Lay's USA Pico De Gallo

Here is a bag that should be an easy find for US chip hunters. "Pico de Gallo" flavor has been out for a year now and I've just finally gotten around to trying it. #oops
This flavor was chosen as part of a Frito-Lay employee only contest to create a new flavor. The winner Samuel Oliveros is a customer service representative at Frito-Lay in Manteca California who used his Hispanic upbringing as inspiration for the flavor. In an email interview with The Chip Report, Oliveros told us "Since it's pretty much tradition at any Hispanic event such as parties or just a home cooked meal I had no doubt that would be my choice" and that he wanted to create a flavor that was "something everyone likes".

When trying this bag, I had a bit of excitement, I like the idea of acidic flavors with salty chips. And while I think the inspiration was a fantastic choice, ultimately it fails to meet expectations. Sadly, my shorthand notes sum this bag up pretty well... I wrote "Bro, these taste like Tomato, bro". It's hard to describe this bag better than that. The bag smells like Tomato, the chips taste like Tomato, and the color looks like Tomato. Instead of the promised complexity of Tomato, Onion, Cilantro, and some heat... you get a one note flavor. Maybe there is a peek of Lime... but it is quickly lost. Just the authentic fruity flavor of Tomato off the vine. The potato itself is average... so across the board this bag is dull. Lay's USA definitely need to focus a bit on their Salsa flavors though. We just reviewed their "Mango Salsa" flavor and it suffered from the same lack of complexity and overwhelming fruity-ness. They should look towards their "Garden Tomato and Basil" flavor for inspiration (which I am not a fan of, but the flavor has character and complexity).

The idea for this bag was great, and Samuel Oliveros had some words of wisdom for those of us who hope to win the next "Do Us A Flavor" competition "My advice to anyone trying to submit a winning flavor would be to not necessarily think outside the box. There are tons of simple ingredients that can create a winning flavor."

It's nice to see that Frito-Lay appreciates the ideas of their employees as much as their customers... especially when we get to see new flavors because of it ;p It would be nice to see this contest again, maybe this year ;ppp (hint hint)

So... have you tried this bag? Did you like it? Does it even compare to flavors like "Chicken & Waffles" or "Wasabi Ginger"? Sound off down below...



BONUS FACT: Samuel Oliveros' favorite flavor before he got his own flavor was BBQ.