21 Flavors of AWESOME, you mean
July 22, 2015 10:38 AM   Subscribe

 
I just got back from Duane Reade, where I saw Lay's gyro-flavored chips on the shelves. Fake lamb-flavored potato chips, yeah no.
posted by holborne at 10:41 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


I would eat any of these, particularly the Bloody Mary and the Irish Stew! I bought a bag of the cappuccino Lay's and they weren't half bad.
posted by Clustercuss at 10:42 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


This reminds me I need to pick up those pepperoncini flavored chips I saw the other day
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:43 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


need to know if "cajun squirrel" is flavored with squirrels that are cajun or regular squirrels with cajun flavoring before i can properly evaluate.
posted by echocollate at 10:43 AM on July 22, 2015 [11 favorites]


All these flavors and I can only get Lay's Chile Lime chips online? The hell?
posted by bgal81 at 10:43 AM on July 22, 2015


I was mildly disappointed this weekend when I bought some boardwalk "crab fries" to find they were more like "old bay seasoned" fries than fries with crab flavor or topping of any kind. Still tasty! And fried.
posted by oh.ghoulin at 10:44 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Last year Lays was selling Caesar salad flavour chips in Canada. Presumably these were bought by people who don't understand the point of chips AND don't understand the point of salad.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 10:44 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


No Skittlebrau-flavored chips?
posted by entropicamericana at 10:45 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


* pokes link *

Did we kill it?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:45 AM on July 22, 2015


In the mid-1970s, Hostess decided to expand its lineup and introduced three new flavours, Orange, Cherry and Grape. The attempt was a dismal failure, and the products disappeared from stores only a few months later. The products were so poorly received they remain a topic of derision to this day.
posted by fairmettle at 10:46 AM on July 22, 2015


Fruit-flavoured chips? GET IN THE SEA.

Chocolate or coffee-flavoured chips? GET IN THE SEA.

Seaweed-flavoured chips? YOU ALREADY TASTE LIKE THE SEA.
posted by Kitteh at 10:47 AM on July 22, 2015 [9 favorites]


What, no Pringles Xtra Screamin' Dill Pickle? Those are the most addictively bombtastic crack in a can. Used to buy like 10 of them, and they'd disappear in like 2 days (this was when I lived with roommates, so it wasn't just me).

Need to find some place that carries them around here...
posted by daq at 10:47 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


One time I posted a Facebook status update about how I'd seen "maple bacon" potato chips at the grocery store and was rather appalled that such a thing existed. This merely prompted several of my friends to post comments in which they demanded to know where I'd seen the chips so that they could go buy some themselves.

Before you ask, they were in the No-Frills at Lansdowne & Dundas West in Toronto.
posted by orange swan at 10:48 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


Toothpaste and orange juice
posted by hellojed at 10:51 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


No Namtok flavor, no sale.
posted by aramaic at 10:52 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


The chips labelled "Natural & Cool" seem to lose something in translation in the most charming way. I still don't want to eat any of them.

Well, maybe the bloody mary ones.
posted by quaking fajita at 10:52 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I just like salt-flavored potato chips
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 10:54 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


The cappuccino ones are, in fact, pretty terrible. They tasted like eating coffee grounds.

I'm not sure I understand "Mint Mischief"; is the mischief that your friends think the chips are sour cream and onion, and you're pranking them with mint?

Also, I would totally eat a cucumber chip.
posted by tocts at 10:55 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I agree with a lot of these being horrors, but I also Googled to see if I could find Red Caviar Lay's anywhere because I bet they're awesome , so what you gonna do about subjective tastes?

The cashier, the woman bagging the groceries, and my partner all laughed at me when I bought the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Lay's Potato Chips, but I showed them by enjoying every damn bite of the bag.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:55 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Something on that site just attempted to install some malware. So I'd urge caution.

It's always fascinating to see the range of crisps/potato chips that are popular in different places. Spain and Italy, for instance, seem to be all about sour cream, ham and paprika (not together).
posted by pipeski at 10:56 AM on July 22, 2015


I recall trying some mint-flavoured crisps a while ago. They tasted like crisps with a layer of toothpaste.

Scandinavian dill crisps on the other hand, OH NOMNOMNOM.
posted by kariebookish at 10:56 AM on July 22, 2015


The cappuccino ones are, in fact, pretty terrible.

You misspelled "delicious." They taste like potatoes, coffee and contentment.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:57 AM on July 22, 2015


I've had a few of these and I'd try the rest.
posted by jonmc at 10:57 AM on July 22, 2015


I bought a bag of the cappuccino Lay's and they weren't half bad.

I'm not a person to stop eating food just because it tastes bad or gives me terrible stomach pains*, but those cappuccino chips were one of two things I've recently thrown out rather than keep eating. The other thing was a pepperoni pizza flavored Dum-Dum that was absolutely vile, like it gone bad somehow.

That said, I would eat everything else in this post, at least once.

*I've discussed my awful German class candy experience before.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 10:58 AM on July 22, 2015


Living in Japan completely desensitized me to so-called "weird" flavors (and actually, seaweed chips are quite good), but the #1 most baffling thing to me on that list is the Cajun Squirrel - not that they exist, but that they are "Cajun Squirrel flavour potato crisps." As in they are made for the UK market. What?
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:58 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


I have a vivid memory of eating grape flavored potato chips. They had purple stuff on them, and they stained my fingers purple like cheetoes stain your fingers orange. Even back then - I must have been a small child - I thought "That's just wrong."
posted by Elly Vortex at 10:59 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


One time I posted a Facebook status update about how I'd seen "maple bacon" potato chips at the grocery store and was rather appalled that such a thing existed.

I tried these. I thought they were um actually pretty, well, good.
posted by holborne at 10:59 AM on July 22, 2015


No crab-flavored potato chips, only Khlav Kalash.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:04 AM on July 22, 2015 [6 favorites]


New Lays Shoe flavored chips. "You can really taste the penny loafer!"

Thoughts:

1. I've tried something similar to the hot spicy squid chips. They were a big ol' FUCK YOU to the mouth.

2. Crab chips are pretty decent.

3. If you're going to go in for borscht chips, why not just try beet/ root veg chips. They're delicious.

4. Sorry to disappoint The English in the crouwd, but Americans don't eat that many squirrels any more.

5. Does somebody make a tzatziki chip?
posted by boo_radley at 11:07 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Not on that page's list, but these from Trader Joe's tasted like smokey hotdogs. I loved 'em.
posted by NoMich at 11:08 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


Kettle makes a pretty good Maple Bacon, (also available as a popcorn flavor, I believe) though their Spicy Thai is really where it's at.

The last time I was in London, I was amazed at how much better the chips were there. Ham and mustard was probably a terrifying amount of chemicals in a single bag, but so good.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 11:09 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Your favorite chip flavor sucks I guess; all the savory ones sound pretty good to me.

In related news, wasabi and soy Pringles are surprisingly good. I expected them to be meh but the wasabi flavor is nicely balanced and doesn't hurt your sinuses, though you can definitely tell it's there. And perhaps just as surprisingly, I think you can find them at Wal-Mart, at least in California.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 11:12 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Fun fact: Maple Bacon Kettle Chips are 100% vegan. (That doesn't mean I want to eat them, it just means I could.)

Gross-sounding flavors aside, my kingdom -- or, er, 17.08USD per can -- for paprika Pringles! No other chip compares.
posted by divined by radio at 11:13 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


pepperoni pizza flavored Dum-Dum

I am very impressed that you can get an Internet connection from whatever Hell dimension you've found yourself in.

(and I typed that with a mouth full of pizza-flavored Combos so it's not like I'm opposed to the idea of fake pepperoni flavor.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:14 AM on July 22, 2015 [13 favorites]


The cashier, the woman bagging the groceries, and my partner all laughed at me when I bought the Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese Lay's Potato Chips, but I showed them by enjoying every damn bite of the bag.

I got a bag of those while the contest was still going on; I was on a vacation with 2 friends and we were gonna taste-test them. One of my friends said that strangely, to him, the cheddar bacon mac and cheese tasted like barbecue.

On crab chips: y'know, every other time they do things like this, they always pick up on the "crab chip" flavors that are in Asian countries, where it's a chip that is sort of kind of meant to taste like crab meat. But here in the US, we have Utz brand Crab Chips, which are just chips seasoned with Old Bay. I have a feeling that people just don't want the word to get out.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:15 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


Oh, okay, these actually are pretty odd - though some I'd try. I was afraid he was going to go wider than that. Specifically that he was going to go after all-dressed, and then I'd have to open up a whole can of kittycumbotty.

Oh, and re Crab - they do have Old Bay chips in the mid-Atlantic area. They're disgusting of course, as is anything with Old Bay on it. But there is an audience for them. (Or what EmpressCallipygos said.)
posted by Naberius at 11:15 AM on July 22, 2015


5. Does somebody make a tzatziki chip?

I am pretty sure I have bought President's Choice* chips in that flavour. They try out different flavours pretty regularly, many of which end up tasting the same as the others (such as their hot buffalo wing and sriracha flavoured chips), but at least they are trying.

*It's a store brand in Canada. The president is I guess the president of the grocery store.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 11:19 AM on July 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


It's people like the one who compiled this list who make it tough to find even something as comparatively "normal" as Salt & Vinegar chips at the grocery store. The world has an awesome array of flavors that take to chip-ification wonderfully, and it's a shame that we have to be so freaking normcore about our chips in the States.
posted by Strange Interlude at 11:19 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


Last year I visited Scotland I got to try worcester crisps. Nomnomnom! It doesn't seem like Americans would have any trouble with this, I mean, we eat chex mix right? But I have yet to find these in the USA, either in the snacks aisle or the international aisle. I can get jaffa cakes and digestives, but worcester crisps, forget it, with or without the shire.
posted by elizilla at 11:23 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Strange Interlude: "It's people like the one who compiled this list who make it tough to find even something as comparatively "normal" as Salt & Vinegar chips at the grocery store. The world has an awesome array of flavors that take to chip-ification wonderfully, and it's a shame that we have to be so freaking normcore about our chips in the States."

Strange interlude, I want you to picture a potato chip wearing a cardigan. That is the future of American potato chips.
posted by boo_radley at 11:33 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Frankly, I think all the maple bacon chip flavour weirdness is a ploy to get us Canadians not to notice that Bugles are no longer sold in Canadian.

FOCUS, HOSERS.
posted by orange swan at 11:35 AM on July 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


I wonder what the development process is like for creating some of these. Being a flavor engineer for Lays must be awesome.
posted by dilaudid at 11:37 AM on July 22, 2015


One of my favorite things is trying new chip flavors, especially going to the Asian grocery stores here in Seattle. Just had some roast beef flavored chips the other day. We bought some pinoy spaghetti flavored ones at the same time for my fiancee's sister and brother-in-law kind of as a lark, but I really want to try them. And don't get me started on the hot garlic shrimp chips. Those don't stand a chance. I must say that I really liked the all-dressed chips I got in Vancouver a few years ago, but the ketchup chips were horrible neither I nor my sister could stand to finish them. Sorry my Canadian friends.

Whenever someone goes overseas I ask for strange/different snack food flavors. Unfortunately no one ever really comes through (I get that there's a weight/luggage issue, but I want strange chip flavors dammit!). This post is just making me hungry. Maybe I need to make friends with the globetrotting airline mileage guy from yesterday and see if he can hook me up. He goes to lots of faraway places. Hmm....
posted by friendlyjuan at 11:37 AM on July 22, 2015


the #1 most baffling thing to me on that list is the Cajun Squirrel - not that they exist, but that they are "Cajun Squirrel flavour potato crisps." As in they are made for the UK market. What?

Lays in the UK--called Walkers for historical reasons--do flavour competitions to keep up their profile and sales. There are often wacky flavours to be found around the time, but they're not really standards. That said, I haven't eaten Walkers regularly for years. Seabrooks is just head and shoulders above them.
posted by Thing at 11:41 AM on July 22, 2015


"But here in the US, we have Utz brand Crab Chips, which are just chips seasoned with Old Bay. I have a feeling that people just don't want the word to get out.
posted by EmpressCallipygos"

Yep gonna be that guy….Utz doesnt use Old Bay just "Chesapeake Bay Crab Seasonings" …Herr's uses Old Bay. That being said I still love Utz Crab Chips

murland native
posted by ShawnString at 11:41 AM on July 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


the #1 most baffling thing to me on that list is the Cajun Squirrel - not that they exist, but that they are "Cajun Squirrel flavour potato crisps." As in they are made for the UK market. What?

Walkers brought out a load of novelty flavours as a gimmick a while back and that was one of them. Not to be taken seriously. Or eaten - Charlie Brooker said they tasted "like a tiny cat piping hot farts through a pot-pourri pouch into your mouth".

Sorry to disappoint The English in the crouwd, but Americans don't eat that many squirrels any more.

My local posh butcher (here in the UK) sells squirrels, so maybe we're getting the taste for them. Happily our native red squirrels taste nasty, so you can only eat the interloping American grey squirrels. A nice supper and pest control.
posted by sobarel at 11:43 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Borsch

If the person tasked with typing the label couldn't finish, what chance has the consumer got?
posted by Sys Rq at 11:44 AM on July 22, 2015 [5 favorites]


Also on aside, wife got a can of Pringles Kickin Chicken Taco chips. and damn if they actually don't taste like tacos.
posted by ShawnString at 11:46 AM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I am shocked that non-US countries and cultures would have flavors that I, a US citizen, don't usually encounter! And that those might undergo chip-ilation!

Next you'll tell me that not everyone around the world drinks sodas that taste of lime, vanilla, fructose and despair like Coke does.
posted by sgranade at 11:49 AM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Now I want some despair-flavored chips.
posted by MtDewd at 11:55 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


So, all of them?
posted by Sys Rq at 11:56 AM on July 22, 2015 [3 favorites]


Flavourtown, when the walls fell.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:01 PM on July 22, 2015 [10 favorites]


I am very impressed that you can get an Internet connection from whatever Hell dimension you've found yourself in.

(and I typed that with a mouth full of pizza-flavored Combos so it's not like I'm opposed to the idea of fake pepperoni flavor.)


There are three special mystery flavors of Dum-Dums floating around. Pepperoni pizza, which as you point out is a portal to plane of endless suffering, bacon, which is fine, if super super smoky tasting, like somehow you feel it in your sinuses despite being a lollipop, and popcorn which I haven't found in the office candy bowl yet.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:27 PM on July 22, 2015


I want you to picture a potato chip wearing a cardigan. That is the future of American potato chips.

If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a can of Pringles - forever

- with apologies to George Orwell
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 12:32 PM on July 22, 2015


I have totally bought Bugles at a dollar store here in Ontario and oh christ I just admitted that
posted by Kitteh at 12:36 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Hey. I like Bugles.

Mainly because you can put one of the little things on the tips of each of your fingers and pretend you're the Wicked Witch of the West
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:44 PM on July 22, 2015 [9 favorites]


Why do American salt & vinegar chips always have so little vinegar on them? I but Tapatios chips and they're spicy as hell. But if I want an actual chemical burn in my mouth that's not possible? For shame. This list should have every bag of weak-ass S&V chips on the market, which is all of them.
posted by GuyZero at 12:45 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


India has some pretty awesome chip flavors. Masala, Chile, Cardamom, Tamarind etc. Basically Frito Lay is attempting to take over the hot mix market, thereby destroying an indigenous cultural tradition, and putting a million corner hot mix-wallahs out of business. To be clear, you get the same crunchy, salty, spicy, savory snack experience from a guy on the corner who makes it fresh and serves it to you in a rolled up newspaper (for now), or you could give twice as much money to Frito Lay for something that tastes worse that comes in a plastic bag that will lie in an Indian street for decades.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:52 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


thereby destroying an indigenous cultural tradition, and putting a million corner hot mix-wallahs out of business.

On the plus side, I think chaat may be outselling potato chips in my neighbourhood. MOAR CHAAT.
posted by GuyZero at 12:55 PM on July 22, 2015


Hey. I like Bugles.

Mainly because you can put one of the little things on the tips of each of your fingers and pretend you're the Wicked Witch of the West


Or you scoop each one into the chip dip and pretend you are nineteen feet tall and eating ice cream cones.

Oh, tell me you didn't do that too.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:55 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Bulgaroktonos: "a pepperoni pizza flavored Dum-Dum "

Oh god that. I had one and nearly choked. The bacon one was... weird... but the pepperoni sucker was like some kind of sick joke.

(My 6 year old loved the one he got though... go figure)
posted by caution live frogs at 12:58 PM on July 22, 2015


Or you scoop each one into the chip dip and pretend you are nineteen feet tall and eating ice cream cones.

Oh, tell me you didn't do that too.


* eyes light up * I didn't actually, but I'm going to now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 1:03 PM on July 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


Thanks to tumblr, whenever I see these flavors I think of this.
posted by crone islander at 1:03 PM on July 22, 2015


There are some pretty astounding chip flavors. Crab is not bad, quite honestly. Ketchup - kind of meh.

About 9 years ago, I bought my company a subscription to this chip of the month club. I think the most interesting chip in a "I never would have thought of that, pass me some more" were lasagna chips.
posted by plinth at 1:05 PM on July 22, 2015


My son loves Bugles and milk. Like cereal. Pour the Bugles in a bowl and pour milk on top of them. Eat with a spoon.
posted by angiep at 1:11 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Ketchup - kind of meh.

1 in 20 chips gets stuck in the flavour powder machine or something and it's like a 5x ketchup chip and THEY ARE THE BEST.
posted by GuyZero at 1:12 PM on July 22, 2015 [5 favorites]


Yeah, sure, in compiling this list they go for all these "exotic" (read: non-USian) flavors like crab, when every single goddamned Walmart in the ever-lovin' United States has stacks and stacks of HOT DOG FLAVORED POTATO CHIPS every Fourth of July. Ugh.
posted by koeselitz at 1:15 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Why not just get plain chips and put ketchup on them?
posted by Panjandrum at 1:20 PM on July 22, 2015


Ketchup chips are great, but not from all brands. I was in Montreal a few years ago and saw some ketchup chips that advertised they were made with Heinz ketchup )or at least flavoured to taste like it). Naturally I bought it. I opened it up on the drive back to Toronto and my wife and I had maybe 1 or 2 each and then just put the thing down. So disappointing. I think the brand was Herr's.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:26 PM on July 22, 2015


One of the saddest days in my life was when I found out that Wasabeef chips contain pork extract. It's all academic now that I've given up beef as well but at the time I was devastated. I also learned a valuable lesson that the Japanese will put animal extracts into everything so to always read the ingredients.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:28 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


pepperoni pizza flavored Dum-Dum

I had cheese pizza-flavored ice cream once, at Little Baby's in Philadelphia. It was good. Would eat again. I wish they'd had the Earl Grey Sriracha that day.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 1:36 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Ketchup flavoured potato chips (crisps) don't taste exactly like ketchup. They taste like salt & vinegar chips with more umami. And they're not wet.
posted by GuyZero at 1:40 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding chips sound well into NO WORDS SHOULD HAVE SENT A POET territory.

Bugles are awesome and become double awesome if you make claws out of them and eat them off your fingertips while pronouncing them "boo-glayce."
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 1:52 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I can get poutine falvoured chips so none of these other flavours interest me in the least.
posted by rocket88 at 1:53 PM on July 22, 2015


A lot of these are part of Lay's "Do Us A Flavor" (or Walker UK's "Do Us A Flavour") annual promotion (previously here). So 3-out-of-4 of them did not stay on shelves for more than 3 months. Last year "Wasabi Ginger" (wasn't that a character in Big Hero 6?) beat out "Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese", "Mango Salsa" and the very controversial "Cappuccino" (you either loved it or hated it, many more hated it). This year, the contenders are mostly-regionally-themed: "New York Reuben", "Southern Biscuits and Gravy", "West Coast Truffle Fries (Wavy)" and "Greektown Gyro (Kettle Cooked)". Online voting begins Monday and based on what I've seen on the "junk food blogs" (what? it's better reading about it than eating it), the Gyro is most likely to emerge victorious. Still, my favorite link in the previous post is MAD Magazine's list of fictional FLAVOR LOSERS (although they came close with "Wasabi Haddock")
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:58 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I saw Lay's gyro-flavored chips on the shelves. Fake lamb-flavored potato chips, yeah no.

Yeah yeah. I bought these a couple days ago. They're pretty good, although their flavor is a little more subtle than I think it could be. There's a little umami and a little tzatziki, and that works. (There were also New York Reuben flavor on the shelf--I'm saving that for next week--and the bag informed me that the other two flavors in competition were West Coast Truffle Fries and Southern Biscuits and Gravy. I will be looking for these two, particularly the latter.)

I can get poutine flavoured chips so none of these other flavours interest me in the least.

Dammit. I was thinking about suggesting that for the next Lay's flavor contest. I would love to taste these, since they do actually exist.

As for the FPP list, I suspect I would happily try any of the flavors that live in the savory and not the sweet family. Chips just shouldn't be sweet, IMHO. (Blueberry? Huh?)
posted by dlugoczaj at 2:12 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Jinx, oneswellfoop.

(FYI, I LOVE the Wasabi Ginger chips and was stunned that they actually beat the cheddar-bacon-blah-blah, since cheesy flavors usually seem to rule the day.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 2:14 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Haggis Crisps. Made by Mackie's (and also by Walkers). But US regulators are frightened by British meat (because Mad Cow), so export Haggis Crisps are made with imitation meat flavours. Which is far more disgusting than if they were made with sheep stomachs.
posted by CCBC at 2:23 PM on July 22, 2015


Don't dis my Lay's Joppie flavor. Strangely addictive.
posted by humboldt32 at 2:33 PM on July 22, 2015


I would try anything on that list.

I love Lay's Wasabi and Ginger.

But lately, in the eyeballkid household, Trader Joe's Cheddar and Horseradish Chips defeat all comers.
posted by eyeballkid at 2:38 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


Frankly, I think all the maple bacon chip flavour weirdness is a ploy to get us Canadians not to notice that Bugles are no longer sold in Canadian.

Correct.

*checks wikipedia*

Yep. Just as I remembered, Bugles were discontinued in Canada in 2010.

Then they were brought back in 2011.

I could have been eating Bugles this whole time! All that mourning over nothing! What the hell!
posted by Sys Rq at 2:43 PM on July 22, 2015


They weren't exactly brought back. They have very limited availability as compared to before. You *might* be able to find the snack-sized bags at a Dollarama. After not having a Bugles-related thought in years, I recently became obsessed with them and tried to find them. I checked several Dollaramas and... nary a Bugle.
posted by orange swan at 3:25 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


But US regulators are frightened by British meat (because Mad Cow), so export Haggis Crisps are made with imitation meat flavours. Which is far more disgusting than if they were made with sheep stomachs.

Many UK crisp makers use fake beef flavouring for beef crisps, they are often veggie approved.
posted by biffa at 3:47 PM on July 22, 2015


Previously
posted by 256 at 4:07 PM on July 22, 2015


Oh, and re Crab - they do have Old Bay chips in the mid-Atlantic area. They're disgusting of course, as is anything with Old Bay on it. But there is an audience for them.

Why do you insult me like this? I honestly feel personally attacked over this.

Utz crab chips are literally the only thing I want to buy when visiting family in Maryland, my Maryland. They are wonderful. They taste like a combination of my childhood and, honestly, just a shitload of Old Bay. They are a combination of amazing, spicy flavor, and too much amazing, spicy flavor. For some reason I can only ever find huge bags of them at the Giant near my mom's house, so I end up having to eat as many as I can before they go stale, and then even I'm getting sort of tired of crab chips after a while. But I live on the other side of the country, and I rarely get to have them, so by the time I'm buying another bag it's been about a year since the last one. The whole process repeats and I go "man, I should really buy a smaller bag next year." But that's not up to me, it's up to Giant, and Giant wants me to buy a big bag, so... well, I'll see you in December, giant bag of crab chips.
posted by teponaztli at 4:30 PM on July 22, 2015 [4 favorites]


I would try any of these chips other than the cephalopod-flavored ones. I also enjoy the Filipino Nacho Pizza chips available at my local awesome Asian grocer.
posted by Cookiebastard at 4:49 PM on July 22, 2015


No, I've bought Bugles in my local grocery stores (Safeway and Sobeys) in Saskatoon.

In the last six months.

So they're out there, at least in the frozen (and now flaming) West.
posted by jrochest at 5:07 PM on July 22, 2015


You can get Maple Bacon Kettle chips from iherb.com. I tried them, and they're pretty good, slightly too sweet for chips though. My favourite flavours are still Honey Dijon from Kettle and an elusive tomato flavour from a local (Singapore) chips company.

As for the crab flavours, it's very common in Asia to have prawn or fish paste mixed with tapioca flour to make crispy keropok. We even have "lobster" crackers (which is probably crayfish or crab and loads of flavouring).
posted by Alnedra at 6:26 PM on July 22, 2015


Have roast ox crisps always been A Thing, or was the Real Handcooked team influenced by that episode of The Young Ones where Vyvyan orders a bag of roast ox crisps for Neil?
posted by bakerina at 6:54 PM on July 22, 2015


When my girlfriend went to Thailand, she brought me back a snack food that was just some sort of spicy dried squid. I can imagine that crab/squid/etc flavored chips are just a part of what is already a pretty common sort of snack food in some places.

The squid wasn't so bad! Spicy. I prefer Utz crab chips, but that's just me.
posted by teponaztli at 6:54 PM on July 22, 2015 [1 favorite]


I eat potato chips here in Korea maybe once a year. When I was recently back in Canada to visit my mom, I somehow got my hands on some Miss Vickie's Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips, I think they were called. I COULD NOT STOP BUYING AND EATING MORE.

I think if I lived in North America I'd be in big nutritional trouble.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:51 PM on July 22, 2015 [2 favorites]


Every time I go to Canada or one of my Canadian authors comes here, it's President's Choice all the way. Maple bacon. Sriracha. Thick cut onion and cheddar. Yesssssss.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 7:55 PM on July 22, 2015


IIRC Lay's Canada had Tzatziki as one of their contest entries within the past few years.
posted by brujita at 9:38 PM on July 22, 2015


They did, and they were pretty good. The wasabi ones were transcendant, though. My then BF and I grabbed a bag on a lark to nom on while watching old episodes of Iron Chef (the real one not the American version) and they were gone in Planck time. Like, we just hoovered our way through them. And they disappeared from shelves like a week later, which gave us both a big sad.

The cinnamon Pringles sound fantastic. So do the seaweed chips (I'll happily eat nori on its own). For me really the only ones that never much work out are ones trying to be a whole meal of flavours.

The best chips:

Ruffles Sour Cream & Bacon
Miss Vickies Black Pepper & Lime

(Also I made the mistake of trying the Smartfood Cheddar & Caramel popcorn recently. I say this was a mistake only because I now crave them every waking moment.)
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:55 PM on July 22, 2015


Honey soy chicken is delicious in chip form!

Vegemite chips on the other hand...are at least preferable to vegemite chocolate
posted by pianissimo at 7:46 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


I like Vegemite and I like milk chocolate, but I can't conceive of mixing them. Aussies have...interesting tastes.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:52 AM on July 23, 2015


There are loads on here that I would eat over trying the Vanilla Ice Cream Monster Munch again. They were... interesting.
posted by thingonaspring at 9:26 AM on July 23, 2015


(Also I made the mistake of trying the Smartfood Cheddar & Caramel popcorn recently. I say this was a mistake only because I now crave them every waking moment.)

Wait -- cheddar and caramel on the same piece of popcorn?
posted by holborne at 10:04 AM on July 23, 2015


Oh god, Costco has recently started carrying "chicago mix" of cheddar and caramel popcorn in giant bags and I swear it's a single-serving. (Of course, I was on a no-popcorn regime for two years and so I'm now totally overcompensating now that I can eat it again.)
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 10:10 AM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


No, the bag is mixed. Half of it is their salty/sweet caramel corn (or virtually identical), the other half is an orange cheddar, all mixed together. I'm tempted to buy a bag of the traditional stinky-foot popcorn and a bag of their salty-sweet, I think they'd mix together slightly better.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:12 AM on July 23, 2015


"chicago mix" of cheddar and caramel popcorn in giant bags and I swear it's a single-serving.

I have been ruled by Wallflower's Law for many years: "Every bag of snack food, regardless of volume, is a single serving."
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:22 AM on July 23, 2015 [3 favorites]


I normally hate sweet popcorn, but yeah, I had a handful of that Smartfood mix and was instantly addicted.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:24 AM on July 23, 2015


President's Choice is selling a Chicago Mix popcorn as well, but I think Costco's is probably the best if for no other reason than the bags are larger.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 8:32 PM on July 23, 2015 [1 favorite]


I tried Chicago mix for the first time a couple weekends ago* and was pretty hooked, but the Smartfood incarnation is...not great, imho.

* I think this is the brand I tried first, and oh hey! It's available in bulk.

I am a terrible person.
posted by quaking fajita at 8:40 AM on July 24, 2015


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