Snack #174- Cheetos XXTRA Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks

Cheetos XXTRA Flamin’ Hot Crunchy Cheese Flavored Snacks

It’s been a while since we had a real, honest, spicy snack but I am pleased to report that these “twice as hot” Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are definitely hot!  The Hot Chicks rated the original Flamin’ Hot Cheetos a 6.5/10 and said there was ‘hot hot heat’ building with these and the Xxtra hot version only magnifies that feature.  The initial flavor is vinegary and standard Cheeto but it doesn’t take long for the tongue and throat burn to start and they are the kind of hot snack that makes you open your mouth and take deep breaths to cut through the heat.  And the heat lasts pretty long  The cheese flavor is pretty much completely overpowered by the heat and the main enjoyment from these is found more in the crunch and the heat than the flavor.  But that’s probably the point!

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 8.5/10

Bottom Line: Hottest Cheetos on the market. 

Snack #173- Wise Hot ‘n Honey Cheese Flavored Cheez Doodles

Wise Hot ‘n Honey Cheese Flavored Cheez Doodles

These Cheez Doodles are an update on the classic and have paprika and honey flavors to give the standard cheddar a sweet-hot punch.  They are still the basic orange cheese puff but the honey does add a good amount of sweetness and the paprika gives a mild throat burn after eating them.  In terms of cheese curls they are a unique take on the flavor profile but I do find them a little sweeter than I generally like in a salty snack.  Also they were definitely more sweet than hot but the honey flavor melds well with the ‘melt in your mouth’ characteristic of cheese curls.  Definitely an interesting update on the original cheese and the new flavors work well.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 3/10

Bottom Line: Sweet and slightly burny cheese curls.

Snack #172- Diego’s Red Chile Potato Chips New Mexico Style

Diego’s Red Chile Potato Chips New Mexico Style

These chips are a basic thin potato chip that is not super crispy and a little mushy in the mouth.  The flavor is clearly red chile but unfortunately there isn’t much else to say.  There is no other flavor besides the dry chile heat except for an extremely liberal application of salt.  With the combination of salt and one-note red chile flavoring these snacks are not very tasty and there isn’t any real appeal to make you want to keep eating them.  The heat is immediate with the more flavor-coated chips and it isn’t necessary to eat a whole bunch of them to taste it but if you want a crave-worthy spicy snack you should definitely skip these.

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

Bottom Line: Decently hot but not very yummy.

Snack #171- Deep Original Hot Mix

Deep Original Hot Mix

This mix is a LIE.  There is nothing hot about this mix unless you’re talking about what a hot mess it is.  The main components are little noodles and cracker things made out of chickpea flour which always leads to a chalky texture and unpleasant mouth feel.  The rest of the mix is made up of a variety of little crispy beans and nuts which are mostly pretty bland.  The best part of the mix is the lentils which somehow have picked up some flavor from this otherwise lacking snack but they are tiny and not worth picking out of the bag.  There is no real spice to these and only minimal added flavor beyond the nuts and beans.  Very disappointing.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 2/10

Bottom Line: Mushy and not spicy.

If you dare: Hot Mix (Extra Hot) 14.1 Oz

Snack #170- Haldiram’s Chilli Chatak Lachha (Chilli Flavour Potato Sticks)

Haldiram’s Chilli Chatak Lachha (Chilli Flavour Potato Sticks)

These snacks are one of the strangest we’ve ever tasted.  They are a standard potato stick in shape and appearance but immediately when they hit your tongue they impart a very weird sharp flavor that comes off like sulphur or some harsh chemical that should not be eaten.  After getting that flavor it is hard to focus on anything else about this snack.  It’s hard to discern which of the spices listed in the ingredients list is the one causing the bad taste but it definitely overpowers all the other ones and on top of that these snacks are extremely salty, to the point where your mouth puckers from all the salt.  The texture of the potato sticks is pretty weak and they are kind of mushy.  Overall not a pleasant snack at all and it was hard to eat more than a few of these.  And when you sniff the bag they smell EXACTLY like dry cat food.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 3/10

Bottom Line: Really salty and harsh flavor.

If you still want to try these, get them here: Haldirams Chilli Chatak Lachha 7 Oz

Snack #169- Lay’s India’s Magic Masala Flavour World Cup Potato Chips

Lay’s India’s Magic Masala Flavour World Cup Potato Chips

These Lay’s came from the local Indian specialty store and were manufactured during the World Cup as a special flavor.  They are definitely very well flavored and do mimic the dry heat and spice of many Indian dishes.  They have some weird ingredients on the list like dry mango powder but overall they taste slightly sweet but mostly dry and spicy.  The chip itself is a light and crispy ruffle chip and is a good vehicle for the flavors added.  They aren’t as spicy as a lot of Indian snacks or Indian food in general but definitely tasty!

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 6/10

Bottom Line: Indian spices packed onto a potato chip.

Buy them here: Lays India's Magic Masala Potato Chips 70gram

Snack # 168 - Tostitos Hint of Jalapeño

Maybe I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up for a snack that only promised a "hint" of jalapeño, but given the knock-you-over-the-head lime flavor in the "hint" of lime chips, I feel like I reason to expect something pretty spicy. These, unfortunately, were not spicy at all. However, they were pretty tasty. They brought a little of the lime punch that I find overwhelming in the Hint of Lime flavor plus some nice onion flavor and a vague sense of heat every now and again. I'm sure these would be a great vehicle for a salsa or guacamole that was packing some real heat.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 1/10

Bottom Line: hint of jalapeño, kick of lime

Buy them here: Tostitos with a Hint of Jalapeño Tortilla Chips
Or get them in scoops! Tostitos Scoops Hint of Jalapeno Tortilla Chips