Lay's USA Brazilian Picanha

Another day, another bag of Lay's Passport to Flavors Chips. Today we make a stop in Brazil for "Picanha", a traditional skewered meat roasted over charcoal. The Picanha in particular comes from the Rump of the cow. The barbecued beef is served with Chimichurri sauce.

This bag, this one right here. It tastes like basic carne asada, ok?

What is going on Lay's? When you open the bag, the smell is pure molasses-sugary-sweetness. Idk why!!! If there is any sweetness in the flavor, it is barely noticeable and only on the first few chips, so why the sweet smell is so overwhelming, I haven't a clue. The flavor is beef definitely, and what I refer to as "generic meat seasonings"... there is not a single hint of Chimichurri to be tasted (which is unfortunate). As you eat further down the bag, the seasoning builds and you get a really hearty seasoned meat flavor. There is NOTHING wrong with it. But it ISN'T Brazilian BBQ. The potato, btw, is solid, nothing to talk about really. So, the stand out was that generic seasoning, and then my friend described it as carne asada, and the whole world suddenly made sense. IDK WHY LAYS, but you made Carne Asada chips, and you tried to hustle them to American who may not know the difference between Latin meat seasonings. SHAME!

But, in all honesty, these are tasty, so don't listen to my complaints and grab a bag now before they are gone for good.

Sabritas Mexico Intercambio de Sabor Promotion

Sabritas Mexico is running a promotion right now, very similar to the "Flavor Swap" one Lay's USA launched in the first half of the year... the "Intercambio de Sabor" (aka Change of Flavor) promo pits 2 classic Sabritas Flavors against 2 new Flavors to see which chip fans prefer. The first face-off is between classic "Flamin' Hot" and the new "Ali Chili" which is flavored with Chile Manzano and inspired by Egypt. The second battle is between classic "Adobadas" and the new "Aci Thai" which is flavored with Chile Acidulce and inspired by Thailand. I'm guessing "Acidulce" means "Thai Sweet Chili"; which is a pretty popular chip flavor everywhere except here in the States. The Manzano or Apple Chili is a pepper that is similar to a Serrano in terms of heat. The new flavors did not fair well against the classics here in the US, and I doubt they will beat the classics in Mexico either... so consider these 2 new limited edition flavors and pick them up while you can!

PS. I can't understand how I almost missed this... CHECK OUT THE PACKAGING! The Egyptian inspired one bares the Chipsy Egypt logo, while the Thai one bares the Lay's Thailand logo. This is how the bags are being sold in Mexico. They are worth hunting down just for that novelty. Happy Hunting!!

Lay's USA Beer 'n Brats

What is this bag yall!? I went looking for the Passport Flavors, and stumbled upon this gem! "Beer 'n Brats" flavored Lay's... IN AMERICA!
If you frequent this blog, you may remember that Romania has been doing a Beer & Brats flavor seasonally around Oktoberfest for the last few years... and even a Spicy Beer & Brats flavor. It's quite fun to see it here in the states now!
However, let's get to the literal meat & potatoes... this flavor is MEH. Something is missing. The Beer. VITAL COMPONENT LAY'S!!
I got Bratwurst flavor, but faintly... and oddly... Cheese. So, I flipped this bag over and looked at the ingredients... yup, Cheddar seasoning. WHY?! Why is there Cheddar featured as a prominent ingredient in a Beer & Bratwurst flavored bag of chips? It makes no sense! The potato itself is fine and has some potato flavor, it's cooked well, but the seasoning is off base completely! I could not taste anything Beer like. I could barely taste Brats. This is a smoked meat Cheddar bag of chips. What a shame & a disappointment. Hopefully this bag will disappear as silently as it appeared and come back with a more authentic taste, because this is a fun flavor opportunity.
If you'd like to give it a taste, I found mine at my local Stater Bros. market. They did not have the Passport flavors at the time, which have already been out for several weeks, so I don't know if that is a clue for finding these. I'd hunt for it fast, I can't imagine this bag selling beyond it's initial release, it's just not good enough.
If you do manage to find it, let me know what you thought in the comments below! Thanks!

Lay's USA Tapatio Limon

These are the bomb yall!! Another bag that scared me with red seasoning and this time a bottle of hot sauce on the outside! But, it is a gentle giant.
The Tapatio Limon flavored bag is LITERALLY the same seasoning as Mexico's Sabrita's "Adobadas" BUT with Lime! It's also pretty close in flavor to the "Chile Limon" flavor from Lay's USA. It was spicy, but not crazy spicy. The spice builds as you snack. I made my way through almost half the bag before I decided I needed to stop, so it's pretty addictive. The chips, as usual now with Lay's USA is a pretty good/ decent quality. The potato flavor definitely benefits from the comforting, tomato-y, flavor of the Tapatio, the kick from the spice, and the brightness of the Lime. All in all, it's an A+ chip. Great addition to the Lay's USA range.