Gotta Get At This: Margarita Colombia Jamon y Miel

COLOMBIA! STOP MAKING ME HUNGRY!
Ham & Honey flavored Chips. Sounds so yummy.
Packing my bags now!

Gotta Get At This: Margarita Colombia Apasionados Por Nuestro Sabores Competition MAXX Suero Costeño, Mazorca Asada, and Chicharron Carnudo

 

Colombia is getting in on the "Apasionados Por Nuestro Sabores" AKA "Passionate For Our Flavors" Competition! My absolute favorite International Chips are coming out the gate with "MAXX Suero Costeño (Costa Caribe)", "Mazorca Asada (Cundinamarca)", and "Chicharron Carnudo (Antioquia)"...these flavors are a Sour Cream type Cream from Colombia's Coastal Region called "Suero Costeño" on a MAXX cut Deep Ridged Chip, "Grilled Corn on the Cob" from the Cundinamarca region where the Capital is located, and "Pork Rinds" or "Fried Pork Belly" from the Antioquia region. If you are a fan of Mexican "Chicharron" or "Pork Rinds", Colombia's variation is made with thick Pork Belly and it looks like the bag will include a hint of Lime. The 3 flavors looks fun, and very tailored to the Country's Chip Buying Fans. Margarita always makes a delicious chip, so these are bound to be awesome. Check them out if you get the chance while the competition is running!

Gotta Get At This: Margarita Colombia MAXX Pizza Pepperoni and Hamburguesa

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!
Colombia has jumped on board the MAXX train! That's not why I'm excited though. I'm excited because they are bringing back Hamburger flavor!! AHHHHHH. There are 2 bags in this world I consider to be my favorites of all time; one is Jamon flavored Ruffles from Spain, and the other is Margarita's discontinued Hamburguesa flavor (my review is here). I remember it fondly hitting every note of Hamburger flavor from the meat to the ketchup, mustard, and then the bright pickles. Impeccable seasoning and texture.
Now Margarita is launching the popular MAXX collection (which is subtitled Super Onduladas meaning Super Ruffled). The MAXX collection has shown up in practically every major market for Lay's; in Thailand, Belgium, Russia, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, and just this week in India. They've also been branded under the labels "Max", "Deep Ridged", and "Xtra Onduladas" (& probably more). We even have them here in the US, but you may not even know it, as they fall under the Ruffles Brand as "Ruffles Deep Ridged".
The MAXX style chip is a thicker cut chip with deep ridges and it usually makes a great base for heartier seasonings like meat flavors and spices. Both flavors Margarita is launching seem to be perfect for this cut of chip. Pepperoni Pizza flavored chips tend to be on the spicy, greasy, meaty end of the spectrum, and Hamburger will offer up a Beefy flavor with all the trimmings. They both will also fill a space in the Colombian snack world that is pretty much unoccupied, as there are few snack companies making things with bold flavors (their Cheetos are plain, cheese-less flavor... to give you an idea of what I mean).
I say this in every post about Margarita, but they really make the best Chips in the world. Period. They know how to season. If anyone can make these bags killer and amazing, it's them. I can't wait to hunt these down. YUMM.

Contest: World Cup Round-Up - Colombia, Perú, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Egypt, Arabia, & Chile... and a little Ranting!

Ima put this out there right now. Some of these companies should be ashamed by how bad their online presence is. ASHAMED. The World Cup has been over for like 3 months now, however, 6 of these countries started World Cup contests and just never revealed who the winners were on their shared website. Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Panama, El Salvador, and Honduras; they don't really have websites to begin with, but they launched a beautiful interactive site that was tracking the winners of each round of this contest. I kid you not, go on it right now, it's lovely but that damn site does not say who the winners are (www.copadesabores.com). Guatemala and Peru at least have functioning Facebook pages, and with a little digging I found that they did in fact announce winners on those pages (albeit the announcement was 1 picture hidden away on the timelines). This has actually happened before with Lay's Dominicana, they announced a previous contest online and then never announced the winner... check it out on Facebook, as that page is still showing off pictures from that unresolved contest. Whoever is handling South America's online marketing just needs to get it together... FOR REAL. Go look at how Margarita from Colombia handles their business. Flawlessly, they maintain a nice website, update their Facebook, and interact via Twitter and Instagram. I don't understand how it's that hard for the others to simply update a website that they've already had built.
 END OF RANT.

ok. So, let's talk about the contests that did have winners... and I apologize that it took SO long to share this info. I had really tried to be patient and 'round-up' all the winners in one post.

The only country from South America that actually announced their winner on their website was Colombia and their Margarita Chips. The winner was "Colombia Chorizo con Limon" (Chorizo and Lime). Voters chose to keep it Patriotic, and it's no surprise... Colombia had their most impressive World Cup EVER this year... plus the flavor sounds delish! This flavor is still available for a limited time in Colombia. Grab it while you can.

 Chipsy Egypt and Lay's Arabia shared their Flavor Cup and selected "Brazillian BBQ" as their winner. No surprise there. Not only does that sound yummy. But Brazil did an amazing job of hosting the World Cup and capturing the World's heart.

Chile also went Patriotic with their "Chile Enselada Chilena" and it sounds unique and tasty. I love a good acidic bag of chips. mmm.

Peru went Patriotic as well and chose "Peru Pollo a la Brasa" (Rotisserie Chicken). Can't complain, Chicken is da bomb! Good choice.

Guatemala  was swayed by flavor and chose "Suecia Queso con Especias" (Sweden Cheese with Spices). Can't go wrong with Cheese. Can't go wrong with Spices. The duo sounds awesome.

 Dominican Republic, Panama, El Salvador, and Honduras basically don't have any online presence, so if you know what flavors they ended up choosing, I'd love to know. Share it down below!

All the winners should still be available for a limited time in the Countries that conducted the contests. If you're interested in these, I'd say try to find them soon since like I said, this article is coming a bit late. AND If you're just curious and would like a reminder of what the other flavors were in this contest; click the "World Cup" tag at the end of this post.

Margarita Colombia Receta Clasica Alitas BBQ

Here is a bag I've been waiting to try for some time now; Margarita Colombia's Receta Clasica Alitas BBQ. "Receta Clasica" refers to the "Classic Recipe" style cook on these chips... they are really quite similar to Kettle Chips (and the packaging is very reminiscent of the Kettle bags we see worldwide). There is a big difference though... these bad boys are cooked with the skin ON. mmm, SKIN. I personally like to see potato skins on the edges of the chip, I feel like the potato looks fresher... I know; weird. The chip is thicker than a normal cut, and thus has a ton more crunch. The flavor is "Alitas BBQ" or "BBQ Chicken Wings". The sweet bbq flavor definitely comes through from the moment you smell the open bag to the last bite. The prominent flavor that comes through is first Chicken, and then it's joined by that sweetness and a nice variety of savory spice from the BBQ sauce seasoning. The bold combo tasted fantastic on these thicker, crunchier, skin-on chips. All in all, a great bag, definitely worth the hunt. The only other comment I'll make about it, is that I thought it reminded me a lot of Margarita's "Pollo a la Brasa" flavor, albeit on a different cut chip. And I find this cut to be more suited to it. If given a choice between the 2, I would hands down grab this one off the rack.

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: Margarita Colombia Copa De Los Sabores Round 2

Round 2 has begun in Colombia. Round 1 saw Argentina's "Churrasco" win. Round 2 introduces us to 2 more new flavors; Spain's "Jamon Serrano" aka "Serrano Ham" and Brazil's "Asado Brasilero" aka "Brazilian Steak/Barbecue". The bag of "Serrano Ham" also comes as "Onduladas" or "Ruffles"-style chips. My favorite bag of all time is a bag of Ruffles from Spain that are Ham flavored.... so these are probably the most epic thing of all time ever!!! And "Brazilian BBQ" doesn't sound too bad either. I guess I've got some calls to make ;p

Who are you rooting for??

Contest: Margarita Colombia Copa De Los Sabores

So, bare with me guys, cuz I'm pretty confused on this one. It looks like the IDENTICAL "Flavor Cup" contest being run as Peru. However... in the image above are 4 flavors. Online however, I can only see people posting pictures and discussing 2 of the 4 flavors. You need a Colombian national ID number (like a US drivers license) to access the voters website. So I can't even see what flavors are in the vote. All I can do is share the 2 flavors I have been able to see. YES, it is literally harder to LOOK at the ballot on this vote than it is to vote for a US President.

 So here we have the flavor inspired by Argentina, "Churrasco"... aka Beef Steak. (if you'd like a better look, just click the image)

The other flavor is an "Ondulada" or "Ruffles"-style chip. And it was inspired by Italian "Pizza".

If you are thinking these 2 flavors sound similar, thats because they are the 2 flavors competing in Peru's Copa de Sabores right now as well... (although their Pizza flavor is not on Ruffles).









SOOO. Is this a 2 flavor competition? or a 4 flavor competition? Does it end after 1 round? Or will there be more competition ahead? I don't know any of those answers.

The flavors, once again, are not something new or interesting in my opinion. This is just a fun opportunity to try new flavors for a short time without having to commit long term shelf space to them. But, if you like a tasty chip, Margarita always kicks ass... so I wouldn't go out of my way for them, but if you are in Colombia, you may as well try em out.

UPDATE: Argentina's "Churrasco" has won Round 1. Now a second round will begin with 2 new flavors. The winner of Round 2 will face "Churrasco" in the final round for supremacy.

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!

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.

Margarita Colombia La Brasa Roja Pollo Asado

I know, I know, I have been saying I was going to review these chips for awhile now. Let me explain. I found out about these because my cousin brought me some from Colombia when he came to visit. I was so excited because I hadn't heard of them yet and I love Chicken flavors. I left it for 2 weeks in the kitchen and one day it was suddenly gone. I tripped out. Everyone knows you DO NOT eat my chips, especially imports. It must have been a guest who came over and didn't know, so I can't get mad, but it sucked. A few weeks after that my Aunt came to visit and I made sure to ask her to grab some before she came. She brought me a huge 10 pack! YAY!!
So I finallyyyy got to try these after waiting for so long. So lets get to the review. The potato is, as always, perfect. No burns, perfect texture, just the right size for 2-3 bites per chip, and a rich, yummy, potato flavor. The seasoning here is "La Brasa Roja's" signature Roast Chicken. "La Brasa Roja" is a Roasted Chicken restaurant chain in Colombia. For me, the seasoning had that punch of flavor you only find in crispy yet juicy Rotisserie'd Chicken Skin. Margarita also makes a regular "Pollo" flavor that has a more delicate Chicken flavor, but this "Pollo Asado" or "Roast Chicken" has that seasoned 'roasted' taste. The seasoning is frighteningly spot-on. I have never-ever had Chicken chips that had such an authentic flavor. These are really good, (a little on the salty side, but that could be because they are made for a high altitude region, so foods require a little more salt), but otherwise, the flavor tastes like the picture and it is INSANE. Another great bag from Margarita. MMM. Track these down if you are a Chicken chip lover. Its worth it!

Margarita Colombia Onduladas Sabor A Crema & Especias

YUMM. These are the bomb dot com.
Here is a bag of Margarita Onduladas aka Ruffles, in Sour Cream and Spices. It's basically Sour Cream and Onion... actually, it's basically the BEST Sour Cream and Onion EVER. Margarita makes my favorite chips worldwide, and these do NOT disappoint. Their potatoes are always perfectly cooked, full of flavor, and never have burnt spots. The rich, yummy, potato flavor always shines through. The Ruffle style chips are thicker than the sliced variety, crunchier, and pack more potato flavor. The spices are visible on the chips and give a strong but simple flavor. The flavor is the perfect blend of a creamy sour cream and herbs with an oniony/sour tang. I'm telling you, if you are a Sour Cream and Onion fan, this is the PERFECT bag. It's just so yummy and well made. I'm pretty stoked that I have another bag of these waiting to get demolished in my kitchen. It's just SO good! Hunt these down and do what you gotta do!

Margarita Colombia Onduladas Mayonesa

Here's a random bag of chips: Mayonnaise flavored Margarita chips. These chips came ruffle-style from Colombia. I was really worried these would taste greasy or heavy, but actually these make a lot of sense once you try them. When you open the bag you get a light whiff of Mayo and the smell of ruffled chips. However, the taste isn't very mayo-ey... it's much more like sour cream and onion minus the onion. It lacks the familiar herbal kick added to most sour cream chips, but I would guess this was sour cream with my eyes closed (except when it comes to the smell). The chip itself is crunchy and robust in potato flavor. It's got more potato flavor than the US variety, and it is cooked MUCH more evenly. But honestly if you like Cheddar Ruffles or Sour Cream and Onion Ruffles, these are in the same family. They aren't anything to write home about, but they don't disappoint. They're just a very simple, satisfying, bag of chips.

Margarita Colombia Tradiciones Con Sazon Casera

Yum Yum Yummy Yum Yum....
I finally got to try a bag of Margarita Tradiciones! These are a delicious, thick cut chip, with the potato skin still on. Margarita make some of my favorite potato chips ever, they are very similar in taste and texture to Walkers from the UK. The Tradiciones line gives you a thicker cut chip which means even more potato flavor, and the skin on the chip is a nice added touch. This particular bag is "Sazon Casera" which means "Homestyle Seasoning"... this seasoning is typical Colombian cooking essentials: Onion, Paprika, Garlic, Pepper, and Cumin. The seasoning was SUPER delicate, it was very faint on the palate. You could ALMOST get away with telling someone these were plain salted... almost. You get more of an after-taste from the spice mix than you do when you take your first bite. Maybe this is because these are meant to be a more natural tasting potato chip... whatever the case, the potatoes are definitely the star of this bag. For someone like me who likes a subtly seasoned chip these were delicious (but again, almost too little), so if you are chasing these down based on just the flavoring, you may be a bit let down. I recommend these for potato chip lovers who prefer a well cooked chip to a wacky flavor offering. I personally thought it was great, and well worth the hunt! Great job again Margarita!

Gotta Get At This: Margarita Onduladas Mayonesa

Um, is this real life?? Is this a bag of MAYONNAISE flavored chips?? Hells yes....
Here's a bag of Margarita chips from Colombia, part of their Onduladas line... aka Ruffles. This bag is brand new and out now. They are kind of relaunching the line as a line for dip flavored chips; the collection already includes Tomato, Cream and Herb, and the now retired Carbonara Sauce. So, a mayonnaise flavored chip fits in quite nicely. I'm excited to try these, and I might actually get the chance this weekend, so fingers crossed. I think the idea of a Mayo chip is awesome, can't wait to see how these turn out.

Gotta Get At This: Margarita Tradiciones

YAY. New chips!! Looks like Margarita from Colombia has just launched a new line called "Tradiciones". They are advertising the line as crunchier than the typical chip and that the chips will be made with the potato skins on. MMM my favorite part is def the skin, so this should be a fun new line. "Tradiciones" means "Traditions" in English, and the line is being advertised with the tagline "El Sabor que revive Buenos Momentos"... essentially "The flavor that revives good moments (or memories)". They look like they may be Kettle cooked, but I can't be sure based on the website. There are 3 flavors in the line "Con Toque de Sal" or "a touch of Salt", "Con Toque de Ajo" or "a touch of Garlic", and "Con Sazón Casera" which is "home-style seasonings".
(Note that on youtube there is a 90's ad for homestyle/Casera chips from Margarita... so this flavor may be a re-release. ). I am SOO down to try the Garlic flavored ones and in fact the whole line sounds yummy. I don't know if these are permanent editions or limited, but if you have a hookup in South America, try and track em down :))

Margarita Colombia Costillitas BBQ Caramelizadas

Finally, the winner of Margarita's 2011 Flavor contest "Un Sabor Para Ganar"... drumroll please... The Winner is....
Costillitas BBQ Caramelizadas de Daniel!! (English: Daniel's Caramelized BBQ Ribs)

"Wait, really??"

That was my reaction when I heard this was the winner.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself, first, lets talk about this chip. Again, Margarita produces an AWESOME potato product; delicious, light, crunchy, potato-y, everything you want in a chip. The seasoning is rich and meaty, a bit like traditional US BBQ chips, but sweet, and you can taste the caramelized sauce. It was a good chip. And if I had tried it alone would have considered it a well executed sweet BBQ chip. BUT it wasn't alone. It was in a contest to win a permanent spot on store shelves against 2 unique and awesome other bags of chips. And my judgement was that the other 2 were in a whole 'nother league.
SO, how the HELL did this flavor win??
My guess is Colombia just really loves meat. It's a country where steaks are common mall food court offerings. Beef is fairly abundant there and eaten often. So maybe they're meat obsessed.
but maybe... this was all a con by Frito Lay, because .... HAMBURGUESA WAS ROBBED!!!! Hamburguesa deserved to win and we all know it!!

I'm sorry, I'm still a bit emotional about all this.

Anyways, if you like BBQ chips/ meaty chips, these are really nice. The seasoning is a little unique because of the caramelized flavor. You can pick them up whenever because they are allegedly becoming a full time flavor, so no rush. I don't think these are worthy of booking a flight to Colombia, or spending hours online trying to track down. But I think if you come across them they will make you happy. The best part for sure, in my opinion is the high quality potato, that alone make Margarita's worthy of a try.

Margarita Colombia Onduladas Salsa Carbonara

Bag 2 of 3 from the Margarita Flavor contest. Flavor: Juan Camilo's Carbonara Sauce aka Salsa Carbonara de Juan Camilo in Spanish. This is the second bag i'm reviewing from the contest recently held by Margarita Chips from Colombia. This are Onduladas, basically Ruffles. Let's talk about the chip, it's nicely cut... with Ruffles you generally don't have much variation across countries because they all kind of taste the same. They're thick and crunchy. You do get a bit more potato flavor out of the chip but it's not really noticeable because of the seasoning. The seasoning is crazy, if you are a bacon fan this will definitely appeal to you in a way that I don't know if we've seen before. Because this is based on a cream sauce, its got the creaminess of, say, a cheese flavored chip or ranch flavor. But, it still tastes like Bacon. I don't eat a lot of Carbonara dishes... so I've just been describing it to friends as "Creamy Bacon". That is really the best way to describe it. If you are a bacon chip fan, this is a must try, its incredibly unique. It was also my second favorite of the 3 flavors, behind Hamburger. Unfortunately, this too was not the winner and will soon be discontinued. So, if you think this is something you wanna try, hunt it down now.