Dateline 8-22-2016

I have an on and off relationship with potato chips. I've worked many jobs where I've lived off of the nutrients available via vending machines and during these days, it was definitely game on when it comes to chips. There's not much variety when it comes to vending machines but it's the crunch I crave so it doesn't really matter that my only options were plain, Dorito or sour cream and cheddar.

I've also moved around a lot and was very fond of finding the regional brands and flavors that I genuinely sought out for the flavor experience. This is why I was excited back when Lays started their new flavor competition. This seemed to be the start of mainstream chip companies throwing anything at the wall to see what stick.

The height of my chip fascination peeked when I was working at a drug store where I got to see and sample every new flavor the day that they came out. My favorites are; anything dill, cheesy garlic bread, and these hot dog flavored chips that I haven't been able to find for year (they tasted more like mustard than hot dog which is why I'm a fan.)

This week I discovered that Lays now has a "Passport to Flavor" line of chips including Chinese Szechuan Chicken, Brazilian Picanha, Indian Chicken Masala, and Greek Tzatziki. I bought a grab bag of each and will be reviewing then throughout the week.

Today, I am starting with the Chinese Szechuan Chicken Chips...

After trying them I would say that they are not that bad, not that good either but not that bad. I can see how the flavor is influenced by Chinese Szechuan Chicken but if this was a blind taste test, I don't think I would be able to pull this flavor out as my answer. Part of the problem is, Szechuan Chicken isn't a flavor that I have on the top of my head to be able to make the association.

These chips do have a chicken flavor, flavor to them, meaning they don't taste like actual chicken but they do taste like there is some chicken flavoring in there like someone dumped a packet of ramen flavoring into a bag of chips that had Szechuan spices already added to them. The flavor is a bit intense but I'm the type of person that strains my ramen noodles and uses the flavor packets sans broth. I have a weak sense of taste so I like the extra punch.

Though I didn't mind these chips I don't think they would top my list of flavors to try again, but I am happy to have tried them at least once.

Alright, so that's what I have for today, stay tuned for tomorrow when I will be trying a different flavor!

Talk to you then,

- The Wicker Breaker