“Oh cool, like dill pickle chips but then it hurts.”
So said Mia upon trying her first Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle potato chip.
This is a good example of the sort of niche product that our Publix (and/or our Publix’s Frito-Lay’s representative) curates out of our reality. Lea went to Walmart this weekend, saw them, and correctly surmised we’d be interested in them. So here they are. What do we have here?
Ingredients: Potatoes, vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, and/or canola oil), Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle seasoning (maltodextrin [made from corn], natural flavors, salt, spices, whey, garlic powder, sour cream [cultured cream, skim milk], canola oil, yeast extract, malic acid, vegetable juice concentrate [color], paprika extracts, and annatto extracts).
They look pretty much like BBQ potato chips; firmly in that orangey realm.
I don’t think hot dill pickle is as common a flavor cocktail as sweet and spicy pickles are, but there is a review of actual hot dill pickles in the BoWilliams.com archives. I remember the actual pickles having a pretty decent kick to them. These chips are tasty in that vinegar-salt-plus way that regular dill pickle chips are, and there is a little warmth at the end, but it’s a safe, for-the-masses sort of warmth. This is definitely not hot for a chilehead.
As is typical for mass market snacks, there is no obvious ingredient listed that could be responsible for the heat. Presumably it is part of the ever-descriptive “natural flavors” or “spices.” It tastes like red pepper, which is common. And there are a few flecks of what may be black pepper apparent.
So, what to make of Lay’s Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle potato chips? I find them competent but unremarkable. They’re tasty enough because they’re potato chips, and if I had a ham sandwich and only these in the house, I’d have a few. But is there is a compelling reason to repeat the purchase? I think not. I’d prefer vinegar and salt or just regular dill pickle chips if I was after that flavor, or Golden Flake’s Hot potato chips if I wanted a little kick.
5/10
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