Miss Vickie’s – Sweet & Spicy Ketchup

If I were to count how many times in recent years I’ve seen companies tack on spicy to basically any flavour, well I’d run out of fingers and toes. Some of them work, and some don’t. Spice level is a very subjective and individual thing. Think about the last spicy snack you had and see if there was universal consensus on whether the heat level was too little or too much. I’m fairly certain the responses will be along the spectrum. I used to consider myself a severe spice wimp, but after sharing some snacks I found mild with my coworkers, I’m realizing maybe I’m not the biggest wimp. Still a wimp, but not the biggest. Not sure how to feel about that one.

I can’t tell if I just got lucky (or unlucky depending how you look at it) but these were much crunchier and firmer of a chip than I remember. I’m assuming I just got an over fried bag, which I ain’t complaining about. The texture is usually somewhat airier and thinner so as to not cause too much crunch, but this bag is quite the opposite. Being that I lean farther on the tough, hard end of the spectrum, I feel like I hit the jackpot with this bag. It’s entirely possible they did a recent tweak to their formula but I think it more likely I just got a one off batch.

The coating is pretty noticeable on these visually. Taste wise the seasoning is quite generous and really gets across the flavour of ketchup. It’s got a sweet, vinegary flavour to it with the spicy chasing it. The spice is somewhat inconsistent in the sense that some chips build that heat up very quickly, and others it’s more like a small cat mewing in the corner. The spice doesn’t become unbearable at any point though, and it’s sort of a reminder that it’s there. While I don’t think it adds too much, it does add another dimension to the overall experience and I do appreciate it over just a straight forward sweet and salty ketchup.

There’s something so distinctly Canadian about experiencing ketchup chips. As someone who has grown up on ketchup flavoured chips, I can confidently say they taste exactly like the others. I’m quite certain at this point that most, if not all the mass market chips on the market these days use the same formula of dehydrated ketchup powder for the chips. Is the strong type where if you even inhale it the wrong way, it gets all up in your lungs and sinuses. This stuff is not to be trifled with.

As someone who doesn’t handle strong spice well, I’d say this is a pretty good balance. Then again, some people might think this is too spicy. What I will say is this is first and foremost a ketchup flavour, so if you are down for that but not great with spice, it just means you have a built in portion control system already in place.