In defense of store-brand chips...
8Recently, I grabbed a bag of the local-to-parts-of-Texas HEB store brand corn chips, mostly for the assumed ability for them to fill the “salty crunchy snack” food group requirement for a drive to Austin and back. I’d been turned off from corn chips for quite a while, partly because my now-deceased partner hated the smell, but mostly because my previous go-to, Fritos, apparently changed something in their product well over a decade ago, and the flavor just wasn’t even close to what it had once been. To my delight, the HEB brand was exactly like the ones I remembered from long ago! This is not the first instance in which that store’s private-label item has been found equal or superior to its national-brand competition; they seem to have a knack for getting Good Stuff for all three levels of their branding. Their ultra-budget-priced clones of the Girl Scout Caramel deLite is actually even better than the real thing - but I’ll still buy the GS version during GS Cookie Season if I see them, because Girl Scouts.
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When I make my 20-hour road trip to MorningSave I’ll have to check these out.
@mossygreen And who knows. Maybe MorningSave may sell some when you get there.
I can’t speak to the HEB brand, but I recently bought a bag of Kroger “Buffalo style dip” corn chips. Frito’s style corn curls with buffalo flavouring. I enjoyed them so much I’ve since purchased two or three more times. Good stuff. I also prefer Kroger brand sour cream and onion potato chips to any of the national brands. Although the Safeway house brand was better. Unfortunately Safeway has discontinued carrying the house brand potato chips in this area.
@ruouttaurmind
I agree about the Kroger potato chips! I tried the prime rib and horseradish flavor, and it was delicious, weird as it sounds.
@Kyeh @ruouttaurmind Kroger Black Truffle chips are pretty good. But not as divine as Trader Joe’s Truffle Chips.
@ironcheftoni @ruouttaurmind
Oh, yeah - I like the Kroger truffle ones too; never had the TJ’s ones.
@Kyeh @ruouttaurmind Wait, someone’s still making the meat-flavored potato chips? And it’s Kroger? A trip to Mariano’s may be in order…
@mossygreen @ruouttaurmind
The local King Soopers shows them in stock.
@Kyeh I love the prime rib and horseradish chips! I make a dip for them from a generous glob of Kroger creamy horseradish sauce, a dash of kosher salt mixed into sour cream. Let sit in fridge for a couple hours and… it’s tastebud nirvana!
@ruouttaurmind I’ll have to try that!
I’m kind of shocked that it still exists, because usually the strange flavors that I like disappear.
@Kyeh @ruouttaurmind Oh, gosh, yes. Pringles had a Salsa Verde that was effing AMAZING. The first tube lasted almost the distance from the WallyWorld to my motel on a Friday evening in Dallas, and I had to put the second tube back in the car to keep it from vanishing while I closed out the cash drawer for the day’s sales. The flavor only got marketed in a limited region, and i regularly grabbed every tube they had in stock when I found some. And then it vanished. They were amazing, and I still wish they’d come back.
@werehatrack
The curse of “limited edition” flavours. I’m a total sucker for trying all the new fun concoctions snack makers brew up. Most of the time I’m sorrowfully disappointed, gagging on grossness. But every once in a while I stumble into something that’s absolutely amazing. Then a blink and a burp and suddenly it’s gone forever.
@ruouttaurmind @werehatrack Same here!
Remember the Lays weird flavors contest, all the experimental flavors? A lot of them were just bad. And I can’t resist trying the limited edition Oreos, but I’m usually disappointed by them.
@Kyeh
For some reason I really liked the chicken and waffles one.
There’s a new Lay’s out called Layers. Sour cream and onion, and Three Cheese variety. They’re more like Pringles crisps than potato chips. Nothing to write home about, but they are good for dipping. They don’t break in half with a thick dip the way classic Lay’s do. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
I used to be thoroughly addicted to smoky bacon Hula Hoops when I lived in the UK. I really miss that crunchy, bacony goodness!
@ruouttaurmind Oh, when it comes to other countries the flavors really get wild. Cucumber, sea squid, cumin lamb skewer, etc. And I would try them!
@ruouttaurmind I think the UK outdoes us with snack cakes, like the Mr. Kipling ones; SO much better than Hostess or Little Debbie.
@Kyeh @ruouttaurmind a few years ago dill pickle chips were a novel thing. Now they, and dill pickle flavored everything is everywhere.
@Kyeh @ruouttaurmind I’ve tried the Lamb and Cumin flavor. It’s really good. Wasn’t too crazy about the Cheese Pizza or oyster and Garlic ones. While I love seafood, the crab, squid and crawfish ones were too fishy for me.
@ironcheftoni @ruouttaurmind I would love to try them all, but not enough to spend the $7.50 that the Etsey dealer’s asking.
Aldi’s Clancy brand chips are always spot on.
@ironcheftoni Clancy’s Ripple Chips are a staple in my house.
@ironcheftoni @Nate311 And now the image of a Ripple Pagan Pink flavor chip is cropping up for me. I guess that’s better than a Boone’s Farm Strawberry Hill chip. (Yeah, I’m that old. And I have a very twisted mind…)
Utz Maui BBQ chips are my current favorite. Still looking for something like the the Gibbles All Dressed preferably will heavy flavoring. Utz salt and vinegar are good especially if you get a strong bag.
Never had Trader Joe’s but I watch for new to me brands and flavors. Not a fan of most of the Lays offerings beyond the standards. I need some of those Kroger prime rib and horseradish!
@speediedelivery
I tried the All-Dressed but I guess it’s an acquired flavor because I won’t get those again.
@Kyeh There were a few bags that didn’t get all the flavors right. I had a couple that were unbelievably good. Quality control was not the best and the last few I found were not as good. I was checking multiple stores when they discontinued them.
@speediedelivery if you have any Asian Grocery stores in your area, they will have unusual flavors but they will be pricey. They are reasonable at Daiso but at Teso Life a small snack bag is about as much as a full size bag at Walmart. But you get flavors like Lamb and Cumin, Oyster and Garlic, Seaweed, crawfish, crab, grilled squid, and Cheese pizza with real cheese on the chips
@ironcheftoni We have a couple small family places but I have never checked them out. No interest in the fishy ones. Maybe if I could try one or two instead of a bag. I am not much for seafood in general. Definitely would try the cheese pizza.
Trader Joe’s Browned Potato chips are good. Just a little salt and lots of potato flavor come through. They’re not burned, or overdone. More like roasted for Maillard browning all over to intensify the french fry potato flavor.
Most of the store brands are cheap because they have way too much salt to cover for the cheaper ingredients - thinner chips, skimping on flavor powders, etc
@mike808 You shop at crappier places than I do. I’ve seen the kind of store brand chips you’re describing. The absolute worst in my experience is anything from Food Lion. That whole chain is synonymous with “really, trust us, we’re allowed to say this stuff is food, honest.” Ditto for Winn-Dixie and several others, including WallyWorld’s “Great Value” label.
@werehatrack Agree on “Great Value”. It’s so bad/cheap that the Walton family made them stop calling that shit “Sam’s Choice”.
That said, there are some rare outliers. My wife likes the GV whipped cream cheese and its half the price of the Philly branded stuff.
Fuck that whole poor people deserve shittier products philosophy, especially when it comes to food. And healthcare. Even worse is the “if poor people can buy nice or halfway decent food/clothes/things, then they’re not suffering enough to get taxpayer subsidies/ charity/ benefits” bullshit. I wish people would stop electing assholes who believe that crap and use their “tough on poor people” schtick (which is always code for POC) to get elected.