A new blog series, in which OC staff procures the wackiest, most buzzed about junk-slash-fad food on the global market, then conducts highly professional taste tests.
RECOMMENDED
Kettle Brand Potato Chips, Sriracha Flavor
Price: $14.99, on Kettle Foods, Inc.
Quantity: 5-pack of 5-ounce bags
Origin: Oregon, USA
Color: Rust-colored, dusted with black-and-brown spice flakes
Smell: Smoky, like a bonfire
An all-around crowd-pleaser, these chips seemed to elevate a slightly comatic office environment to "Summer Friday status." BBQ notes were detected as the sweeping flavor: "salty," "slow-smoked," and "something that would give Dinosaur Bar-B-Que a run for its $$$." Tasters were quick to detect a brand-specific "crunch anthem" that proved "mad addictive"—or as one colorful reviewer enthused, you'd "blow through an entire bag when wasted and dinner is still a 30-minute wait away."
The sriracha flavor fell flat on both the nose and palate. While a few commentators described the heat as "well-rounded" and "bright and peppery," others snubbed it as "tomatoey," "sweet with a kick," or something akin to "ingesting burnt ketchup."
Still, the snack has notable "upper qualities" and is "as good as coffee for jolting you out of a mid-afternoon lull." We don't usually get introspective whilst eating chips, but let's conclude with one staffer's incredulous remark: "What's in these?!"
*additional reporting provided by Bahar Sadjadi![]()
Photo by Jessica Chou
RECOMMENDED
Kettle Brand Potato Chips, Sriracha Flavor
Price: $14.99, on Kettle Foods, Inc.
Quantity: 5-pack of 5-ounce bags
Origin: Oregon, USA
Color: Rust-colored, dusted with black-and-brown spice flakes
Smell: Smoky, like a bonfire
An all-around crowd-pleaser, these chips seemed to elevate a slightly comatic office environment to "Summer Friday status." BBQ notes were detected as the sweeping flavor: "salty," "slow-smoked," and "something that would give Dinosaur Bar-B-Que a run for its $$$." Tasters were quick to detect a brand-specific "crunch anthem" that proved "mad addictive"—or as one colorful reviewer enthused, you'd "blow through an entire bag when wasted and dinner is still a 30-minute wait away."
The sriracha flavor fell flat on both the nose and palate. While a few commentators described the heat as "well-rounded" and "bright and peppery," others snubbed it as "tomatoey," "sweet with a kick," or something akin to "ingesting burnt ketchup."
Still, the snack has notable "upper qualities" and is "as good as coffee for jolting you out of a mid-afternoon lull." We don't usually get introspective whilst eating chips, but let's conclude with one staffer's incredulous remark: "What's in these?!"
*additional reporting provided by Bahar Sadjadi
Photo by Jessica Chou