest flavor – Jersey Dog.  Can’t get much more national than that!!  Our point is, we really love the spectrum of International Popcorn’s flavors thus far, but we’re hoping that they will branch out even further in the future to include more “international” flavors.  Do we taste Argentine steak & chimichurri, or Brazilian fejoida, or Szechuan dan dan noodle flavors in our future?!  We hope so!

As for the Jersey Dog popcorn itself, we are happy to report that we have yet another lip-smacking flavor from International Popcorn!  Who knew that encased meats and popped corn went so well together?!  Plain and simple, WOW – this popcorn tastes more like smoky, grilled, meaty wieners than any other hot dog flavored snack we have tried before!  In fact, it is fair to say that this Jersey Dog popcorn is also our favorite hot dog flavored snack that we have ever tasted.

So, what sets this stuff apart from the rest?  Well, we think that it really just boils (or grills) down to letting the smoky hot dog flavor shine.  Not overwhelming the meaty presence with all of those other supporting condiment flavors like mustard (pretty sure we do taste a little), or relish (nope – nada), or pickles, and certainly not ketchup (not a drop, thank you!).

In the end, all we can say is that this is some delicious and savory hot dog flavored popcorn!  It may not be international, but it most certainly doesn’t get much more inner-national than popcorn and hot dogs from Jersey!

As always, these are our thoughts. Agree or disagree, make sure to let us know.

Popcorn provided to Chip Review by International Popcorn for review

International Popcorn Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Target – Thick Juicy Steak and Horseradish Popcorn

Rating: ©©©-1/4 chips  (notable)

Huh…no brand name on the front of the bag??  Sort of weird.  Back of the bag shows us that these are made by, or maybe made for, that big red bulls eye store.  Well, we’re just going to go with that, and say that this is Target Popcorn – work for you?  Works for us.

As for the flavor combination – Steak and Horseradish – well, that’s a new one!  We have reviewed a handful of horseradish flavored chips (but they always are paired with cheddar, and never sprinkled onto popcorn mind you).  And, of course we have tried many steak flavored chips.  But the two together – that is a first!

The traditional flavor combination is a proven winner in the real, thick cut, charred and juicy steak world, but how does it translate into the snack, and in this case popcorn, world?  Well, it does alright.  The horseradish aspect is undeniably front and center.  According to the ingredients list, the horseradish appears to be represented using mustard powder, which for all intensive purposes does the trick.  As for the steak half of the equation, well there is a touch of smoke, and heavy splash of salt, with some onion and garlic thrown in to round things out, but as far as actually tasting any steak, or anything even representative of meat – not so much.  Let’s put it this way, this popcorn will most certainly not be making Chip Review’s Top 5 Meat Flavored Chips of All-Time.  Not to say that the seasoning is bad by any means, it just does not taste like Steak and Horseradish.

As for the popcorn, well it is fairly mediocre.  Very light and airy, with a softer end of the spectrum crunch.  Popcorn does not seem like the best vehicle for this seasoning, it has a tough time supporting the bold flavors.

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

Popcorn discovered at, where else, Target; Hillside, Illinois

Target Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Garden of Eatin’ – Kale Tortilla Chips

Rating: ©©-1/4 chips  (tolerable)

Hey, have any of you out there heard of this leafy green roughage they call kale yet?  Oh, you have??  Just kidding, of course we have heard of kale, how could we not have!  Doesn’t it seem like everywhere you go you practically can’t escape it?!  Heck, even the grocery store “junk food” aisles have included chips made from kale for quite some time.  Although, we have discovered that we like, or can at least tolerate, snacks that are flavored with kale much more than kale chips themselves!  As for these new Garden of Eatin’ “Kale Chips”, we would include them in the latter, as they are predominantly made of corn, but they are still not very delicious.

We can admit it, we have actually made our own kale chips at home, using just some oil and salt, and baking them until they become really crispy.  And you know what? They really aren’t half bad (better than any we have bought in a package); but then again a large portion of them tasting “not half bad” likely comes from the fact that we are proud of ourselves for eating something healthy.

So, the question is, do we still feel like we are eating something healthy when we cram handfuls of corn tortilla chips into our mouths, that have likely been fried in oil, but that do include the super food kale, somewhere in the mix.  Yeah, we’re not quite convinced that we are.  Sure, healthier than other junk foods, but still corn tortilla chips nonetheless, and the fact of the matter is, corn tortilla chips that don’t taste like much.

If we do taste any bits of flavor they predominantly seem to be coming from what the back of the bag describes as Garden of Eatin’s Vegetable Blend (sweet potato, tomato, carrot, onion, and garlic). We definitely taste hints of onion and garlic, and then the rest is sort of a blurry, savory, vegetal essence that just wafts over the palette. The flavor really is not appealing in any way to us.

The tortilla chips themselves are very lightly salted. The corn tortilla triangles are stone ground, and our mouths could actually tell the difference. They deliver a hearty toothsome crunch that we really enjoyed, but the seasoning is simply too mediocre to overcome.

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

Chips discovered at Whole Foods; Willowbrook, Illinois

Garden of Eatin’ Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Dale Jr Foods – Hot and Spicy Fries

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

Records indicate that it has been a few years since we tried anything new from Nascar racing superstar Mr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (and yes, that’s right, Dale does chips!); but leave it to a small town Minnesota gas station to surprise us with these ‘new’ (to us at least) Hot and Spicy Fries!  And to that, all we really have to say is ‘Chip lovers start your fry chompin’ engines!!’

We wouldn’t say that we have tried a lot of different crunchy fry snacks over the years, but for the most part we have never really been huge fans of any that we have tasted (until now!).  Honestly, crispy potato fry snacks just seem like they are trying to be, and inevitably wishing that they were, classic corn puffs.  But, what we have discovered is that “puffed” potato fries just don’t have the same crispy, yet delicate, and most importantly melt-able, mouth texture that everyone’s favorite cheese puffs do.  The fries are certainly crispy, crunchy in fact, but the potato just doesn’t evoke that same silky, smooth mouth feel, and certainly do not melt down into a rich pool of fat upon the tongue.

As we indicated above, these Hot and Spicy Fries from Dale Jr. Foods are surprisingly delicious!  Coated with a bright red dusting, and apparently a seasoning combination that includes cheese, of course the usual suspects of garlic and onion, plus a real dash of both jalapeño and habanero chili peppers.  Despite the chili peppers addition, we wouldn’t say that these are really hot and spicy.  The peppers do eventually make their presence felt after a few handfuls but won’t be sending anyone to the fridge for the milk.  More impressive than the heat was simply the overall flavor spectrum of this seasoning.  The flavor combination really came together as a whole and complimented the crispy fries to the best of its ability.

So, if you, like us, have never really considered yourself a fan of potato fry snacks, we suggest you give these a try and see if Dale can change your mind just like he changed ours!

As always we would love to hear what you think.  Agree or disagree.  Let us know.

Fries discovered at Holiday Gas Station; Bemidji, Minnesota

Dale Jr Foods Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Cobs – Nacho Cheese Popcorn

Rating: ©©©© chips  (lip-smacking)

We can’t believe that it has been over a year now since we first tasted Cob’s lip-smackingly delicious Cheddar Cheese Popcorn!!  So, needless to say we were quite excited to try Cobs Nacho Cheese flavored popcorn!

First, the positives:

Once again, we can’t begin to tell you how much we love Cobs popcorn itself!  The popcorn is so crispy, with a wonderful toothsome crunch.  Cob’s popcorn kernels are on the smaller end of the spectrum, with a rustic, simple, sort of burnt-nutty essence to them.  We just love them!

The nacho cheese seasoning itself is also not too shabby, and definitely unique – at least as far as we know ‘nacho cheese’ seasonings (maybe they do things differently ‘down under’?).  First of all, there is actually a good level of spice-heat to the seasoning.  Usually when we think of nacho cheese we don’t associate it with any heat.  We are also fairly certain that there may be some cumin thrown into the mix…. Odd? Yes.  Tasty?  Also, yes.

As for the negatives, well it all basically boils down to two things (and those two things may in fact actually be the same thing).  First – in our opinion this nacho cheese flavor doesn’t jive as well with popcorn as plain cheddar cheese does.  Which sort of ties into our second thought, which is that the nacho cheese seasoning distracts from Cobs delicious popcorn.  The seasoning is simply ‘too much’ for the popcorn to handle.

We prefer the perfect simplicity of Cobs Cheddar Cheese Popcorn!  That being said, this popcorn is more than munch-able, and we still devoured this bag in no time flat.

As always, these are our thoughts. Agree or disagree, make sure to let us know.

Popcorn provided to Chip Review by Cobs for review

Cobs Popcorn Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list