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: 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

REVIEW: Goldbaum’s – Cracked Pepper Multigrain Kale Chips

Rating: ©©©-1/4 chips  (notable)

Okay, okay, okay…alright, alright, alright…we get it.  These chips (which are technically crisps according to our standards) are a healthier variation of the majority of the other chips on the market today.  They possess, or provide, all of the necessary and trendy associated bullet points that are required for a chip to be healthy: all natural, baked, multigrain, non-GMO, no preservatives, no trans-fat, no MSG, we assume gluten free?  And, did we mention that these are made of kale?!  That alone must be worth fifty points on the imaginary scale of healthiness!

First and foremost, in the past, we typically appreciate “chips” like these a lot more than we actually enjoy eating them.  We recognize their valiant attempt at giving us a delicious tasting chip, but more so how this chip is a healthier alternative to the other deliciously unhealthy chips.  Goldbaum’s Kale Chips appear to be no different in this case.

If it is alright with you, or even if it isn’t, please bear with us as we switch chips (topics) for a second…. And allow us to explain why we continue to refer to these crisps as “chips”, as we do not feel like these are truly chips, in the classically technical sense of the definition.  In our opinion, Goldbaum’s “chips” much more represent a crisp – a forced together conglomeration of various flours, flakes or ingredients shaped into a circular snack form.  A chip is not pressed together, but rather a slice of something (typically potato) that has been fried.  However, in that same argument, one may argue that based on our thought process, all corn tortilla chips are in fact corn tortilla crisps because they are not simply a slice of a cob of corn but rather a constructed and forced together snack! To that we say rubbish (or, bravo to you for catching that flaw in our theory! Please do not tell anyone, and let’s just continue on as if everyone, you included, is none the wiser!).  Maybe our theory only applies to potatoes…?  Never mind, let’s just continue on.

Can we taste kale in these??  Maybe, we’re not sure.  The crisps themselves are not green at all, which was a bit surprising, but they do have an odd background flavor that we can’t quite pinpoint.  The cracked pepper seasoning is there, and delivers on what it promises.  A slightly spicy flavor that tickles the backs of our throats.  The crisps have a softer crunch, with a slightly toothsome mouth-feel.  We don’t hate these “chips” by any means, but unless our doctor ends up prescribing them to us, we’re fairly certain that we will be sticking with the plenty of other, fatty-delicious cracked pepper chips out there on the market today!!

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

Stix provided to Chip Review by Goldbaum’s for review

Goldbaum’s Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Flamous – Sprouted Multigrain Rosemary & Thyme Chips

Rating: ©©-3/4 chips  (tolerable)

Up until now, we have only associated the Flamous brand name with their lip-smackingly delicious Spicy Falafel Chips (a Chip Review favorite from a few years back).  But, not anymore….

When we first spotted these chips on the grocery store shelf, we remember thinking, oh wow, another really unique and likely delicious chip from the Flamous brand! Can’t wait to give these a whirl!! Well, after a little bit of attempted research, that eventually ended with zero results regarding these chips (as if they do not exist…), we were starting to re-think our initial thoughts.  Seriously, you can head over to Flamous’ official website by following the link below, and nowhere on their site does it mention these chips?!

First, the good.  Flamous’ sprouted multigrain chips are are deliciously crunchy and hearty, but not as texturally grainy as other sprouted chips.  There were plenty of different seeds and grains scattered throughout the body of the chips, but for one reason or another, those tiny seeds never translated to any crunchy textural chip difference.

As for the rosemary and thyme flavor, we really do not get either of those delicious herbs.  While we do recognize the use of some combination of herb mix, this blend just doesn’t really jive with itself, or these chips, and certainly does not permeate rosemary and thyme!   The odd herb mixture surely included rosemary and thyme but not enough of either to allow them to standout.  To top it off, herbs typically need to compliment something else in a dish.  They are there to brighten, or accent, usually something richer.  Which is why we always see herbs paired with food like butter, or cheese, or meats.  What we, and these chips really needed, was some rich level of fat to combat the herb-y onslaught, and definitely some more salt.  Some tasters felt like the seasoning tasted a bit like pizza seasoning (the herb mix must include some oregano).

In the end, most of us who tasted these chips stopped eating them after only two or three.  Maybe what these chips needed was some hummus or some other rich dip to help cut the herb mix, and deliver that fatty mouth feel that is typically provided by the chips themselves. Either way, we are perfectly fine sticking with our favorite Flamous chips!!

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

Chips discovered at Big Lots; Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois

Flamous Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Cobs – Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Popcorn

Rating: ©©©© chips  (lip-smacking)

We often joke around these parts that we should maybe change our name to Popcorn Review due to all of the different popcorn we taste and review.  Well, that’s not going to happen, or maybe it will……only time will tell!

We should point out that after discovering Cobs Cheddar Cheese Popcorn last year at….where else, World Market….we were so impressed with the it that we did a little research and found that Cobs, similar to Angie’s Popcorn, was started by a husband and wife team years back, and eventually grew into the great popcorn company that it is today!!

Like we told you yesterday, over the many, many years of chip reviewing we have tasted many, many bags of salt & vinegar snacks.  Countless variations of the classic combo.  Is there one right style/type??  In our honest opinion, there is not, all that matters is that it is done well, with everything in balance, and of course tastes great!

We recently tasted two different brands of popcorn, both of which had created a salt and vinegar flavored variation…That’s right, salt and vinegar flavored popcorn.  Since ‘A’ comes before ‘C’ we reviewed Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop. Sea Salt & Vinegar Popcorn yesterday, and we saved Cobs Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar for our review today.  And, just by happen chance, we saved the best, or better, for last.  Similar to Angie’s popcorn yesterday, Cobs delicious popcorn works very well with the salt and vinegar seasoning.  The blank crunchy popcorn canvas effortlessly embraces the seasoning, and provides a more than acceptable backdrop for the flavors.  Cobs seasoning has a really bright, flavor-packed punch of acidic vinegar to it.  Very aromatic, filling both mouth and nasal cavities with that pungent vinegar zing.  There is no denying that this popcorn is salt and vinegar flavored!

Cob’s all natural popcorn kernels are on the smaller end of the spectrum, with a deliciously simple, sort of burnt-nutty essence to them.  They remind us of the popcorn that dad used to make at the hunting shack on top of the stove, the old school way!  The rustic popcorn kernels pair really well with the salt and vinegar seasoning.

Overall, this is a really good popcorn, and we quite enjoy the combination of salt & vinegar with popcorn.  It may never become as classic of a combination as cheese, or salt, or sugar, and popcorn, but we could see this new combo lasting for many years to come!!

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

Popcorn provided by Cobs to Chip Review for review

Cobs Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop. – Sea Salt & Vinegar Popcorn

Rating: ©©©-3/4 chips  (notable)

Over the many, many years of chip reviewing we have tasted many, many bags of salt & vinegar snacks.  There are of course countless variations of the classic combo. Some use cider vinegar, while others use malt vinegar, or red wine vinegar.  Some blast you away with acid, while others just kiss the snack with a touch of sour.  In our honest opinion, there is no one right way of doing it as long as it is done well, with everything in balance, and of course tastes great!

Most recently we tasted two different brands of popcorn, both of which had created a salt and vinegar flavored variation…  Salt and vinegar flavored popcorn, you say?!  That’s right, salt and vinegar flavored popcorn.  Don’t knock it until you try it, and we think that once you have tried it, you won’t want to knock it anyways.

Since ‘A’ comes before ‘C’ let’s start with Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop. Sea Salt & Vinegar Popcorn, and we will save Cobs Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar for our next review.  Angie’s Popcorn company has come a very long way from that small, mom and pop created, southern Minnesota, kettle cooked popcorn company, that we remember gracing the shelves of only a few different grocery stores back in the day.  Now Angie’s Popcorn is EVERYWHERE!!  We don’t know this for a fact, but Angie’s could possibly be the biggest popcorn company out there right now!  And to that, we say congrats Angie.  You’ve come a long way.  In fact, it looks like you have come so far as to officially change your name to Boom Chicka Pop.  Is that correct??

Alright, back on track now, let’s get to the popcorn itself.  And, this Sea Salt & Vinegar Popcorn is pretty darn good.  Angie’s salt and vinegar seasoning works very well with popcorn. The blank crunchy popcorn canvas easily embraces the seasoning, and provides a more than acceptable backdrop for the flavors.  Angie’s salt and vinegar seasoning is tart, with a tasty tongue tang, but overall very subtle for a salt and vinegar flavor.  Not that the vinegar isn’t there, or anything, but it is just so very subtle when compared to the majority of ultra tangy salt and vinegar snacks out there.  We’re assuming that this subtlety comes from the use of real vinegar solids, as opposed to the inclusion of citric acid adding that extra vinegar pucker.  In fact the vinegar aspect was so subtle that we could actually taste the salt, which was a pleasant surprise.

Angie’s provides some light as air, fluffy and puffy white popcorn. Any real crispy crunch is practically nonexistent. The popcorn is better described as soft, with a meaty-toothsome chew.  The kernels are on the larger size.

Overall, this is a really good popcorn, and we quite enjoy the combination of salt & vinegar with popcorn.  But, in the end, we could have used more of that vinegar zing and tang.  We would rename this popcorn to, sea salt with a hint of vinegar popcorn.

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

Discovered at Mariano’s; Westchester, Illinois

Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop. Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list

REVIEW: Beanfields – Ranch Bean & Rice Chips

Rating: ©©©© chips  (lip-smacking)

Initial taste…whoa, seriously, what the….?!

What is that?  Are these grilled cheese flavored bean chips, huh?  That doesn’t make any sense!  Are we actually tasting some butter in there?  At first the flavor combo is sort of off-putting, most likely due to our taste buds’ confusion, and inability to actually pinpoint what we were eating.  Rich, creamy, herbal, really garlicky and…..yep, these are really weird, and yet we’ve changed our mind, they are also wonderfully tasty!

Wow, these Beanfield’s Ranch Bean & Rice Chips have a very, very unique flavor combination to them, and at the same time, there isn’t much out of the ordinary that pops out from the ingredients’ list!  Except, what is tapioca maltodextrin??  Maybe it adds to the creaminess that we are getting? (As far as we can tell, tapioca maltodextrin provides a fatty mouth texture without delivering all of the fat).  Again, we really like the combination of flavors going on here.  Loads, and we mean loads, of garlic and dill deliver the initial powerful flavor burst.  Next, a smooth layer of tangy, sour cream, almost cheese like, coats the tongue, and really reinforces the ranch flavor.  And guess what?  Probably the most crazy thing about these weirdly delicious chips, is that they are vegan.  Vegan!  That means no cream based anything!!  How they made these chips so rich and creamy, we do not know.  Bravo, unique, crazy!!

The bean and rice chips themselves are good.  They remind us a lot of other rice chips we’ve tried (like Riceworks), with a good grainy consistency, but with a much softer crunch – likely due to the inclusion of beans.  The seasoning adheres perfectly to the chips’ texture, and the triangular cut gives them a traditional tortilla chip presence.

All in all, Beanfield’s Ranch Bean & Rice Chips are a surprisingly weird and delicious chip combination (seriously vegan, how the heck do they have a nacho cheese flavor included in their chip line-up?!!?).  Beanfield’s chips are also award winning, but don’t just take our word for it, check out what these other people have had to say about them.

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

Chips provided by Beanfields to Chip Review for review

Beanfields Official Website

Chip Ratings Scale:

(1/4 increments)

© – return to sender

©© – tolerable

©©© – notable

©©©© – lip-smacking

©©©©© – “A” list