Tainting potato chips with ingredients other than salt is not new. Barbeque-flavored potato chips have been around for a while, as have sour-cream-and-onion. Lately the market seems to have exploded, with a whole lot of interesting flavors.
Last year’s Lay’s Do Us a Flavor New York Reuben were excellent. You could really taste the caraway, corned beef, sauerkraut and Russian dressing. Intriguingly, the label even listed “New York Reuben Seasoning” as an ingredient. Was kinda hoping that one makes a comeback but nope, they went traditionalthis year. Boooooooo.
I also like sea salt & vinegar chips, and the Tapatio flavored Doritos are pretty good too (although I also like traditional Nacho Cheese flavored ones, as well).
Dill pickle chips are the best. Admittedly, they give you breath that could stun a mule at 10 paces afterward, but such is the price one pays for eating the food of the gods.
I used to be a huge fan of Jalepeno Krunchers. Had a small bag for lunch every day in high school.
Then a few years ago, I discovered a jalepeno-cheddar kettle chip. Don’t remember the brand (wasn’t Lays or any other major brand), but it was quite possibly the most perfectly flavored chip ever created.
For eating with dip, I prefer plain. Without dip, my new favorite is Wegmans’ Buffalo Blue Cheese Potato Chips. Not only do they taste great, I can have the whole bag myself because nobody else wants to eat buffalo chips. Unfortunately there’s no Wegmans near me, so I only get them when visiting relatives in New York and Maryland.
Utz has done that, sorta’. Try their UNsalted, non-ripple chips. Without the salt much more of the actual potato flavor shines through. Highly recommended.
As much of a fan of unflavored chips as I am, I have fallen in love with Trader Joe’s Black Pepper and Sea Salt variety. Quite toothsome. Don’t have any on hand at the moment, TJ’s was out last shopping trip.