Gotta Get At This: Lay's Netherlands NEW Pops Chips

Lay's Netherlands is getting into the Popchips game with their own air-popped line of chips. The line is launching now with just 2 flavors; "Paprika" and "Crispy Bacon & Cheese"... Both of which sound DELICIOUS! If you haven't tried air-popped chips yet they kind of tasted like inflated Catholic church crackers with seasoning on top. Should be interesting to see if these do well in Europe and make their way here to the States, but honestly, it would be tough to compete against Popchips over here. Anywho... keep the hunt alive... good luck!

Contest: Lay's Belgium Maak Je Smaak 2013 Winner!

Belgium has crowned a Champion! The battle was over when Tim's "Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs" knocked out "New York Hot Dog" and "Cocktail Andaluz". I still don't understand why Belgium needs "Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs" in a range that already includes "Barbeque", "BBQ Ham", "American BBQ: Deep Ridged", "Super Chips: Barbeque", and "The Oven: Barbecue" baked chips... but whatever. Congratulations Tim!

Contest: Lay's Perú Un Sabor Para Ganar Winner

Lay's Peru has a winner! Of the 3 finalists in Peru's create-a-flavor contest, Maria's "Con Toques De Oregano y Queso" ("With a Touch of Oregano and Cheese") was the Victor. No big surprise there, as Oregano is fricking delicious! In 2nd place was BBQ and last place went to Peruvian Chili. Again, no surprise, BBQ is nothing special, and Peruvian Aji Chili already exists in the high end Lay's line.
Normally, here, I'd tell you to go get the loser bags before they disappear... but honestly, the most unique bag won. So, who cares, take your time and see if you can snag the Winner!

Lay's India wants to know what you like

For the past few weeks Lay's India has been asking for their Facebook fans to share their opinions. They've been posting a few photos for comparison asking what their fans would prefer. It started with a larger group of bags asking fans which title they preferred....

This collection had a few familiar faces in it like 'Deep Ridged' and 'Kettle Cooked'. The other 3 have the same font and are likely newly created lines. They seemed to resonate with Indian consumers, because they chose 'Relish' and 'Gourmet'. The FB page then asked fans to choose between those 2 and they chose 'Gourmet'.

 Now, Lay's India has asked fans to help them design the bags for an upcoming 'Gourmet' line...

These 2 pictures showed up asking fans which package design they preferred... personally, I like the White bags ;)

So, what does this all mean? Well, for one, it sounds like Lay's India will be launching a new line, likely called 'Gourmet'. It could be a line similar to the 'Sensations'  line that is out in many Countries.
If you don't know, Lay's India's regular line is ruffled like 'Ruffles' in the US, so it makes sense they would launch an un-ruffled range. It's also likely that these are some flavors that we might be seeing. So far the concept art has shown off "Sea Salt", "Sweet Chili & Sour Cream", and "Lime & Black Pepper". Something new is definitely overdue from India, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for more potential news.

Gotta Get At This: Margarita Receta Clásica

My favorite brand of Chips has a brand new collection! "Receta Clásica" is the new "Classic Recipe" or Home style collection from the Colombian chip makers. The 2 flavors being launched are "Sal" and "Alitas BBQ" ( "Salt" and "BBQ Chicken Wings"). These home style recipe chips, much like the "Tradiciones" collection, will stand out from the regular line by being cooked with the skin on and being a bit crunchier. In fact, now that I think of it, I don't know why these aren't part of the Tradiciones line. (Maybe because these are 'modern' flavors, and the others are 'Classic Colombian' type flavors... I can't really say). Anyhow, the more chips the merrier! So keep your eyes peeled!

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Wavy Dipped in Milk Chocolate

Oh, man, oh, man! I am too excited. Looks like these little beauties are launching today here in the States! Lay's has just announced NEW Milk Chocolate covered Wavy chips. The chips will be available until New Year's Eve 2013. However, a rep for Lay's has already announced that if the treat sells well, we may not only see them return next year, but also see more flavors like Dark and White Chocolates. I'll be grabbing these this weekend if I can find them to let you know how they taste. I imagine they will be epic... I love a good salty/sweet treat! You should be able to find these starting today in a 5oz bag, Happy Hunting!

Contest: Lay's Canada Do Us A Flavour Winner!

Lay's Canada has listened, and the people have spoken! Maple Moose has been crowned the winner, earning itself a position on shelves for the next year. The savory/sweet concoctyion has gained it's creator, Tyler LeFrense $50,000 CAD plus 1% of sales... not to mention, bragging rights. I had money bet on this flavor from the get go, not only is salty/sweet a favorite combo of mine (see below, lol), but what 2 things are more iconic in Canada than Maple Syrup and adorable Moose? ... Nothing! I love the taste of Maple, and I was able to snag 2 of these bags, so I'll be trying it soon. Regardless, now, there is no rush, because starting late November, this will be the only 1 of the 4 contest flavors available. Speaking of which, that means Grilled Cheese & Ketchup, Creamy Garlic Caesar, and Peroggi Platter will all be disappearing into the Lay's Vault... so stock up now!
 Congrats to Tyler and to Canada for gaining a delicious treat that totally represents your tasty nation!

Lay's Canada Grilled Cheese & Ketchup

This was weird ... too weirddd. This is Lay's Canada's "Grilled Cheese & Ketchup", one of 4 Limited Edition offerings from their "Do Us A Flavour" contest. I was fortunate enough to find all 4 on ebay, when my sister couldn't find 3 of the 4 on her trip to Toronto. This one busted open in transit, so it was automatically the first one to get tasted.
Now, among the people I know, Lay's Canada's "Ketchup" flavor is always called out as a favorite, so I had some expectations for this bag. I'm not saying they are bad and I'm not saying they are good, but they are weird! They taste like "Ketchup" chips but then they have this dry creamy/cheesy taste after. Ok, I got it, it's like if you took 2 "Ketchup" chips, and one "Cheddar" chip and you made a 3 chip sandwich out of them... THAT is what these taste like. This is not a bag flavored like a Grilled Cheese sandwich; the picture of the Grilled Cheese sandwich with a smidge of Ketchup is deceptive, because the Ketchup to Cheese Ratio is the opposite.
I can see myself finishing this bag with pleasure, but I think ultimately, the "Ketchup" chip has already been perfected and this does not live up to it. I would much rather pick up the regular bag, then this. And for that reason, I would venture to guess that it won't win. However, if you love "Ketchup" chips, I do recommend you hunt this down, even if to only try it once.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Romania De Sezon Flavors 2013

Last year Lay's Romania released a delicious sounding Autumnal collection that consisted of "Ciuperci și Smăntănă/ Mushrooms and Cream" and "Friptură de Porc/ Roast Pork". This year the "de Sezon" or "Seasonal" line has returned for Fall. "Mushrooms and Cream" is back and is accompanied by "Iaurt Cu Usturoi" aka "Yogurt with Garlic". Both flavors sound delicious and definitely representative of Fall in Romania. I said it last year, and I'll say it again, I think the idea of seasonal flavors is very clever. I was surprised not to see the collection continue into other seasons, and even more surprised to see it come back again during the Fall. I definitely think there are great flavors that could represent Winter, Summer, and Spring and think this should go on year-round. But, regardless, at least yummy Fall flavors are back.

Heads up Hunters, if you are looking for these, I doubt they will be out very long, so start searching now. Because, again, it's a Seasonal collection.

So, did anyone try these last year? How does the new offering sound to you? Do you want to see Lay's try this promotion in your country? Let us know in the comments below.

Lay's Thailand Hot Chili Squid

This bag had me so scared, I mean, it's called "Hot Chili Squid"; that's pretty intimidating. When I opened this bag the scent was VERY strong; a pungent Thai spiced seafood aroma. But, thankfully, the scent was much stronger than the seasoning. First off, this is a Ruffle-cut chip, you can see it on the front of the bag because Thailand markets both cuts of chips under the Lay's label. The Ruffle cut gave the chip a nice thickness and full potato flavor. The seasoning itself was a very sweet shrimp-like taste, very similar to Prawn Cocktail. That flavor is followed by a really low chili heat. The first chip out of the bag is basically not spicy at all. But as you eat more and more, that spice builds up on the back of your palette. For me, the spice never got too crazy, it was very subtle, even after it built up. The spice cuts through the rich potato and sweet seafood flavor very nicely, making this a complex and exciting taste on the tongue. All in all, I was VERY surprised by how much I enjoyed this bag. My only recommendation is you skip the initial smelling when you open the bag. Go straight to the snacking. This is a great bag for fans of "Prawn Cocktail", "Thai Sweet Chili", and most of the other bags from Thailand. (Actually, now that I think of it, its kind of like "Prawn Cocktail" and "Thai Sweet Chili" had a baby). It's SUPER easy to find on Amazon and Ebay here in the States, so if it sounds like something you'd like to snack on, it shouldn't be too hard to find.

Contest: Lay's Belgium Maak Je Smaak 2013 Finalists Announced!

 

Lay's Belgium has put forth the finalists in their "Maak Je Smaak" or "Make The Taste" contest. This year the contest borrowed "The Battle" theme from Netherland's 2012 contest to highlight how these flavors were going to duke it out for supremacy. The 3 flavors stepping into the ring now will be "Cocktail Andaluz", "New York Hotdog", and "Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs". 

"Cocktail Andaluz" may be the wackiest of the bunch and if I were placing bets, I would look at this bag to win it all. It is the brain-child of Sander, who while in the chip shop, could not decide between Andalusian sauce and Cocktail sauce for dipping his French Fries... he decided to mix the two and called it Cocktail Andaluz. Andalusian Sauce, for those who don't know, is a popular Mayo-based sauce in Belgium with tomato paste, chopped onion, chopped peppers, and lemon or lime. The Cocktail Sauce referred to here is a pink colored Mayo-based sauce similar to Thousand Island, it consists of Mayonnaise and Ketchup. I think this has a really good shot and winning, because Belgium tends to gravitate to the home grown flavors. Last year's winner was "Bicky Crisp" a local hamburger, and Netherland's Battle Champion 2 years ago was "Patatje Joppie", a bag flavored like a popular local dipping sauce called Joppiesaus. If "Cocktail Andaluz" strikes a cord with the locals, it could take home the gold.

"New York Hotdog" is pretty straight forward... and yet as obvious as it seems, I can't believe no one has sold this flavor before (at least not in recent memory). The Hotdog lover here is Pierre, who found these in NYC during his world travels and loved them enough to ask Lay's to make them into a chip. This bag will have a bit of complexity to it, as it isn't JUST the Smoky Meat flavor being recreated, but the Ketchup, Mustard, and Caramalized Onions as well. This may also pull at the stomachs of "Bicky Crisp" lovers from last year... "Bicky Crisp" offered the flavor of a fully dressed up Burger, and that could cross over to Hotdog love.

Lastly we have Tim's "Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs", which are described as having the sweetness of Honey, the smokyness of Meat, and the char of the Grill; evoking Summer BBQ in a bag. I am always a BBQ hater. I just don't get excited about BBQ flavors.  But, Tim's got a good shot at winning this too. Exhibit A. Belgium loves Barbeque. The standard range not only comes with a "Barbeque" flavor, but also a "Barbeque Ham" flavor. Barbeque can also be found in their 'Deep Ridged', 'Super Chips', and 'The Oven' collections.  Exhibit B. Netherlands crowned "Spicy Reggae Chicken" as their latest champion; this was another sauced-up meat flavor. So it is possible Honey Glazed BBQ Ribs can win this year. (On the other hand, who needs 3 BBQ flavors in a range? But I'm trying to be nice)

So who are you voting for? These bags are available now, so let the hunt begin!

(And speaking of hunting, is it just me, or are all of the finalists really good looking? Sheesh, is this what all the men in Belgium look like?... Who needs a Green Card?!)

 

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Thailand รสพริกเผาปรุงรส and รสเมี่ยงคำครบรส

 Lay's Thailand has just released 2 new flavors... "รสพริกเผาปรุงรส" aka "Spicy Chili Paste" and "รสเมี่ยงคำครบรส" aka "Miang". The Chili Paste is pretty straight forward... in Thailand Chili paste is made with Garlic, Shallots, Dried Red Chili flakes, Lime, Tamarind, and a hint of Fish or Shrimp Paste. Thai Chili Paste is used in Thai cuisine to spice up things like soups and noodles. The other new flavor is "Miang"; a little bundle of joy wrapped in a Wild Pepper Leaf. The leaf fillings include Roasted Coconut, Roasted Peanuts, Lime, Ginger, Shallots, Garlic, Thai Chilis, and Shrimp. YUMMO! 
As with most of Thailand's flavors, both of these seem well suited to the region.  So what do you think about these? Are you gonna hunt them down? Let us know in the comments section below :)

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Spain Xtra Onduladas Sour Cream & Onion

New flavor added to the Lay's Spain Xtra Onduladas line... "Sour Cream & Onion". These are glorified Wavy chips. The flavor is pretty common here in the states, so it's not super thrilling for us. But yay for Spain lol!

Contest: Lay's Perú Un Sabor Para Ganar Finalists

 Lay's Peru has announced the 3 finalists in their current Create-a-Flavor contest; Un Sabor Para Ganar.
The 3 Flavors announced are "Con Toques De Oregano Y Queso", "Aji Peruano", and "A La Parrilla". Peruvians can go on Lay's Website in Peru and vote for their favorite starting today, and the winner will be available on shelves for a year. The finalists chosen were able to go online earlier this year and create their flavor and also had the fun opportunity to choose the bag color too.

 Alexander came up with "A La Parilla". "A La Parrilla" means 'On The Grill' or 'Grilled' or 'Barbecue', and I'm guessing by the picture we are talking about Beef. This bag is made a bit more unique by being "Ondas" which is Peru's version of "Ruffles".

 Maria's creation is "Con Toques De Oregano Y Queso" which means "Touch of Oregano and Cheese". That sounds tremendous! Yum! I love Oregano! Maria says she thought of it because her kids love the smell of melted cheese and oregano on Pizza night. Listen, I don't know a single person on earth who doesn't love that smell. I hope, for the sake of Peru that this tastes as good as it sounds. MMM.

Lastly we have Cesar's concoction "Aji Peruano". Peruvian Aji are Peppers native to Peru. Lay's Peru does actually already make this flavor in their "Peruanísimas" line, a line of chips made with native potatoes, in this case yellow, but sometimes blue, etc. That line is devoted to native Peruvian flavors and ingredients. But it looks like Cesar's flavor will bring that inspiration to the standard Lay's line.

Contest: Lay's Russia выбери новый вкус России Winner 2013

 

Lay's Russia has announced a winner for their "выбери новый вкус России" or "Choose a Flavor Russia" Contest. The delicious sounding Winner "Картошечку с маслом и укропом" ("Potatoes with Butter and Dill") was announced at the end of last month and can be found on shelves across Russia right now. It barely beat out competitor "Лечо по-домашнему" ("Homestyle Letcho"). Letcho, if you don't know, is an Eastern European dish of stewed Tomatoes and Bell Peppers... my aunt from Russia said that in Russia it is served cold and is comparable to Salsa because you can dip things in it etc. And of course, Potatoes with Butter and Dill is pretty self explanatory. The flavor sounds incredible and I would LOVE to get my hands on a bag of it. Butter and Dill compliment Potatoes so well, I can only imagine that they compliment chips equally as well. 

I doubt I will be getting these though, as Russia just seems so far away. But if anyone has sampled these I would love to know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

And Now, I leave you with this incredible advertising for the finalists....

 

 Click Either to Enlarge

Contest: Lay's Chile Crear Tu Sabor Winner 2013

 

Lay's Chile has selected their champion! 

This years winner of Chile's "Crear Tu Sabor" contest has been chosen and it is Mauricio Araya's Chorrillana!!

Chorrillana is a typical Chilean dish of French Fries topped with Beef strips, eggs, sometimes sausage, and cooked up onions. You can see Mauricio preparing a variation of it in the photo above using "Corte Americano" (Wavy Original) Potato Chips in place of the Fries. 

This seemed like the favorite to win from the beginning, as it is a popular dish in Chile. The other two flavors were super strange to me, and I didn't see them having a chance. One was BBQ sauce, which I thought was weird... not BBQ or BBQ'd meat... just BBQ sauce. Hmm. And the other was WEIRDDDD; Cream Cheese with Soy Sauce. WHAT? Who would want to eat that?? Tell me now! 

Mauricio's non-crazy flavor won him a cool 20 Million Chilean Pesos PLUS 1% of sales. Not bad, thats a little less than $40,000, and the percent of sales is a great bonus. So, Congratulations Mauricio! 

 

Note: This bag, as well as the other finalists were all Wavy cut. I also realized that the other known flavors in Chile ("Pizza" and "Sour Cream & Onion") are also Wavy cut. So it appears that the standard cut in Chile is the "Corte American" aka the Wavy.
Chile does, however, also offer the "Mediterraneas" line which more closely resembles the regular cut. And they have the "Resto" line which is a straight cut chip that is crunchier and has the potato skin left on.

Back to the programming at hand: If you're in Chile, and you loved those crazy flavors that didn't win, you'd ought to go stock up now before they are gone for good. I'd also love to know if anyone has tried the Chorrillana flavored bag yet. Is it any good? Let us know in the comments below!

Contest: Lay's Argentina El Sabor De Ganar Winner 2013

OMG. I don't know how I missed this one! Argentina announced the winner of their Create-a-Flavor contest at the beginning of JULY. Sorry folks. (In my defense, this picture was the only notice given before the whole website was overhauled to promote the "Resto" line, lol) . The winner was my personal favorite, Vanessa with "Sabor Hamburguesa"! Mmm Hamburger!
For her effort, and her ability to knock out the other flavor heavyweights ("Cheddar" and "Argentine Salsa Criolla"); Vanessa took home 100,000 Argentine Pesos... over $17,000 USD. Not too bad!

Now, here is the point where I would tell you to go stock up if need be on the soon to disappear loser flavors, but since I dropped the ball, it's very likely they are already gone :/
But... WHO CARES, cuz Hamburger flavor is one of my all time faves, and it's sticking around for at least a year. So, enjoy THAT!

Lay's USA Do Us A Flavor 2013 finalists back for a limited time!

Lay's USA has re-released "Sriracha" and "Chicken & Waffles" for a LIMITED TIME. The two finalists disappeared for a minute after "Garlic Cheesy Bread" won the Do Us A Flavor contest... but I started to notice that a few of my friends were posting pictures of these yummy treasures on instagram still. Now, Lay's' Facebook page has made it official and announced a Limited Time return of the discontinued bags. If you read my blog a few weeks ago criticizing Lay's USA for pulling the regional flavors without any warning, you should appreciate this as much as I do. Not only has Lay's announced that these are back, but they let fans know that they are only back for a short time, and encourage fans to "stock up". So if you were missing these beauties, I encourage you to "stock up" as well... cuz once they're gone, I doubt they will be back for a 3rd round. #TeamChicken&Waffles.

Lay's France Barbecue

This bag is GOOOOD!! For realzz! Here is a bag of Barbecue flavored chips from Lay's France. The chips from France generally have a thin and flaky texture, but these ones weren't too crumbly... they held up surprisingly well and had a decent potato flavor payoff. The seasoning was definitely the star in this bag though, it was very even and used thoughtfully. Nothing is worse than a bag of just seasoning, so these were great. The seasoning had a bit of an orange glow so you could see it had perfect coverage over the whole chip. The flavor itself was that of a tangy, sweet, barbecue sauce mixed with the caramelized edges of grilled meat... mmm. The potato flavor itself  added some richness against the sweetness of the BBQ sauce flavor. It was all just very balanced. If you like BBQ flavored bags, but are put off by the heavy-handedness of seasoning in most bags (im looking at you America!) then this is your dream bag. Great bag for a snack. I downed half of it in 5 minutes, and for most, the whole bag will satisfy a powerful snack craving.

Are you trying to find Lay's Regional Flavors? Good Luck!

I just recently got back from Washington DC, and while I was there I was on the hunt for some of the regional flavors to see what I might be able to bring home. I couldn't find any. I remembered Lay's website had a map that would tell you where to find which flavors, but now, suddenly it was no longer on the site. A quick google search turned up that these flavors were discontinued this past April and the last bags disappeared off shelves within the last few months. That wouldn't necessarily bother me, except for the fact that Lay's themselves never made any sort of announcement. The reports that these flavors just started vanishing from shelves was all coming from disgruntled fans. The most beloved of these flavors was "Tangy Carolina BBQ" which was available nationwide, and for which you can read my review: here. Fans all over the internet are still sending messages of disappointment. So I have to put my 2-cents in, if Lay's had just slapped a "For A Limited Time Only" sticker on these bags in the last 6 months of production, all would have been fine. I don't see how they would just discontinue an entire line without informing their customers, frankly, it's pretty fkd up. On the flip side, I bought the ones that were available to me in my region. Garden Tomato & Basil tasted like HOT TRASH (and sadly, it is the lone flavor being kept from this collection), and Tangy Carolina BBQ was one of the few remarkable flavors that USA Lay's has ever made. So, if I am only buying the 1 flavor, and not all the time because I have other favorites, I can see why they would want to get rid of it to make way for new stuff. All I'm saying is this is bad business for the company. It would have taken just a simple, tiny, photoshop icon on the bag, to appease customers and let them know they needed to stock up. Not cool Lay's, not cool.

So, here is a little "In Memoriam" of those we lost...
-Balsamic Sweet Onion
-Chipotle Ranch
-Tangy Carolina BBQ
-Honey Mustard
-Creamy Garden Ranch
-Cajun Herb & Spice
-Southwest Cheese & Chile
-Pepper Relish

And remember, if you like the awkward taste of hot bile in your mouth, Garden Tomato & Basil is still available on shelves. Enjoy that.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Turkey Spoon Chips and Lay's Chile Salsa Mania

 

Lay's Turkey is spicing things up... their new "Kaşık Cips" or "Chip Spoons" come with a Turkish Baharat spice packet to be mixed in with yogurt to create a spicy yogurt dip... or you can skip the packet and just scoop up some plain yogurt. Very yummy-looking Mediterranean style chips. I gotta check these out.

And Lay's Chile is adding some flavor to their lineup... adding Salsa Mania to bags of "Corte Americano" bags. "Corte Americano" means "American cut" which is hilarious, because I don't think of "Wavy" cut chips when I think of chips in America, I don't think I've even  had a "Wavy" cut chip since I was like 6 years old lol.
I'm not sure if the bag comes packed with just Ketchup or just Mayo or both... I think it comes with both. So, if you are living in Chile, and are looking for something new, check this out. Chile also has their new finalist flavors out too... so there are a ton of yummy chip choices right now. AND, if you are NOT in Chile this is super easy to replicate here at home, so don't feel too bad about it. haha.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Guatemala Aderezo Ranch and Lomo Encebollado

Lay's Guatemala is touting some new flavors... "Aderezo Ranch" and "Lomo Encebollado", mmm. While they are calling "Lomo Encebollado" aka "Grilled Beef Loin with Onions" a new flavor, I wonder how it compares to their very recent contest-winning flavor "Lomito Encebollado" (also "Grilled Beef Loin with Onions"). "Lomito" was only declared the winner in November 2012, so I'm not sure if they are stocking shelves with 2 bags of the identical flavor, or if they changed the name slightly, or what. But they are selling this as a NEW flavor... so I'll do some digging.
The real new kid on the block is "Aderezo Ranch", or "Ranch dressing". We see Ranch on everything in the States, but in South America, it's not their go-to staple dip; so it's cool to see them getting a new and unique (for them) flavor.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's Romania Sete De Bere returns with a twist

Lay's Romania had one of the most ingenious flavors I had ever heard of come out last year, "Sete De Bere" or "Thirst for Beer"... a Beer and Brats, Oktoberfest inspired bag of ridiculousness. This year, Romania has upped the ante, and released not 1, but 2 "Thirst for Beer" flavored bags. One is the original combo flavor, Beer and Brats; the second is a Spicy variation. Both are being offered this time around as thicker cut, "Ruffles"-style chips. Romania has just been killing it with clever flavor ideas, and I love that they take seasonality into consideration. Somebody mail me a bag of these! Oh Please! lol.

If you've tried them, I'd love to know. I'm really curious how they compare to the older ones, and if you can taste the brats on the spicy version. Feel free to sound off below!

Contest: Lay's Canada Do Us A Flavour Finalists 2013 announced!

 

click to enlarge

 The 4 Finalists have been announced in Canada's Do Us A Flavour contest... and our Northern neighbors have not disappointed! These are 4 of the most whack-a-doo flavors I've ever seen... and if I don't get my hands on them, I will cry! hahaha. The 4 epic finalists are; "Creamy Garlic Caesar", which will likely have a creamy taste similar to ranch or cheese flavored crisps, "Grilled Cheese & Ketchup", which sounds similar to the US "Cheesy Garlic Bread" that we recently had win our contest... albeit, with a tangy tomato zing (and Canada knows how to make a Ketchup chip, so I think this one is gonna be AMAZING!), "Maple Moose", which looks to be the "weird" flavor but I think it's gonna be the best by far... point #1, the best Maple syrup in the world comes from Canada, and it is delicious. Point #2, I loved the US "Chicken and Waffles" flavor because of the salty/sweet combo, and I can see that happening in this bag too. The final flavor selected is "Perogy Platter", now, I am not a Perogy aficionado, all I actually know is that they have potato in them...thus, I have to assume these will taste like whatever else goes into a Perogy and will taste pretty authentic.
The voting on these flavors begins online in 4 days on the 30th of July. And a winner will be selected for the grand prize and the bragging rights that will come along with it.

So, have any Canadians tried these yet? What's your favorite? Let us know in the comments below and hashtag which team you're on! Without even tasting these yet, I'm leaning on #TeamMapleMoose !
Happy Hunting!

New Margarita Colombia Flavors

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!
Margarita has just released 3 new flavors!!!! Im gonna die!!
Margarita, in my humble opinion makes the best tasting chips ever... and Jamon has been one of my favorite flavors for a long time... so basically, Im very happy right now.
Margarita selected these flavors themselves, and appears to be polling the market to see which ones should stick around. Interestingly, they chose to release these 3 in the packaging we've been seeing globally now associated with the "Create a Flavor" style contests. That leads me to believe either 1 or 2 of these flavors won't be around long. The last time Margarita had a "Create a Flavor" style contest, the other chips were gone as soon as the winner was announced. The 3 new flavors are "Hogao con Queso", "Queso Gratinado" and "Jamon Ahumado". Hogao is a Colombian sauce made of simmered tomatoes and onions, so "Hogao with Cheese" is probably a creamy tomato type of flavor. "Queso Gratinado" means "Cheese Gratin" but I'm thinking this is meant to taste more like Potatoes Gratin... simply meaning the Chip will play the role of Potato in the dish. These chips are "Onduladas" which is the Colombian name for "Ruffles", so the potato will definitely play a bigger role in the flavor combination. And the last bag is "Smoked Ham"... which is usually my absolute flavor ever made. Spain makes a delicious Ham flavored bag of Ruffles, and ever since I tried it, I have been hooked on Ham flavored chips. I expect this to be CRACKED OUT goodness.
Fortunately, my mom is there on vacation right now, so I am pleading with her to just empty a suitcase and fill it purely with chips lol. Fingers crossed I get to taste these little beauties. The 3 new flavors are available now.

Gotta Get At This: New Lay's Thailand Flavors

Lay's Thailand has 2 new flavors out right now. "Salmon & Cream Cheese" and "Larb Tod", which is a traditional Thai meatball made from either chicken or pork with Thai seasonings. There is some sort of vote going along with the release of these flavors, but I am not quite sure what it is, I think the winner will stay on shelves longer than the loser. To see fun photos of Salmon & Cream Cheese fans on Instagram, search for #LaysSalmonCreamCheese... and to see the photos from fans of Larb Tod flavor, search #LaysLarbTod. Hashtagged photos on Instagram will also count as votes. Very clever.
Here is a preview of the photo fun...

I love the idea of incorporating Instagram into the contest, it's by FAR my favorite social media site. The flavors look, so so, but I am sure they are more appealing to the locals. I doubt I'll get to try these, so, I'd love to hear any reviews in the comments section below.

Lay's France Chips à l'Ancienne Nature

I waited a longgg time to try this bag... and it was well worth the wait! Here's a bag of Natural flavored chips from Lay's France's Traditional line. The hallmark of these chips is that they are light and crispy and have rich, authentic potato flavor. You'll notice a difference right away when you open the bag. The chips are a bit smaller, and all the edges are curled. The cooking process puts a natural wave into the edges of the chips. They have intense potato flavor, the flavor that lingers in your mouth for a few minutes after a bite. Interestingly, these reminded me of Hawaiian style kettle chips in flavor. When you started eating a chip, a light, flavorful oil would fill your mouth. Almost, like the chips were sponges that had overfilled. But the oil wasn't heavy or greasy, it was flavorful and shared some of that potato taste. The salting was perfect and complimented the potato and oil used. I would prefer this cut and cooking method above the standard Lay's France bag any day. The chips just tasted more flavorful, and the texture was heads above the standard chips. This bag is definitely one of the best natural/original/salted bags I've ever had. Yumm!

Lay's France Bolognaise

My friend brought me these from his recent trip to France, WHAT A GOOD FRIEND! lol
This is such a random flavor for France; Bolognaise or Bolognese sauce. A Bolognese, if you aren't aware, is an Italian meat-based sauce made from ground beef, tomato, and a bit of onion, celery, and carrot. However, most countries outside of Italy consider any tomato-based sauce with a bit of meat in it to be a Bolognese. These chips from France make no reference to the sauce or meat on the outside and just show the tomato and herbs to identify these as a Bolognese flavor. I can tell you right now, this bag doesn't taste like an authentic Italian ragu, but that doesn't mean a thing, these are still mighty good chips. The flavor that you get is more like fresh pizza sauce. You get a really bright, tangy, herb-y, and spicy combination of flavors. It reminded me of a coal brick oven thin crust pizza that I ate recently with chunks of fresh tomatoes and herbs. In fact the thin and somewhat flaky texture of the French chips was a great substitute for a thin crust pizza dough. The chip has a decent amount of potato flavor, but this seasoning is just enough to make you forget about the potato taste... without completely overwhelming it. The texture of the chips is comparable to the ones you find here in the States.I like flavors like this because they can appeal to a lot of chip lovers out there; If you like BBQ flavors I think you will like the tangy flavor, and if you like acidic flavors like Vinegar, I think you will like the bright tomato kick these have. I loved it, and was really happily surprised to have enjoyed it so much. I know France has a lot of unique flavors, but this one shouldn't be ignored. Tasty!

Have you tried this bag? Did you think it tasted like a "Bolognese"? or more like a "Marinara"? Sound off in the comments below.

Gotta Get At This: Lay's France Collection Tapas Olive and Pesto

Gorgeous looking new collection from Lay's France... the Tapas Collection.
This line has 2 flavors in it as of now, "Olive" and "Pesto"; both flavors just sound EXTREMELY delicious. I would love to try an Olive flavored chip!
My friend just got back from France and brought me some great chips to review here soon, but these weren't out yet. So I'm gonna have to beg him to go back lol!
Looking good, France! I am Mighty jealous!

Contest: Walker's Do Us A Home Grown Flavour Winner!

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Walkers has announced a new flavour! YAYYYYYY!!!! Im so excited!!
The winner of Walkers "Do Us A Home Grown Flavour" contest was Marie Boxall with her "Hog Roast with Sage and Onion Stuffing". mmmmmmm.
That just sounds so good!
Walkers announced the contest in conjunction with new marketing of Walkers as home grown products. Each bag in the Walkers range highlights a main ingredient that has been grown locally within the UK. Marie's choice of Hog Roast will highlight the Pork raised in her hometown of Norfolk. The potatoes are also grown in the UK. This bag of chips will be available beginning in August and will be exclusive to Tesco markets. I can't wait until August for the hunt to begin!!

Contest: Lay's Perú Un Sabor Para Ganar

Another day, Another contest!
Lay's Peru is hosting their own create-a-flavor contest now; "Un Sabor Para Ganar!" or "A Flavor to Win!"
If you live in Peru, just go on http://www.lays.com.pe/ and enter. Peru already has some pretty interesting flavors in their range and they use all sorts of different Peruvian potatoes in some of their lines, so it seems they are bound to come up with some extraordinary flavors.
Not only are they using the cutting board logo for this contest (which started here in the USA with our first create-a-flavor contest), but they will also now be using the new US style bag with the colored edges and white center that we saw Cheesy Garlic Bread etc wearing. On the contest interface the contestants can select the color for the packaging, colors that include Orange, Green, Purple, and Royal Blue. Then just type in the Flavor and Description, and submit. The site does not, however, support putting an image of the related food item on the bag. Still, this is another chance to grab some new flavors! So, Rejoice!

Treat of the Week: Chuao Potato Chip Chocolate Bar

The other day I saw this chocolate bar at Cost Plus World Market and decided to try it out. The packaging is SUPER sexy. Chocolate covered chips in a sparkly yellow packaging. It just looked amazing. The chocolate itself is a really smooth Milk Chocolate, and it mixed with fine Potato Chip crumbs and salt. I thought of it as a really elevated Crunch bar. In place of the rice puffs you find the salted potato chip bits. The chocolate melted so perfectly and then you get these yummy crispy flavorful bits, it was just SO friggin good. I had a few other flavors from this brand, but this bar was the best by far. Highly recommended!

Lay's USA Do Us A Flavor 2013 has a winner!!

 

Lay's USA has crowned their winner! Cheesy Garlic Bread, the brain child of Karen Weber-Mendham, has been chosen by the fans as their favored flavor. Cheesy Garlic Bread gave fans the uncanny feeling they were eating a fresh loaf of Garlic Bread and quickly became the standout flavor among the 3 competitors. 

The prize not only includes huge bragging rights, but Ms. Weber-Mendham was also the recipient of a cool 1 million dollar check. Not too shabby. Congratulations to her, and congrats to us, hopefully Cheesy Garlic Bread will remain on shelves for quite a long time.