When Lay’s introduced its “Do Us A Flavor” potato chip contest a couple of years ago, I was THRILLED. I’m a foodie. And while I’m typically a healthy eater, the launch of what was to become an annual contest inspired me to BRIEFLY indulge in salty, “carby,” somewhat fatty chips. I had to see which one “I” preferred.
The first year, my two faves were Chicken & Waffles and Sriracha. While I loved them both, I leaned toward the Chicken & Waffles because I have been in love with Los Angeles’ Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles for decades. The flavor didn’t feature much on the chicken side, but it did have a syrupy sweetness that, combined with the salt, could at least take my imagination some 1,200 miles back to that Gower St. in Hollywood paradise. My second choice, Sriracha, was the overall winner, further validating my accurate palate.
The following year, hands down — Wasabi Ginger was my winner as soon as I tasted it. If there was a perfectly flavored chip that actually lived up to its name, this was it. And it was the 2014 winner.
But this year, something went wrong. When my friend dropped off all four flavors as a gift to me, my eyes initially lit up with excitement. The chips’ names made me salivate but the chips’ taste made me take a double take to see if I’d accidentally eaten from the wrong bag.
Best tasting chips (to me) — West Coast Truffle Fries and Southern Biscuits and Gravy. The flavors are tasty, but the names don’t accurately reflect the snack experience. The “Truffle Fries” were herbal and flavorful. Maybe they should’ve been named, “Farm to Table.” And regarding the southern one, my taste buds searched and searched and couldn’t find any biscuits OR gravy. Just a crispy, well-seasoned chip. Maybe they could’ve at least considered naming it “Mashed Potatoes and Gravy.”
Regarding the Greektown Gyro flavor — I’m from Chicago. I know Gyros. And this is soooo NOT Greek to me. I can’t tell you what it tastes like, but that flavorful meat, shaved off of that slow-turning rotisserie — that’s not it. That bag is still almost full. The same with the other sandwich-inspired flavor — New York Reuben. I’ve lived and eaten in New York too. That’s all.
I conducted a “blind” taste test with my friends’ 9-year-old twin girls. I didn’t tell them the names of the flavors before they tasted them. One of the girls said that the New York Reuben chip did taste like “a sandwich.” So with that in mind, there was a sandwich involved, just not quite sure if it was a Reuben.
I wondered what was different about this year and the previous years. I don’t fault the customers who submitted suggestions. I sort of put the responsibility with the people who came up with the flavor formulas. Did they actually bring an authentic New York Reuben to the lab and taste it? Did they actually bring a Chicago Gyro, with tzatziki sauce and all, to the lab and taste it? Secondly, since Frito-Lay probably has employees representing all parts of the world, did they invite employees who may originate from regions that specialize in these sandwich flavors to take part in the tasting process?
You can’t just google ingredients and combine them and think the outcome is going to be spot on. Heck $1 million is at risk for these contestants. I don’t know exactly how the process works, I just hope next year, the outcome yields a better ROCCI — return on chip and calorie investment.
By the way, my overall winner this year: West Coast Truffle Fries.
SCRAPE YOUR PLATE 