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

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

We’re guessing that many of you out there are familiar with the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, otherwise known by its bleach-blonde, spiky haired host Guy Fieri as ‘Triple D!”  Well, we are sort of the host of this little Chip Review “show”, and we have decided to coin this latest Partially Popped Popcorn snack from Trader Joe’s as ‘Triple P!!’  Ingenious, right?!  Well, at least easier to say three times fast, and for us to type out for the remainder of this review.

From Trader Joe’s website:

It’s popcorn, for sure, but popcorn that’s not fully popped. Our supplier uses a proprietary method in which they first steam a special hybrid of so-called “mushroom” kernels (instead of the fluffier, “butterfly” variety enjoyed in theaters), before heating them in canola oil to a state of half popp-ed-ness.

The finished corn resembles those (accidentally) par-popped kernels found in the bottom of your popcorn bowl. But, unlike those kernels—which can be real jawbreakers—this Partially Popped snack has a blissful bite that exists somewhere between the extreme crunch of corn nuts and the tender chewiness of fresh, fully- popped corn.

Correct us if we are wrong but that process sounds awfully similar to the process used by everyone’s favorite crunchy, corn, gas station snack – Corn Nuts.  According to legend, “Corn nuts are prepared by soaking whole corn kernels in water for three days, then deep-frying them in oil until they are hard and brittle. The kernels are soaked because they shrink during the harvesting and cleaning process, and rehydration returns them to their original size.” (Wikipedia.com)

Well, there’s probably more of a difference in the process than we are alluding to, and we’re guessing that Trader Joe’s and Corn Nuts each use a different style of corn, but the similarities between the two products must be noted.  In fact, we would throw a third corn snack into the mix, to complete the triple popped theme of this review!  Pop’d Kerns are a crunchy corn hybrid snack that we have enjoyed, and reviewed, a few times on this site.  Their popped kerns are closer to a fluffy, fully-popped kernel of popcorn, than either Triple P or Corn nuts.  All three products are lip-smackingly delicious and crunchy in their own way.  In fact, one day we may have a popped corn party, invite all three of these guys, and a whole bunch of popcorn, and just let the good times roll!

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.  They do have a very solid crunch, but not one that will send you running to the dentist.  Probably our favorite part of the snack is the dried, real butter powder that is amply coating each of the Triple P’s.  The powder really tastes like butter.  Not like fake, bright yellowish-orange, butter powder on microwave popcorn, but real melted butter.  We love it!

So, if you like Corn Nuts or Pop’d Kerns or the bottom of the popcorn bowl, you will undoubtedly like these too!

P.S. this Partially Popped Popcorn looks an awful lot like another product Trader Joe’s released over a decade ago called Corn a Copius….granted that snack wasn’t butter flavored.  But still, are you trying to pull one over on us Trader Joe’s?!

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

Triple P discovered at Trader Joe’s; La Grange, Illinois

Trader Joe’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Pringles Tortillas Exclusive Flavor! – Chile y Limon

Rating: ©©©-1/4 chips  (tolerable)

We just need to ask it.  What’s the deal with all of the exclusivity between Pringles and Walmart these days?  We just don’t quite get it?  Wait, we probably do get it.  But, what we really want to ask in our whiniest of voices is – WHY oh Why?!  Our best guess is that Walmart sells more canisters of Pringles than any other retailer, or who knows, maybe all other retailers combined!  In turn, Pringles throws them an exclusive canister flavor, and Walmart promises to sell, or more accurately buy, X-amount of canisters.  Pringles keeps their largest distributor happy-happy, and Walmart now controls the one and only reason why any of us from Chip Review would ever frequent the blue and white giant retailer on a regular basis (of course we can pick up some Waffle Crisp and toilet paper while we are there!).  Is Walmart fully aware of what consumers such as ourselves will inevitably do? They just know that we will purchase other merchandise on our way back up to the register after visiting the chip aisle?  Are we over-thinking this?  Is it more simple than this, as in, does Walmart own Pringles?  Any which way you crunch it, we are not big fan of this exclusivity, as we often do not discover these exclusive flavors until we finally make the pilgrame to the big blue and white, and finally cross chip aisle paths!

We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Pringles.  We love how often they create new flavors, and along those same lines, the boundary pushing limits of some of those flavors (ie. Pringles various pie and chocolate flavors).  Every so often the those new flavors pan out and we get a real hit from Pringles!  On the hand, we quite often dislike the quality and execution of many of Pringles flavors.  That being said, overall we have been very pleased with the majority of Pringles Tortillas style of crisps that we have tasted!

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.

Our relationship with the chile & limón (or lime) flavor combination is similar to that with Pringles; as in we have found some amazing examples of this pairing.  However, overall we would say that we just don’t like most chile & limon flavored chips.  The flavor combo may have been unique and daring 5, or 10, years ago but lets move on already.  The combo is now getting very old and tired, and has become a mainstay among the standard U.S. flavor options.  And, it seems like, for the majority, every chip company utilizes the same stock chile and lime seasoning ingredients – and these Pringles Tortillas are no different!  First, a giant splash of citrusy-acidic-(slightly sweet)-lime-sour zip tingles the tongue.  The chile seasoning then makes an appearance, slightly burning the mouth and throat, and providing some of those smoky chile notes; but eventually it loses out to the powerful lime blast.

In the end, these are good enough to enjoy, but we won’t be running back to Walmart for another exclusive canister anytime soon!

**Note – we were thinking of lowering our rating of these Pringles due to their inaccurate spelling of the Spanish word ‘Limón’,….  (As we looked back through past reviews and ratings for other chile & limón (or lime) snacks that we have ever tasted, not a single one that utilized the Spanish translation for lime was missing the accent over the ‘O’.  Obviously, Pringles is going for a certain level of authenticity with these, so spelling one of three words incorrectly seems like a big oversight / mistake.  We mean come’on, Pringles must have enough workforce to have someone who can properly translate their products for them!)…..but in the end we opted not to lower their rating for this mistake, as we’re sure it was an oversight, and of course holds no real bearing on the crisps themselves.

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: Barcel Takis – Xplosion (cheese and chilli pepper)

Rating: ©©©©-3/4 chips  (lip-smacking)

Wow!  Maybe that is all we should say?!  Just leave it at that!  Boom! Wow! Xplosion!  Drop the bag, stop our chomping, and walk away!!

Truthfully, we never thought the day would come when we would actually be flabbergasted, and head-over-heals excited about a Takis product of any flavor, shape or type!  Well, that day has passed, and along came a giant new flavor XPLOSION, and we probably don’t have enough good adjectives to accurately explain our enthusiasm for Takis’ deliciously new cheese and chilli pepper rolled tortilla chips!

A little back story may be necessary to properly set up why these particular Takis are so fantastic:

The Barcel Chip Company does a few different styles of snacks, but we’re fairly certain that their Takis line is their number one seller.  Takis are a riff on the uber popular gas station delicacy, the taquito.  For those of you completely oblivious to gas station food, or Mexican cuisine (flautas), taquitos typically consist of corn tortillas filled with meat/cheese, rolled into cylinder shapes and then deep fried (delicious sounding, we know).  Barcel’s Takis are a crunchy snack variation of this item that is filled with anything, but they are corn tortilla chips that have been rolled tight, deep fried and then seasoned for our tasting pleasure.

However, where this taquitos inspired style of chip ROLLS us very wrong, is in the shape and texture!  We do not love the shape, crunch or consistency of the tightly rolled tortilla chips.  We miss our tortilla chip sides that we can run our tongues across, and lick the seasoning.  The Takis don’t have much licking surface at all (we prefer our chips to have two sides – twice the seasoning coverage!).  The crunch and consistency of the Taki much more heavy and dense than traditional tortilla chips.  By rolling the tortilla chips into little taquito shapes, layers are created, and these layers result in a lot more heavy, jaw workout, crunching.  Some people love this, but overall, we do not!  We prefer a lighter and crispier crunch and consistency.  Which is part of why we love these, please continue.

Wow!  We may already have mentioned that above, but in case we didn’t, we thought we had better let you know.  Takis’ cheese and chilli pepper combo is a tangy, funky, zippy, cheesy, and spicy flavor XPLOSION!  The flavor combo is somehow unlike anything we have ever tasted.  Seriously, the chilli & cheese seasoning has a deliciously funky cheese flavor to it!  Almost like an aged, stinky cheese?!  Then there is this sour layer of flavor that sort of tastes like lime, but is more likely just a combo of the cheese, whey, citric acid and and potassium chloride.  It is unusual, and we could see some people possibly not liking it, but to us it was magic!  Finally, at the tail end was the heat.  We did not think that there was much at first, but then the hot chilli pepper resin (that’s what the ingredient list calls it?), appears and does its job well.  We would rename the flavor to funky lime and chile cheese!

But Chip Review, what makes the texture of these rolled tortilla Takis any different than all of the others?  Because, as you have so thoroughly explained above, your main issue with these chips are their texture and design, and these appear to inhabit the same basic formation.

We don’t exactly know what to say, or how to explain it, but the texture of these Takis definitely delivers a softer crunch than any others we have tasted.  Could it be the addition of cheese?  It seems as though the enzymes from the cheese cultures have actually broken down the corn tortilla proteins, in turn removing much of the hard and dense crunch that we complain about with the Takis rolled tortilla chips!  And, if you believe any of that, than we also have a bag of chips made of gold that we would like to sell you.  And we should probably mention that we have absolutely no clue if anything we just said actually makes sense from a technical standpoint?!  But, whatever it may be, we don’t really care because these are practically perfect!

Once again, we never thought that we would actually say this, but these are amazing!  Thank you Takis for making us believers!  The Takis Xplosion have placed themselves at the top of our taquito-style snack list, easily surpassing Doritos Dinamita – Fiery Habanero, and quite possibly positioning themselves to be included on our end of the year top 25 list!!

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

Takis discovered at Walmart; Countryside, Illinois

Barcel Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Chip City – Jalapeño Cheese Puffed Rings

Rating: ©©©-1/2 chips  (Notable)

We discovered these “Locally Made” Chip City Jalapeno Cheese Puffed Rings while we were actually in Motor City (which is Detroit, for anyone out there who does not know that). However, this mystical Chip City sounds like just the type of place we would really like to visit!  And, what is with ‘Locally Made’?  This bag has Frito Lay written all over it?!

First things first, when we see ring shaped snacks, especially one that consists of puffed corn, we always expect them to be onion flavored.  In this case, Chip City’s puffed rings are not onion flavored at all….  So, why?  What is the point of these jalapeno cheese corn puffs being of the circular shape?  To be completely honest, we were sort of let down by the fact that these weren’t onion ring flavored.

Chip City’s puffed rings are a lot more puffy or fluffy, light, and airy, than everyone’s favorite onion ring snack – Funyuns.  Definitely more like corn puffs in texture (with a good meltability), than the traditional onion ring snacks.  Their texture made it very easy to take down the entire bag in one five minute sitting.

The jalapeno cheese seasoning wasn’t too shabby.  Decent level of jalapeno heat, even a little harsh in the backs of our throats.  Not much for authentic fresh, vegetal jalapeno flavor, but we weren’t expecting much.  The cheddar cheese seasoning did its salty job.  Some Chip Reviewers were rather pleased by these, while others could take or leave them.  In the end we simply liked that we were supporting the Motor City’s ‘Locally Made’ snack scene….or…..who are we kidding – Frito Lay’s giant bank account (like they don’t already have enough of our money)!

Discovered at BP Gas Station; Detroit, Michigan

Frito Lay’s Official Webite

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Fire Corn – Jalapeño Popcorn

**Updated 3/8/2015

Rating: ©©©©© chips  (“A” list)

We have been going back and forth, and forth and back, for days now on whether or not Fire Corn was deserved of our coveted 5-chip “A” list rating.  One day we’d be pretty sure that this was the best popcorn we had ever tasted, the next day we weren’t as impressed, and in the end we just could not had to change to an “A” list rating.  We ended on the perfect bite!  A 5-chip rating exemplifies perfection in our opinion, and no matter how close a salty snack may actually get to that marker, it will not be allotted it unless we are 100% certain that it fully deserves it…and upon further examination, and deliberation, we are sure that Fire Corn is “A” list!

Fire Corn is easily the best popcorn that we have tried this year, and in fact among the best popcorn we have ever tried period!  Greg “B.A.” Anders Fire Corn (Real Jalapeno Popcorn) is a what we would like to refer to as a true artisan product.  What elevates this popcorn to that amazing handcrafted level is the use of only a few simple ingredients, executed tremendously, and frankly the amazing decision to combine real jalapeno slices and popcorn!

We love this sort of thing, and thought we should share with you a little bit of Greg “B.A.” Anders Fire Corn Story:

Being a fighter pilot takes extreme focus and discipline. Hours are spent studying execution and strategy. On every flight, a pilot pushes himself and his aircraft to the very limits.  One of the great traditions of fighter pilots is gathering after training flights to unwind and debrief over brews and jalapeño popcorn called Fire Corn. It’s a spicy mix of fiery popcorn and real jalapeño slices that are slow-fired to a satisfying crisp.  As a Lt-Colonel retired from the Air Force, it’s a tradition I’ve enjoyed for years. And now it’s a tradition I want to share with you.  We hand-craft Fire Corn in small batches that stay true to the fighter pilot original recipe: jalepeños, popcorn and a dash of salt. Just three ingredients mixed to a spicy perfection. Have it for the game, BBQs, or wherever good times await…

Is Greg for real?  We’re guessing that you just can’t make this stuff up, but seriously, this sort of story is hard to believe, and seems too good to be real!  Then again, this delicious popcorn tradition had to spawn from somewhere, and who better to create such a strategically delicious and daring combination than fighter pilots!

Fire Corn’s Real Jalapeno Popcorn delivers that small batch , deliciously rustic, slightly oil laden scent and flavor, with the perfect touch of salt – kind of popcorn.  Smaller, light and crispy, white, butterfly style popcorn with a fresh crunch.  You know what we are talking about?  That classic popcorn that dad, or grandpa, used to make at the hunting shack in the cast iron pot over the wood burning fireplace!  Old-school!  Only, dad never used to add real slices of jalapeno to spice up the mix!!

Although the bag of popcorn did not include too many slices of the crispy jalapeno “chips”, maybe a little more than a dozen, the amount did more than its job to add a good level of heat, flavor, and textural difference to the popcorn.  The jalapeno chips reminded us a lot of Deano’s Jalapenos, and we’re not sure if the slices of jalapeno are added to the oil with the popcorn, and cooked at the same time, or if they are crisped up on their own, and added afterwards (we suspect afterwards)?  In our opinion it seems like the jalapeno pieces are slightly overcooked, but that is just a personal preference.  The slices deliver a smoky, burnt chile flavor; masking some of the fresh and raw jalapeno flavors, but at the same time complimenting them.  Also, we should probably point out that the jalapeno slices, on their own, are quite spicy!  They will put a hurt on your mouth!  What we really loved about the jalapeno chips were the way that many of them had broken into little pieces, or even powder like, and gradually seasoned the popcorn with just the right amount of flavor and heat.  We loved those perfect blissful handfuls of just the right ratio of jalapeno and popcorn!  “A” list perfect!!

Can we also just point out the packaging for one second.  Although being on the smaller side, as most high quality artisan products usually seem to be, we simply like the glossy, bold, black, streamlined packaging.  It is very eye catching!

In the end, Fire Corn is a truly amazing product that we are very happy to have tasted, and probably better for having done so!  We suggest anyone who loves popcorn, or jalapenos, or spicy snacks, or all three of those things, go out there and find this stuff!  And, we don’t want to reveal too much, but Fire Corn also has a white cheddar variation of their jalapeno popcorn, and it may just be even better than the original!  We will confirm this with you later!  In the meantime, why not take a look at Chip Review’s Top 5 Popcorn of All-Time and see who made the cut!

P.S. – on a side note, what do we think the “B.A.” abbreviation portion of Greg Anders name stands for…?  We have a guess or two, but we’re not really sure.  Should we know?  Greg, are you out there, might you tell us?!  Can you even tell us?

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

Popcorn provided to Chip Review by Fire Corn Popcorn for review

Fire Corn Popcorn Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Late July – Nacho Chipotle Clasico Tortilla Chips

Rating: ©©© chips  (notable)

So, we ask you, who’s chipotle is it exactly if it is not yours?  Nacho, get it? As in nacho = not your!  Nacho Chipotle!!  Please continue reading, once you have fully composed yourself!  And please note that if you do buy a bag of these chips that they are in fact yours, and you may enjoy them at your own leisure.

A few weeks ago we reviewed Late July’s new Bacon Habanero Tortilla Chips (another flavor from the trio of Taco Truck Inspired tortilla chips from Late July, leaving only Jalapeno Lime left for us to review).  Overall, we thought the Bacon Habanero chips were lip-smacking, and definitely permeating profusely with a pronounced porky presence, but they were also lacking a bit in any true habanero chile presence! (Remember that statement, because apparently it is a trend among the taco truck inspired tortilla chips).

Last year Doritos released their own  JACKED Spicy Street Taco (the eventual winners of the Bold Test Flavor Experience), and we must say that we quite like this trend of tasty taco inspired flavors!  We can only hope that more brands hop on the taco-band(truck)wagon, and we start seeing some flavors like flame grilled skirt steak with chimichurri, or crispy sriracha-lime shrimp!

First, the good.  Late July’s Clasico Tortilla Chips are really fantastic.  Light and crispy, not crunchy, with those lovely little air pockets that give our favorite style of crispy tortilla chips their delicately delicious texture!  Tons of deep corn masa flavor.  These tortilla chips could easily be mistaken texturally for a Doritos tortilla chip in a blind crunch test.  Which is no small feat.  We feel like most other tortilla chip brands steer very clear of that comparison because nobody likes to challenge the big boys, but Late July shows no fear, and creates a very similar light and crispy chip.  The nacho chipotle seasoning itself has a tasty, albeit very subtle, salty cheese seasoning.  We tasted a couple of those other typical nacho flavors like garlic and onion, but beyond that, this seasoning was simply dull!

Alright, now onto the brass tacks, these chips suffer from what we, and we’re guessing our little friend Ms. McStuffins, would call lack-o-spice-atosis!  Maybe Late July is trying to give us much lighter seasoned chip, to keep those sodium levels down, or let the tortilla chips themselves shine.  But, needless to say we were, we are, expecting a lot more flavor with a name like Nacho Chipotle!  We want our tongues to dance and tingle when they lick the chips!  While we can appreciate the health conscientious seasoning gesture, but this is 2015, and we want our seasoned chips to be seasoned heavily!  Of course sometimes a subtle seasoning is suffice, or even preferred, but when we read a flavor name such as Nacho Chipotle we expect all sorts of seasoning!

To top it all off, the seasoning has absolutely no heat!  None.  Seriously!  Wait……  There it is…… No, wait is that it?!  Yep, we’re guessing that the itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie tickle in the backs of our throats is what Late July is offering up for any real chipotle chile heat on these chips.  In fact, the ingredient list on the back of the bag confirms our assumption, and assertion, as chipotle is the very last ingredient on the list.  We couldn’t even identify any of the obligatory smokiness that confirms we were eating chipotle.

So, overall we were not thrilled with these chips.  We love the tortilla chips themselves, but the seasoning was much too mild for our taste buds.  We will be sticking with the Bacon Habanero chips, that is unless the Jalapeno Lime chips really surprise us!!  We shall see!

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; River Forest, Illinois

Late July Organic Snacks Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Cape Cod – Kettle Cooked Waffle Cut – Barbeque Ranch

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

Alright, we’ve been rethinking things a little bit around here regarding waffle cut potato chips.  Up until now most of us at Chip Review have always been an adversary of the uniquely cut chips; more specifically a kettle cooked waffle cut chip.  We’ve said:

“...too much fryable surface area – we get the idea, it’s new, it’s different – and, we appreciate the effort, but give us some crinkle cut any day!  The potato chips’ aerated waffle texture adds a weird kettle cooked super-crunch that is somehow not too dense, and not too hard…

“They are unique, that is certain, and we appreciate that.  However, they feel more like a challenge for our mouths, than something to sit back and enjoy!  The double sliced, criss-cross technique results in more fry-able potato chip surface area, producing an extremely crunchy potato chip.  Imagine thick cut kettle chips gone wild!  We like our teeth, we need our teeth!  If you love crunchy chips, then these may be right up your alley.”

BUT!  As we look back through all of our ratings and reviews for Waffle or Lattice Cut style potato chips, we’ve noticed that the majority of the chips have very good ratings.  Are we waffle cut closet people?!  Maybe we are!  Maybe… that additional surface area that we do not enjoy due to super-crunch, also provides more area for seasoning adhesion – which we love?  We’re guessing, in the end, we are going to have to accept our love-hate relationship with these waffle cut chips.

Barbeque and Ranch.  Do you see that?  Barbeque and ranch together in one bag of chips!  Believe it or not, this combination is extremely rare.  In fact, we could only find one example of ever trying it before, and just like with these chips, we thought they were lip-smacking!  First thing that comes to mind to describe the bbq ranch flavor combo would be TANGY.  Tangy ranch sour cream notes mixed with tangy-sweet tomato and vinegar flavors.  Tangy, tangy, tangy, and delicious!!  The ranch flavor half is what pops off first.  A touch of creamy sour cream, with a dash of those supporting flavors of garlic, onion, red bell pepper, and black pepper.  We really, really love the tangy tartness of this seasoning; which appears to be the result of a combination of sour cream, lactic acid, citric acid and apple cider vinegar.  That’s a whole lot of tangy tongue tingling, if you ask us!  The barbeque seasoning is there too, but does definitely play second fiddle to the ranch.  A sweet and smoky pairing, rests in the background and supports the ranch notes perfectly!!

Plain and simple, the bbq ranch chips taste like both flavors, and the combination of both.  It works!!  It works so well that we think more brands should give it a whirl!  We can hope.

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

Discovered at Jewell Osco; Westchester, Illinois

Cape Cod Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list