Doritos Spicy Garlic

Same name, different color and flavor!

The Attraction

Umm, Doritos, hello? It also doesn't hurt that it's a flavor you can't get here in the US. I quickly plunked down my converted Taiwanese dollars and brought this baby home for a sampling.

The Review:
One of the more exciting parts of traveling aboard is hitting all the markets and hording all the interesting snacks that you just don't see when you are back home. Every trip I take outside of the US, I make it a point to scope out every snack aisle I come across to locate treats that light up my face the same way snacks did when I was a chubby teenager. That's the true litmus test as to if I should review it. If I'm that exciting to buy it, it's going to get reviewed. One such snack that I was excited to come across while in Asia was these Doritos Spicy Garlic flavor chips.

You may know my cousin, Cool Ranch

Being a true snack enthusiast, Doritos easily makes my snack Top 10. Hell, it might even make my top 5.  I am also not alone in my love for Doritos. The crispy corn chip crunch with a generous dusting of nacho cheese flavoring has been providing years of empty calories for happy Americans for decades. In more recent times, they've expanded the product line to include flavors like Cool Ranch, Spicy Sweet Chili and Spicy Nacho, but for me, Nacho will always be king.

With that said, I occasionally dabble in the other flavors like Cool Ranch and Spicy Sweet Chili, to break it up sometimes, so when I saw this new offering of Spicy Garlic, I knew I couldn't pass it up.

..or my other cousin, Sweet Chili?

When I finally got back home from Asia, I cracked open the bag and noticed a slight garlicky scent.

"As promised", I thought to myself

I grab a lucky chip out of the sea of Doritos in the bag and crunch down on one.

I'm happy to see that the Doritos signature crunch extends to products overseas as well. Flavor-wise, the people over at Doritos were smart to not make the garlic flavor too intense. It's a bit more subtle than I was expecting. It wasn't like garlic powder on a chip. The flavor was more of a kiss of garlic-ness that wasn't very salty. I think if it was saltier, it would have made the garlic flavor more pronounced, but by downplaying the salt factor, you can get the essence of garlic without it overpowering your taste buds.

It was only after the garlic flavor began to fade away when the spicy part of the flavor namesake came into play. It's something I've noticed with many "spicy" snacks. They layer the heat on the latter part of the flavor profile and it works well because it doesn't distract you from the other flavors. It acts like a spicy cleansing of the palate. The trade off is that if you are accustomed to that more forward, aggressive spiciness, the heat this snack punches may feel more like a love tap.

The Sweet:
Consistent Doritos crunch no matter the flavor. Exicting flavor deviation

The Bitter:
However interesting the flavor is, it's not enough to really distinguish itself

Conclusion:
It's tough being a Doritos product. I suppose to a degree, it's similar to being the offspring or relative of someone very famous; you are measured against this really high bar because of the name you carry when all you want to be is yourself.

That's the curse of this product; because the Doritos brand is so beloved, it takes something really special to stand along side the enduring Doritos flavors. I'm glad that they continue to experiment in all parts of the world and perhaps the Spicy Garlic flavor will resonate to other snack lovers in other regions, but for me, it didn't make enough of an impression to occasionally give up the space in my shopping cart that I would normally reserve for the Doritos flavor that will always have my heart, Nacho Cheese.

Video of the Week

Which Philly Cheese steak is really the best?

I've seen so many food shows on TV blowing smoke up some Philly Cheesesteak's owners butt about how good their specific cheesesteak is, but I never really get a straight answer about which ones are really good. Finally, the good people over at Bon Appetit sent someone out to taste 16 cheesesteaks in Philadelphia in 12 hours. I don't know if I will ever eat that many cheesesteaks in one visit, but I won't need to now that I know which they liked the most. For those not familiar with what a Philly Cheesesteak is, you can learn more about this iconic sandwich here.

Doritos Hot Honey

 Yellow Doritos bag?
Could it be cheddar flavor?

The Attraction

As part of my plunder on my last trip to H-Mart, I scored these "exotic" flavored Doritos. I wasn't quite sure what flavor they were when I bought them, but I just knew it said Doritos on it and it was different....that was good enough for me.

The Review:
After doing some digging on the interwebs, I discovered that this yellow bag of Doritos is actually "Hot Honey" flavored. I can't be certain, but I'm willing to bet this may have something to do with the recent influx of honey-flavored snack items into the market following the honey-butter craze in Korea. (See here and here). I'm just thankful these chips aren't honey-butter flavored as well.

I also do observe that in the upper-left hand corner, it's noted that Lotte, the fine makers of classic Asian snacks like Choco-Pie and Toppo Coffee and Vanilla Ice Cream Flavor produced this Doritos product. This will be interesting.

I tear open the bag of chips and take a deep inhale. There isn't an obvious scent, maybe one of fried corn chips, if you inhaled deep enough. That could be a good sign as it wasn't too sweet or too spicy to the point where it was obvious even without taking a bite.

I pickup a well formed chip and take a bite. It's every bit what you would expect from a Doritos-branded chip; nicely formed corn chip with a great crunch, but in terms of taste, it reminded me of something that I haven't had in awhile. Something that wasn't even a snack, per se. More on that in a minute.

Looks like a pale Dorito

The initial flavor of the sweetness strikes first and as slowly as that flavor begins to fade, there is a slow burn towards the back of my throat. I'm beginning to like this type of spicy. It's a much more laid back spicy. I've been so accustomed to the forward-vinegary heat of things like buffalo wings and certain kinds of beef jerky that when you have something that attacks your spicy zones in a different way, it's really interesting. Most of the spicy items I've had seems to impact the front-to-center part of your tongue. This sweeter heat seems to hit from the back and then the sides of your tongue. Don't get me wrong, you have enough of these and your mouth won't care where the heat is coming from, it just knows it's on fire..but in the most pleasant kind of way.

In terms of the sweetness, I was surprised to discover that the initial sweet hit reminds me of McDonald's Sweet and Sour sauce. Yes, that's right. The very sauce you use to dip your McNuggets into. Shocking, but true! There's even a slight hint of smokiness in there which gives it almost gives it a bbq twist. Turn up the dial a few more notches and you could possible mistake this for a sweet bbq-flavored product.

Pale does not mean no flavor

The Sweet:
Great Doritos crunch with a tasty sweet and spicy flavor dusting.

The Bitter:
If you aren't used to sweet-flavored chips, this may take some time to adjust to.

Conclusion:
I was never totally won over with the honey-butter craze from a little while back. All those products were fine, but it never got me to the point of going from store to store trying to locate my next "hit". These Doritos Hot Honey chips won't quite get me to that point either, but if anything, it made me wonder why this product couldn't be as big.

I prefer the thicker corn chip with the associated crunch that this snack offers. The heat also provides a "cleansing" affect from the first sweet flavor wave and clears the deck for another chip to follow...and believe me...another chip will follow.

Video of the Week

What could possibly go wrong? (hehe)

Ah...what can be more beautiful than a couple's wedding day? A day to celebrate all the love and joy that will culminate out of the union of two people. Sometimes when you see two people, you aren't totally sure if they belong together. In this case, I'm sure they do because the only thing better than her reaction is his equally intellectual reaction. Blessings to you both...you will need it.

Honchos Peach Habanero

Cause you just couldn't wait to scratch
that "peach habanero" itch

The Attraction

Just because it's not everyday you see this combination. I can't wait until they release their next flavor, "banana dingleberry". 

The Review:
I really wasn't looking necessarily to review something quite so "out of the box", but I have to fess up, this flavor combination caught my eye. It's not everyday a chip manufacturer add a fruit flavor to something savory and then tosses in some spice on top of that. Whether it's a hit or a miss, one thing is for sure; I doubt I will say, "Oh, this taste just like..."

After wondering aloud if the flavor is "peach habanero" as in a type of habanero or "peach + habanero", I figured out that I've never heard of peach and habanero used together, so it much be peach + habanero. I know, I know, who doesn't know that there isn't such a thing as a peach habanero? Come on, there are banana peppers, so is a peach habanero really that far of a stretch? I digress...

I open the bag of chips and peer inside. As sure as the photo illustrates outside the bag, these chips bare a striking resemblance to the big "D". Down to the color. Actually, they are a little more cool ranch color than the nacho variety, but could they possibly be as tasty?

"Umm...have we met before?"

I pick up a chip and dive in. The first flavor that steps up is a slightly sweet flavor. It remarkably starts off exactly like a "Cool Ranch D", but just as quickly as I can place that flavor, the sweetness keeps going and exceeds that of a standard nacho chip. It then turns savory before the habanero drops the leg on you. It's not an exceedingly spicy flavor, it's more of a "back-of-your-throat" burn, but it's present. This schizophrenic flavor ride is delivered to you courtesy of a crispy corn chip that is identical to that of a....a...(I promised myself I wouldn't say that snack because that "snack" is such a favorite of people's, including myself, that almost no snack similiar could live up to that expectation) 

"Oh,no. You must have mistaken me for
someone else."

The Sweet:
Intriguing flavor combination, yet...

The Bitter:
...it's an emotional rollercoaster for your taste buds

Conclusion:
It's almost like dating someone that looks like your first love. On the outside, they sort of look the same and could actually pass for the person, but once they start talking and interacting with you, it's clear they are not the same hunk or babe you were crushing on way back in the day. That's a good and bad thing for these Honchos. I respect them for being bold and not going down that well treaded snack path littered with cheese flavors, but at the same time, this combo was just too ambitious for my taste buds.

Video of the Week 

That's why I have such strong forearms!
Phew, I thought it was from all that exercising
(I really want to put quotes around exercising, but this is a family website)

This week's video involves some of the extra things we have grown out of as humans have evolved. Unless we are around a buffet, in which case all bets are off and all those animal instincts come back instantaneously, but that's a video for next time.

Doritos Dinamita Chile Limon

If only I knew what Dinamita meant...

The Attraction:

While roaming the aisles of a Asian grocer that stocks their shelves with some snacks that I haven't seen at some other places, I came across this oddity that I didn't even know Doritos released. Odd shape, new flavor and it says Doritos on it....was there ever a chance I wasn't going to try it?

Edit: I forgot to mention that the folks at Doritos probably noticed the popularity of a snack called Takis in Latin American countries and decided to jump into that market with a remarkably similar product. Coincidence? I think not.

The Review:
I was so excited to find out what this new line within Doritos was that I took this bag home and immediately cracked it open. I take a deep inhale and the only this I could detect was that slightly fried smell that you get with chips sometimes. No heat, no lemon or lime smell. That's OK.

I then take a good peek inside and see this color that I've never seen in nature before. It's like a radioactive red. "How hot are these suckers?", I think to myself. I pick one up and inspect it. It looks as though they took a regular Dorito chip and rolled it after they fried it. Interesting approach, but how does it taste?

I finally take a bite and the crunch is not unlike what you would imagine a rolled up Dorito would be like...and that's a good thing. Oddly enough, despite the intense red color, the first flavor that seeps into your taste buds is the slightly salty flavor of lime. It reminded me of these Tostitos, but milder. It's not quite tart enough to be lemon. Then towards the middle to end of the bite, the heat starts to kick in and it's a nice burn. It's not a meek, "Umm, hi. Is Bobby home? May I speak to him?". It's more of a, "Yeah, Bobby live here? Tell him to get his ass outside!" kind of a heat. You know it means business. Even with that, something doesn't quite seem right.

Can this color be real?

The Sweet:

Extra crispy crunch with some serious heat.

The Bitter:
Somehow the "limon" and "chile" flavor doesn't quite totally hit the snack taste bud spot

Yes, this is the color!

Conclusion:
Although the folks over at Doritos did an interesting thing by rolling their nachos up to create a new and crispier crunch, this specific flavor misses the target. I enjoy the spice and the "limon" flavor, but it came across flat. It's missing a stronger flavor element. The heat itself is a great peripheral flavor, but the flavor of lime isn't strong enough to hold a snack lover's attention. Perhaps their other flavors like Nacho Picoso or Mojo Criollo might do a better job of it or maybe I'm not their primary market, but for me this first sampling of the Doritos Dinamita series left me feeling like this was more of a bust than a boom.

Video of the Week
This really isn't a video, rather more of a website. In my never ending quest to match-make people, here's a website devoted to matching up zombies and or zombie lovers. Yes, this is a real site and no, I received no compensation for showing this to you. Besides, isn't knowing that such a thing like this actually exists payment enough?

Zombies need love too