Arriba – Chili Lime Tortilla Chips
Lately I’ve been finding myself veering very hard into savoury snacks. Whether it’s chips, nuts, crackers or snack mixes, I’ve been hankering more for the salty stuff than the sweet. I’ve also found it far easier to demolish a bag of chips than say, a bar of chocolate in any given sitting. Something about salty stuff makes it easier to binge on. As part of that recent trend, I’ve been really exploring my local snack aisles and seeing what salty sensations are available, both new and old.
Arriba is a pretty solid brand in my mind when it comes to tortilla chip alternatives to the almighty Doritos. They may not have as much availability or as many flavours, but they do have a few flavours that catch my eye from time to time. More than anything though, they tend to have a slightly, ever so crunchier texture which I enjoy. And maybe to a certain extent I root for the little guy so it doesn’t hurt to give them my share of wallet if their chips are equal, if not better than the big boys.
When I think of chili and lime, I think of an actual chili pepper sitting beside a lime. They are apprehensive to talk to each other at first, but they start to move closer to each other inch by inch on the bench before they are full on making out and making sweet, sweet flavour combinations. That’s not quite the case here though, if the picture on the front is anything to go by. There’s a little thing of chili beside a lime, so I guess I’m the idiot here.
What I taste is closer to actually chili. It has a lot of zest and lime flavour to it, giving it a bright aspect to it. The chili tastes like something tomato based, with some strong vinegar notes that kind of remind me of all dressed chips. The spice is quite mild, and while it builds up over time, it’s nowhere near strong enough to scare off spice wimps like me. This pairs well enough with the texture to deliver a solid tortilla chip experience.
As I’ve mentioned in my other Arriba reviews, the texture is like an ever so slightly thicker, crunchier Doritos. I can’t say I’ve ever had two bags side by side to do a comparison, but by going off memory alone these seem to have just a hint more of substance to the experience, making it feel more sating and harder to gorge on. But only by a little. Typically when I think of tortilla chips vs. potato chips, the texture and firmness is what comes to mind. This is a classic example of that generic, standard tortilla chip. But in a good way.
I would put this on my list of potential purchases if I’m ever feeling tired of trying new stuff and want to fall back and something tried and true. I’m pretty sure if Doritos had a similar flavour I would still prefer to go with Arriba. From where I’m sitting that’s pretty high praise.
