Annie Chun's Roasted Seaweed Snacks: Sesame

Bit different this week since these aren't strictly 'chips', I suppose.  BUT!  I keep finding them in the chip aisle, and I would certainly eat seaweed like potato chips, given the option.  And I HAVE been given the option!  I've been known to, from time to time, get sheets of nori from the supermarket to just eat.  No plans of making sushi or any of that nonsense.  Just seaweed.  Nom.

So this, this is exciting!  It's also yet another purchase from 7/11.  They like to keep me well stocked.  Personally, and without trying them, I'd prefer a different flavor to sesame (even plain!), but my options were sesame or wasabi and I'm not a big fan of wasabi.  Who knows, though - sesame seaweed might be my new favorite thing!

But what do they taste like?
Salty!  Always a good sign for seaweed.  A more intense, sort of... deeper salt flavor than the usual nori.  I'm not sure if it's the sesame or what, but I don't taste much sesame otherwise.  It's also thinner than regular sheets of nori, I suspect because no one would make sushi with it, so it doesn't need to hold together.

Also strange is that they're too big to eat in one bite.  These are little chip nibblies!  Why must they be just a bit too big?  It's not too bad, and this seaweed isn't as flaky as regular seaweed, so it works out.  Still - one bite would be easier.  I'm digging the saltiness of these, but I'd prefer a bit punchier seaweed flavor.  I like the taste a lot, and feel there should be more of it, as I'm just eating bits of seaweed.  It also suffers from seaweed's problem of 'turns to mush very quickly'.  Not at all like a chip, where it stays 'chip-y' while chewing.  I expected this, but you perhaps, might not!  And now you shall.

Anyways - I'm absolutely going to eat all of these right now, even though they could taste a bit more like seaweed and a bit less like salt.  I really don't taste 'sesame' much at all, though it is a pretty mild flavor I suppose.  If you like seaweed (or, if you find seaweed a bit too seaweed flavored, and not salty enough), I'd definitely give these a shot!  Just... don't expect to feel full after - they're not very filling!

Rating

Walkers Quavers

Billed as a 'light curly potato snack' I somehow thought these would be like Cheetos.  They are not!  Well - they might be taste-wise, but they aren't shape...wise.  Got these at the British shop where I've purchased some other goodies.  Actually... I probably need to go back soon.  Anyway - these are 'cheese flavour' so I expect these will taste like cheese.

Off the bat - I was confused by the shape.  They look like Fritos, but smell like Cheetos!  How do they do such sorcery?

But what do they taste like?
A little, and not unpleasantly, like a cheese Funyun.  And... I'm kinda okay with that.  It's like a Funyun without all the little nibblies that fall off of it, and with a hint of cheese.  Salty, yet a little savory, but mostly salty.  The cheese is pretty fake tasting, but that's to be expected really.

Eating them is noisy, but the actual chip isn't hard - it's rather soft.  They're also weird shapes which is fun, but sometimes hard to grab a handful as bits fall off.  I mostly taste salt over cheese, but hey - I am a big fan of salt, so that's no problem for me.  I think I'd like these better if they were cheesier (hey - they're cheese flavour - I want what I pay for), but I am rather fond of them.

I'd definitely get these again, despite the cheese tasting a little chemically.  There's something fun about eating them and how noisy they are while also being delicious.  They're almost a little too salty, but not enough that it bothers me.

Rating

Walkers Worcester Sauce

I'm a bit nervous about these Walkers Worcester Sauce chips, as I don't particularly like Worcester sauce.  But I am willing to give these a shot for chip tasting science!

The bag is purple, the chips are from the UK chip shop I sometimes go to.  They also smell a bit like ketchup.  Kinda tangy ketchup maybe?

But what do they taste like?
Salty and tangy and... not that bad!  I'm honestly kinda shocked.  They won't be my favorite chips, but I actually... like these.  Not a lot, mind you, but enough that I'll keep eating them.  Though... the more I eat them... the more I like them.  I know!  I'm as surprised as you are!  I forget what Worcester sauce tastes like, as I don't eat it often, but these... are... a little like BBQ sauce maybe?  But they're not!  It's like tangier BBQ sauce.  Maybe... it's a bit like salt and vinegar chips and also BBQ sauce?

Let the record show that I've happily polished off the whole bag.  I opened these up figuring I'd eat a few and give up on them, but no!  I'm still trying to properly define the flavor.  Okay - here's what it comes down to.  The flavor isn't super overpowering, but it's subtly delicious.  I don't know if it tastes like Worcester sauce (it might!), but I like it.  If anything, I'd almost prefer it to be a bit stronger. 

Does this mean I need to try Worcester sauce again?  Maybe!  Does it mean that I want to find and eat these chips again?  Absolutely.

Rating

Pringles Blastin' Buffalo Wing

Since I'm not the biggest fan of super spicy things I was a little hesitant to try these Blastin' Buffalo
Wing Pringles.  Will they just taste like spicy pain?  Maybe!  But you know what?  I'm going to give them a shot.

The can tells me they they are level 3 out of 4 on the Pringles Spiciness Scale.  Level 3 is apparently a fire raging out of control, while level 4 is a fire extinguisher.  Will I need to use one?  Doubtful, because these are potato chips and not actual flames.

But what do they taste like?
Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin.  They taste like buffalo wings.  Well, to be fair, they taste like buffalo wing sauce because there's no chicken flavoring here.  They are kinda spicy, but they're helped by the fact that I love buffalo wings.  Buffalo wings are a place I expect spice and these chips deliver.  They leave my mouth burning, but it works.  My mouth burns after eating buffalo wings.  It goes with the territory.

I think the biggest difference between these chips, and other spicy chips I haven't liked, is that they they're spicy, but they've got flavor.  It's not just painful spice for the sake of having it be spicy.  The only downside is that it gets harder to taste them as I eat more of them.  I get sort of desensitized to the flavor and just taste the spiciness.  Still, even though I can't taste them as much... I can't... stop... eating them.  Mmmm.  Buffalo wing-y.

Also, you know what I like about Pringles?  If you buy a tube of Pringles you know how many you're going to get.  No matter the size of a bag of chips, the amounts you get always seems to be some random number, but at the end of the day, it's always way less than you think.  So props to you, Pringles, for actually giving the amount of chips the size of your packaging promises.

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Dirty Potato Chips Funky Fusion

I bought these because they were called 'Funky Fusion' and other than being kettle cooked in premium peanut oil, the bag gives basically no clue as to what flavor that might be.  I must know the secrets within!  Also, I'm getting over a cold and don't taste things as strongly as perhaps I otherwise would.

The bag itself is brown and only tells me the standard Dirty Chips 'here is how we cook these chips!' line.  Not helpful, Bag, but you did intrigue me so I suppose your ploy worked.

But what do they taste like?
From the smell I thought they'd taste like salt and vinegar chips which would have been fine with me since I loves me some salt and vinegar chips.  They almost taste like that, but then don't.  I guess you could say they're... funkier?  Salt and vinegar chips are sharp in a way that these aren't - these Funky Fusion chips have a bit of a bite initially, but then they're pretty mellow.  I honestly could not say which flavor they were going for here which I guess is a testament to the 'fusion' aspect of these chips.  Maybe a little onion-y?  I can say that they don't taste like meat, but for the life of me I can't figure out what they do taste like.  They're salty, but kind of savory at the same time in a good way.  The first second you taste a hint of salt and vinegar, then whatever strange seasoning blend is there, and then it's just a kind of greasy chip.

If they tasted as strong as the first bite then I would give them five stars.  Whatever the fusion is... I like it!  But after a few seconds that flavor is gone and you're just eating a chip.  Still - they definitely taste nice and I would eat them again.  I maybe wouldn't buy them again, but if someone offered them to me I'd take them up on it.  I'd also mention that, given the similarity to salt and vinegar chips, if you don't like those there's a good chance you won't like these.

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