OK Here's Some Late News: Sabritas Receta Cruijiente

With the wealth of Chip-info (or Chipfo, if you will) out in the Universe, sometimes I miss things. I could make excuses (like that I broke my computer last Christmas and it had all my bookmarks and quote "research" on it)... but I won't ;p
Instead, I have created a new Post heading; "OK Here's Some Late News"! "OK Here's Some Late News" will basically be all the chip lines that I haven't talked about because they've been around for a while and haven't added new chips, or in the case of today's article, the new chips came out around Christmas (coincidence??) and I just flat out missed it. I want to always be able to share the most up to date, recent news... but if something gets past me, I still want you guys to know about it, even if it is late. So, hopefully, "OK Here's Some Late News" won't be too common of an article here at The Chip Report, but it's something I think we will need from time to time.

So now that you two have met....
let's get to the show.

 

I was checking out Sabritas' website today and stumbled upon these "Nuevo" treasures... "Receta Crujiente". They are allegedly NEW according to the site, but these have been flashed on instagram and twitter since at least the beginning of the year. The "Crunchy Recipe" chips are listed to come in 3 flavors,  "Chille Rojo" ("Red Chili"), "Original", and "Jalapeno". But, I have also discovered 2 bags that are not listed on the website that appear to be later additions to the line. 

 

Check out A and C... That's "Chille Habanero" and "Chille con Queso" ("Habanero Pepper" and "Chili's with Cheese"). So, it looks to me like while the line isn't New-new, it's still relatively new and is doing well, because they've already expanded. Cool.

So what is "Receta Crujiente"? Well, it's billed as "Mas Gruesas y Mas Crujiente" which just means thicker and crunchier. And while the packaging may evoke the "Kettle Cooked" line here in the US... it is actually still not as crunchy as the Kettle line. This line would fall somewhere between the standard Lay's and Kettle Cooked on a fictional crunch scale. If you've ever had "Extra Crunchy" these are basically the same style. And check out the packaging carefully, it is a dead ringer for the Margarita "Receta Classica" packaging; which happens to be the same thick cut, extra crunchy style chips.

Considering Sabritas are not only just across the border, but also available at Mexican markets here in the States (not to be confused with the non-Mexican Sabritas that are sold here for the US consumer)... these should be a breeze to find if you wanna give them a try. If you are a spice fiend this may be the line for you.

What do you think? Are you gonna make the drive South to track these down?

Margarita Colombia Copa De Los Sabores España Jamón Serrano

Among the delicious Colombian snacks my wonderful Aunt Gladys brought to me in Miami, was this little gem. Packed in a Copa De Los Sabores Round 2 multipack with the Brazilian flavor, was the Spanish "Jamón Serrano". This "Serrano Ham" flavor is a "Onduladas" chip, or as we know them here in the states, "Ruffles".  I had high hopes for this bag, as "Ruffles" makes a "Jamón" flavored bag in Spain that is one of my all time favorite bags ever. Sadly, I can say right now, that this is a COMPLETELY different flavor. But that doesn't mean that it is bad, it's just not my dream chip, lol.
In fact, my cousin, her boyfriend, and I tried these together, and we actually found them to taste pretty good. And definitely better than the Brazilian "Asado Brasilero".

We tasted this bag second, and while "Asado Brasilero" was subtle and uninteresting, this bag opened up and was exciting and unique. The smell is obvious. HAM. There was no question what flavor was in this bag. The moment your tongue hits the chip you are transported to a little shop in Spain, a little shop filled with salted hanging cured hams. mmm. The crunch of the Ruffled chip adds some fun texture to the bite, but it also creates a thicker, more robust potato flavor, that pairs well with the salty ham seasoning. For the same reason Jamón works on a freshly baked piece of bread, this chip is successful. And, this isn't like some cheap Oscar Meyer ham, this is Jamón, the flavor is closer to Christmas Ham or even Canadian Bacon. I could even see a repackage of this chip in the US as either of those flavors, and no one would be the wiser.
Now, I must admit, that this bag comes on strong. And after snacking on the "Asado Brasilero" our palate's had been working overtime searching for any sort of flavor, so when we tasted this bag at first it felt like too much. But, by chip 4 or 5 it became more palatable. So, be warned, I don't recommend eating them back to back because the bags are POLAR opposites. If anything, I think this one will pair really well with some Coke, Diet Coke, or a nice cold beer. I highly recommend this bag, it is the epitome of what this blog is about. Fun, international flavors, that are unique and create a flavor experience. It is good fun, and if you can get a hold of it, I suggest you try.

Happy hunting!

Margarita Colombia Copa De Los Sabores Brasil Asado Brasilero

I had the good fortune of being in Miami last week and my awesome Aunt Gladys (shout out, lol!) was sweet enough to bring me some chips from Colombia. Today, we are checking out the Brazilian flavored "Asado Brasilero" aka "Brazilian Barbecue" aka "Churrasco" (depending on what you call it where you are from). This flavor came packed in a multipack with it's Round 2 competitor "Jamon Serrano". A supermarket multipack contained 6 bags of the Brazilian flavor and 6 bags of the Spanish flavor, and encouraged buyers to taste both flavors and vote for their favorite. As we are already on Round 3, It has already been announced that this flavor won Round 2. 

So, let's get to the review. I tasted this bag with my cousin Janette and her boyfriend, both of whom had never tried Colombian chips before. The 3 of us basically had the same feelings about this bag. That overall feeling being that it is pretty dull.
When you open the bag you get the weak smell of beef. You pull a chip out of the bag and, as with all Margarita chips, you see a beautiful lightly golden perfect chip. There are no burnt bits, no huge air bubbles, you aren't picking at small flakes of chip at the bottom of the bag. It is the Typical Margarita high quality chip. At first bite, I tasted almost nothing, the flavor was incredibly subtle. But about 20 to 30 seconds after the first chip, my mouth tasted like I had just eaten a steak. It was weird. Then the more chips I ate, the more the flavor built. And this accumulation of flavor was building at the back of my mouth after the chip had been eaten. But, even after finishing the bag, I never felt satisfied. I never felt like I got to taste anything special. The meat flavor that does come across is different from any other bag of BBQ flavor I have ever tried. These chips had little to no salt, so the chip had almost the taste of unseasoned meat. There was no garlic, no onion, no herbs, no barbecue sauce, no flame grilled, and probably no salt; none of the additions that take a flavor from one-note to being more complex and interesting. In all honestly, it tasted like someone boiled a steak and soaked the chips in beef water before frying them. The flavor was just so DULL and boring. Now, I do have to mention that because Margarita uses such high quality potatoes, the potato flavor comes through strongly. You get rich potato flavor across your entire palate, but unfortunately, the seasoning on them does not do them justice.
"Asado Brasilero" is meant to be skewered, slow-roasted, seasoned, beef that is elegantly brought to your table and sliced thinly and served. This bag does little to represent that wonderfully unique preparation. I wasn't a fan, and although the people I tried it with enjoyed the novelty, they did not think the flavor was anything special either. I wouldn't recommend this bag to anyone, but if you want a beef flavor and are not a fan of Barbecue bags, this may be for you.

Contest: Margarita Colombia Copa De Los Sabores Round 3

Margarita looks like they are the only country doing a third round in their World Cup tie-in contest, but they've saved some strong contenders for Round 3.

 

For Round 3, Colombia has chosen to represent itself with "Chorizo con Limon" aka "Chorizo Sausage and Lime" flavor. Strange to me, as that is not really a flavor I associate with Colombia, Chorizo is a much more Mexican thing... but whatevs. The flavor still sounds YUMMO! They've chosen a real fun flavor to represent Peru as well, "Aji Peruismo" or "Peruvian Pepper"... this is a flavor I have talked a lot about in regards to Peru's on flavors. It is a type of Pepper that grows only in the mountains of Peru and Lay's Peru loves to use it in their Peruvian collection of chips. The bag depicts a salsa next to the peppers, so it may be a bit of a spicy Tomato salsa flavor as opposed to pure pepper. Either way, both are exciting flavors. 

Yet, I wonder if either will stand a chance. Suprisingly, both Round 1 and Round 2 went to Barbecued Beef flavors. And Ribs and Meats tend to win Margarita's contests historically. But to me, these, along with "Jamon Serrano" are some fun, and unique flavors, even if they are only available for a limited time. I actually just got to try the Round 2 winner which is a Brazilian BBQ flavor, and was really unimpressed by it (review coming soon). I'm not really sure how it won, but the Colombian people have spoken, so I can't really say confidently that either of these have a chance at the title.

What do you think? Does Chorizo come to mind when you think of Colombia cuisine? Have you had a chance to try these? Sound good? Let us know in the comments below... 

Contest: Lay's Perú Copa De Los Sabores Round 2

Who is ready for Round 2?? With Italy's "Pizza" winning Round 1, Peru has released the flavors for the next stage. France's "Queso Gratinado", which is basically baked Cheese, and Brazil's "Al Estilo Rodizio" which I guess is Peru's way of saying "Rotisserie Barbecue" which is basically the same flavor every country has for Brazil; "Brazilian Barbecue" or "Churrasco". The flavor has proved popular, so it could take the round. But, I get more excited about the new stuff. So France's weird Cheese Gratin thing sounds pretty awesome lol.

Sound off below and let us know what you think...

Contest: Lay's Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Panama, El Salvador, & Honduras Copa De Sabores Round 2

Round 2 has begun for the South American nations participating in "Copa De Sabores".
As with Round 1, Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, & Honduras all have the same flavors for Round 2...

 

 Brazil is represented by "Churrasco" or "Brazilian Barbecue" if you should like to call it that, and Sweden is represented by "Queso con Especias" or "Cheese with Spices/Herbs". We've seen this flavor represent Brazil in a lot of countries, and it won Round 1 in Colombia. But, the Swedish flavor is new and could be fun!

As for the Dominican Republic, it is also offering up a new and a not so new flavor...

 

Dominican Republic has chosen flavor to represent itself in the game; "Pollo al Limon" or "Lime Chicken". Sounds DELISH!! While they've chosen a popular flavor to represent Spain; "Jamon Iberico" aka "Iberico Ham". mmm. Looks like it will be a tough round in the D.R.

So, what are your thoughts this round? Who will emerge victorious? Have you been able to snag any of these World Cup tie-ins? Let us know down below!

Gotta Get At This: Chipsy Egypt Olive & Pickle and Baba Ganoush Flavors

Chipsy Egypt has 2 relatively new flavors, they hit the shelves at the beginning of the year. They are "Olive & Pickle", and "Baba Ganoush".They are basically dip flavors. "Olive & Pickle" being somewhat like a tapanade, and "Baba Ganoush" being a typical eggplant dip from the region. Plus, how cute are the bags? Like a little picnic in a bag. Chips and dip all in one. Love it.

What do you think? Would you try these? I want to. They seem insanely unique compared to every other BBQ or Chicken flavor.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Netherlands We Vrrreten Ze Op Flavors

The international flavors keep coming as the World Cup approaches! The Netherlands is making the most of the situation by offering up 3 limited time flavors inspired by Australia, Spain, and Chile. First off is "Ozzie BBQ" which is described as the Unique Grilled taste from Down Under. Then Spain's "Aioli Olé" for the Garlic Aioli lovers out there. And finally, Chile's "Chilly Chili" a slightly spicy mix of Peppers and a not so slightly overdone pun. "We Vreten Ze Op" translates to "We Eat Them Up" or "We Devour Them Up" and is just a label given to the limited collection of flavors. But that Lion sure does remind me of the Simba Lion from South Africa... am I right?

Lovely... Now how can I track them down??

Contest: Lay's Russia УГАДАЙ ВКУС И ВЫИГРАЙ МИЛЛИОН! with Lionel Messi

Russia has just launched a fun contest. "Guess the Taste and win a Million RUB". The premise of the contest is that Soccer superstar Lionel Messi has a mystery bag of chips, and if you can guess the flavor, you'll win the cash. Mystery bags are available now in Russia. Who's guessing it's Borsht???

Let me know what you think it is in the comments? Have you tried it?