Snack #201 - Inka Chile Picante Plantain Chips

These fried plaintain chips were just ok.  Unfortunately, plantain chips tend not to be very crunchy, which is sort of a dealbreaker for me when it comes to chips.  These were actually some of the crunchier ones I've ever had though. They tasted of onion and garlic, like they'd been dipped in the mojo sauce at a Cuban restaurant.  And if I really strained I could taste some chili powder, but not heat, just a smokey flavor.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 0/10

Bottom line: A not so spicy, sort of crunchy chip

Snack #145- Vitarroz Plantain Chips Chili Jalapeño

Vitarroz Plantain Chips Chili Jalapeño

So Plaintains are like a starchy mix between a banana and a potato and therefore a nice alternative for frying into chips. They can be pretty crispy but do tend to do that thing where they gunk up in your teeth. They have to be cut a little on the thicker side so they are pretty dense. These chips are cut on the thinner side and do have a nice crunch. As for the flavor…I’m having a hard time discerning any chili jalapeño. It’s clear that there was an attempt at seasoning these but they are far from spicy and the flavor is really muted. I just looked at the back of these chips (purchased at Market Basket) and they are a product of Costa Rica. If you’ve read this blog with any consistency, you’ll be aware that every ‘spicy’ snack from Costa Rica is NOT spicy (or look in the archives and see the 20+ reviews to support that statement). So I am not surprised that even exported snacks fail to impress.

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

Bottom Line: Faintly jalapeño flavored plantain chips.

Snack #76- Zambos Plantain Chips with Spicy Chili, Lime and Salt

Zambos Plantain Chips with Spicy Chili, Lime and Salt

These are the first real plantain chips I’ve found to test, and they were a bust. The chip itself was pretty crispy, although not quite as crispy as a normal potato chip. They are very thin cut though which created a nice texture without being greasy at all. The flavor overall was pretty bland though. They need more lime and more chili. The lime flavor is very subtle although it certainly can be tasted. The chili flavor, however, is basically nonexistent. The chips themselves have some red speckles which are misleading because it takes about five chips before the chili can be discerned at all. The label might as well just say lime and salt flavor. When the chili can be tasted it has the potential for a tasty spicy snack but in true Costa Rican form there is no heat.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 0.5/10
Bottom Line: Crispy but somewhat bland.

Snack #56: Plantain Chips, Jungle Chili

While I didn't have to go to Puerto Rico for these chips, the Hot Chick fan base runs deep and fellow spicy chip lover and reader of this blog passed these Puerto Rican plantain chips along for our analysis. Unfortunately, they're not good. Because of the thick cut plantain, the chips are not crunchy at all. Instead they tend to be borderline stale-feeling and taste like oil. As far as spiciness goes however, they do a nice job. At first they just tasted like salty, oily, banana chips, but after a few more they definitely started to accumulate some heat.

Bottom Line: Gross, with a little kick.

Rating on the Spice-O-Meter: 4/10

Snack #54- Plátanos Tostados Chile (Chile Plantain Chips)

Plátanos Tostados Chile (Chile Plantain Chips)

So it was requested that I rate some spicy plantain chips, which are a favorite snack in Costa Rica. These are some local chips made in Liberia, Costa Rica, which is a fairly large city in Costa Rica and about a half hour drive from where I live. They were purchased from the local pulperia (general store). They are slightly spicy, but unfortunately not crunchy at all. It is questionable how long they were sitting in the store before I purchased them, so perhaps they would be tastier if they were fresher. Plantain chips are usually pretty tasty and with the chile seasoning they have good potential but the flavor falls flat.

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

Bottom Line: Stale and old but good potential.