Kettle Brand – Jalapeno Potato Chips

Your favourite spice wimp is back at it again. They say a spice tolerance is something you can build up over time, but I don’t hate myself nearly enough to try to train it up, nor do I have the mental fortitude to handle it. That’s why I usually just cut and run the opposite direction when confronted by a spicy pepper.

I’ve been slowly working my way through the catalogue of flavours that Kettle has and it was inevitable that we would end up here. As far as spice goes, jalapeno is spicy enough to generate some heat but nothing too bad that I’ll be doubled over or incapacitated….hopefully.

So these smell very similar to other jalapeno flavours – they have a slightly banana like quality to them while also smelling like an instant ramen noodle packet. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just an observation.

These have a pleasant savoury flavour, with a bit of sweetness to it before the heat kicks in. The heat itself isn’t that bad, but it is present and does build a little. It sort of sneaks up on you though, again because the flavour is very soft and somewhat mild. It actually kind of reminds me of those instant noodle seasoning packets, but in a good way. It tastes sort of like onion or garlic powder, and I am down for it. I guess it makes sense to add in other flavours, since jalapeno peppers on their own don’t have much flavour beyond spice. I’m sure some people find that enjoyable, but not me, and I suspect many others.

The texture is the standard kettle style crunch that Kettle is known for. While not as hard as Hardbite, it’s still got a nice crunch to it without being too hard, so I guess it would appeal to more people. I would tend to prefer something crunchier and more lethal to the roof of my mouth, but these are not bad.

The other big brand people think of when they hear jalapeno chips is Miss Vickie’s in this neck of the woods. If I were to compare the two, my preference would be for Kettle because the texture is more to my liking, and the flavour feels more complex and interesting to the palette. I would go for these over the more common competitors, though how often I would go for a spicy flavour is dubious if we’re being real.