A "Thai" Snack Food Smackdown

[B.A.R.]

I am an unabashed fan of the Hapi brand Wasabi Peas. I eat them by the fistful and it is one of my many guilty pleasures. So I was ecstatic last weekend to see a case stack of a new pea product, Spicy Sriracha Peas, right next to my Wasabi Peas at the Super H in Fairfax.

Sriracha is another favorite of mine that I use about as liberally as ketchup. I was excited. On my way home I needed to buy a bottle of wine, so I stopped in at Bernie's Gourmet Foods and Deli. My last stop here was a disaster, and this trip was only marginally better. They might be a great deli, but for "Gourmet Food and Wine" the selections are abyssmal. So I grabbed a bottle of Parados Winemaker Selection Red and Las Perdices Sauvignon Blanc (both wines I've had before that are very tasty, high QPR wines. However, they were ruined by the 80 degree in-store temperature).On the way to the check out counter, I spied a bag of Kettle Spicy Thai potato chips.

I went home, popped open a Victory Whirlwind Wheat Beer, and began to stuff my face in earnest.

The Sriaracha peas were horrible. The first taste is sugar, cloying, nasty sugar. Then comes secondary flavors of garlic, onion, and a faint bit of heat, finishing with the taste of Sriracha, just none of the balance and flavor. Way too much sugar, I'll never have a second handful. Quick check of the label reveals sugar to be the #2 ingredient.

I drank the rest of the beer, then another trying to get the taste out.

So I opened the bag of Kettle Spicy Thai chip, and it's one of the best chips I've ever had. I am partal to the tickness and texture of Kettle Chips, but this was perfectly flavored. It had subtle sweetness, a moderate bit of heat (could have been hotter), actual hints of lime and acidity, just fantastic- absolutely great! I'll be buying these little beauties by the case.

[goodeats]

I am an unabashed fan of the Hapi brand Wasabi Peas. I eat them by the fistful and it is one of my many guilty pleasures. So I was ecstatic last weekend to see a case stack of a new pea product, Spicy Sriracha Peas, right next to my Wasabi Peas at the Super H in Fairfax.

Brian, I feel, imho, the first mistake was eating the Hapi brand. Perhaps you should have a smackdown between Hapi and the Kasugai brand (also found in Asian grocers) Wasabi peas. Kasugai has a good bite to them. While they don't have a Sriracha flavor, they do have these that are pretty addicting too, but no kick.

So I opened the bag of Kettle Spicy Thai chip, and it's one of the best chips I've ever had. I am partal to the tickness and texture of Kettle Chips, but this was perfectly flavored. It had subtle sweetness, a moderate bit of heat (could have been hotter), actual hints of lime and acidity, just fantastic- absolutely great! I'll be buying these little beauties by the case.

I am excited to try these, though...