Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Snack #72- Herr’s Ragin’ Ranch flavored Potato Chips

Herr’s Ragin’ Ranch flavored Potato Chips

First, I’d just like to mention that this bag is about three times bigger than it needs to be. There are about 20 chips inside a bag that could fit a 2-liter bottle of soda. I also was a little wary of the ranch/heat combination because it always seemed to me that ranch was a cool flavor. And I have to say, I don’t love them. I can’t really taste the ranch or the pepper flavors and they end up just tasting salty, like regular Herr’s potato chips. I think there is a slight ranch flavor but it is hard to distinguish and overall I am not impressed by the flavor of these chips.

note: I apparently neglected to take a picture of the actual chips here but rest assured that they looked eerily similar to a classic unflavored ridged potato chip.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 0/10
Bottom Line: Just regular potato chips.

Snack #71- Herr’s Oven Baked Snack Friez ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’


Herr’s Oven Baked Snack Friez ‘Hot-Hot-Hot’

I managed to escape Central America for a few days, and these are some gems I came across in my native Philadelphia. It was somewhat of a shock to have spicy snacks again after failing to discover any in Costa Rica, but I am still convinced that my taste buds can accurately rate even the spiciest of snacks. These ‘friez’ are certainly spicy. They are fairly light and crispy although a little denser than many other hot fries. The initial flavor is fake cheddar cheese, followed by a chili pepper kick. I’ll be honest, I coughed a little at the heat burning my tongue and the back of my throat simultaneously. The heat lasts for a while too, burning all flavor of cheese out of the mouth.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 5/10

Bottom Line: Crunchy, cheesy, chili.

Snack #70- del Rancho Taco Jalapeño tortilla chips

del Rancho Taco Jalapeño tortilla chips

These were stale when we tasted them which was probably just because I left them sitting around for a while and they were expired. I bought them in Nicaragua and yet again had high hopes that they would be spicy but of course they aren’t. They are a little salty and have a definite taste of jalapeño but there is definitely no spice factor at all. They are thin and light and I’m sure they would be nice and crispy if I didn’t have a stale package. The flavor is peppery enough to make it seem like they should be spicy but instead they are sweet and the sweetness is not all that pleasant.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 0.5/10

Bottom Line: Jalapeño and sweet do not go together.