New Lay’s potato chips flavor: Chicken & Waffles. (David Rosenzweig)
New Lay’s potato chips flavor: Cheesy Garlic Bread. (David Rosenzweig)
New Lay’s potato chips flavor: Sriracha. (David Rosenzweig)
Lay’s recently introduced three new chip flavors that were about as far away from the classic BBQ, Sour Cream & Onion and Salt & Vinegar varieties than one could imagine. Spanning the globe for taste combinations, Lay’s unleashed chips flavored with regional-American food favorite Chicken & Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread and finally Sriracha, a Thai chili sauce. The three oddball flavors were the finalists in Lay’s nationwide contest to find the next new flavor.
Nearly 3.8 million entries were submitted by chip fans and a board of experts — including Eva Longoria and Iron Chef Michael Symon — chose the finalists. Between now and May 4th, the three new flavors are for sale around the country and fans can vote on Lay’s Facebook page to decide which chip becomes a permanent member of Lay’s lineup.
Unfortunately for New York snack fiends, the chips aren’t currently available anywhere within a 50 mile radius of midtown Manhattan, according to Lay’s own
Web site. But a Lay’s spokesperson said that the chips will be on New York store shelves soon.
Despite the chips’ limited availability The Post snagged the new flavors, here is our review:
Chicken & Waffles
By far and away the most polarizing chip offered, this regional classic was either loved or hated by those who tried it. “Guy Fieri status,” one unkind commenter wrote, “tasted like burnt ice cream cones” wrote another, while one said that they were simply “awful.” While others were left searching for words to describe their derision, others fell head over heals in love — with one fan calling them “brilliant!” and another saying they were “awesome.”
Upon opening the bag, it was clear to our taste tester that these sweet and salty treats were a totally new eating experience. Smelling distinctly of brown sugar and “buttery-rich syrup flavors” according to Lay’s, the chips themselves were rather mildly flavored, with just hints of salt and savory hidden behind the more robust sweet top note. Overall the fans of the chips were the type of people who liked mixing their dinner with dessert; in other words, the type of people who like the non-chip version of chicken and waffles.
Overall score: 3/10 — If you like chicken and waffles you will love these oddball snacks, but if the idea of eating a predominantly sweet potato chips sounds gross, then stay away.
Comparable to: Nothing — doesn’t come close to the original.
Cheesy Garlic Bread
Garlic bread is the best part of any family spaghetti dinner, our tester emphatically explained as he was about to taste his first chip. Unfortunately, these chips don’t hold up when compared to any childhood memory. With an odd citrus note, which might have been an attempt to replicate herbs or the tang of fresh garlic, these chips elicited the least enthusiasm of the three entrants among Post tasters.
The one big point in favor of this emotionally disappointing chip was the “cheesy” part of the snack’s flavor profile. Not content with a single flavor, the Cheesy Garlic Bread chips went above and beyond the rudimentary flavor of something like Cheetos. Instead, Lay’s opted for a multi-layered taste that started with a pungent parmesan cheese-like bite and ended with a mellow, smooth and comforting macaroni and cheese finish.
Overall score: 4/10 — our tester just couldn’t get past the overall oddness of the chip’s flavor.
Comparable to: Sour Cream and Onion.
Sriracha
These chips are a flavor journey that starts surprisingly sweet and ends with a slow burn. So slow in fact, that at first it was hard to tell that they were spicy at all. Then the back and edges of our taster’s tongue started tingling and he gleefully exclaimed, “Wow, these are actually pretty spicy!”
By far the most complex of the three chips on offer, these southeast Asian-inspired snacks were the runaway favorite of the Post’s staff but at the same time they were the least novel of the chips on offer. As one spicy chip connoisseur noted, “Kettle Chips have those jalapeno ones, and they are way spicier than these. But I’d eat these any day, they’re delicious.” Another tester was similarly conflicted but added, “These are the one’s I’d eat while watching a football game. With a beer.” Noted.
Overall score: 9/10 — the only reason these didn’t get a perfect score was because there are so many direct competitors already on the market.
Comparable to: Spicy BBQ.