Do Us a Flavor…It’s back!!

I guess Frito-Lay learned from last year’s mistake, and chose to bring back their annual Do Us a Flavor contest, where people submit their favorite tastes for new potato chip considerations (not to mention a chance to win some cash!!).

I never got around to submitting my Sizzling Shawarma this year, will just have to wait till 2018 to win the big bucks!

The three finalists are now appearing on local grocery store shelves. This time around there are only three flavors to choose from, and each one is from a different product line. While the latter does make it a little hard to compare chip feel (crunchiness, thickness, etc.), it does make it easier on the pocket book for those of us who don’t normally buy chips except when trying the unique blends thought up.

For those not wishing to partake, or interested in this year’s options, here are my thoughts:

CRISPY TACO  - Aroma upon opening the bag is definitely reminiscent of browned ground beef like when you’re making tacos at home. As for the flavor? WOW!! Spot on taste of a taco with meat, lettuce, shredded cheese and a mild to medium taco seasoning (Don’t ask me how they do it because we probably don’t want to know).

The flavor was very pronounced when first eating them. But, gets more muted with the more you consume. I’d definitely buy this one again down the road.

KETTLE COOKED EVERYTHING BAGEL WITH CREAM CHEESE – I love this kind of bagel in the morning with a cup of coffee so was looking forward to trying this flavor out. Let me say that the chips are nicely crunchy with none of the usual oily consistency a lot of the kettle cooked varieties have.

Sadly, that’s the kindest thing I can say. When opening the bag, it has a slight aroma which reminds me more of those shrimp chips you find in Asian markets than bagels. There’s no hit of onion, garlic or sesame. Eventually you might pick up some sesame. But, that’s only after eating a whole bunch, and even then it’s only slight. Definitely disappointed.

WAVY FRIED GREEN TOMATO – Not sure if it’s planned scarcity, or what. But, there’s always one flavor that seems to be so hard to find. This year’s entry in that category is the Wavy Fried Green Tomato. I have tried multiple grocery stores to find absolutely nothing stocked. I even asked a Frito-Lay driver. But, he wasn’t even aware of it. Finally, I reached out to my Facebook friends, and through the magic of crowdsourcing I found out that Walgreens carries them.

Let me preface all this by saying I haven’t eaten fried green tomatoes in nearly 20 years. It was some time after the award winning movie came out because I can remember watching it on VHS.

The sniff test revealed the plainest of all three flavors. If you blindfolded me, and then had me smell these and a bag of regular chips, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference to save my life.

Tomato flavor does come out when eating. Not huge. But, enough that it reminded me of the occasional times I’ve sliced up a big beef steak tomato to slap on a burger. There’s also a hint of pepper after a bit, and what I’d describe as a light mustard.

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My clear favorite is the Crispy Taco.

Perhaps my Left Coast leanings towards Mexican comfort food swayed the decision. But, it was a smack dab bullseye for what it was supposed to be, whereas the Fried Green Tomato was more subdued and the Everything Bagel was a big miss.

People in the USA have until October 8th to vote for your favorite flavor at https://www.dousaflavor.com

Dew Us A Flavor?

Like the swallows returning to Capistrano or the Monarch Butterflies to Pacific Grove, it seems Frito-Lay has decided to have another rendition of their Do Us A Flavor contest, where consumers come up with their favorite flavor concoctions. Some are old standbys (Chili Cheese or Spicy Taco), while others stretch the definition of a potato chip to new boundaries (Mountain Dew*).

Now that it’s been weeded down to four finalists, it’s up to us to have our say, and vote on which one will make it into the permanent lineup.

Alas, my Sizzling Shawarma hasn’t made it to the finals yet, no matter how many times I submit it. Still, I’ve been only so happy to cast my vote each year, after copious amounts of sampling.

This may be a marketing gimmick. But, it surely is a good one.

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This year I tried them plain, as well as with some plain sour cream for dipping, just to see whether the flavors would stand up to a sauce.

Maybe it just happened by accident. But, I’m a little surprised that three of the four finalists chosen were in homage to meat-based dishes. Even if no animals were harmed in the making of these chips, it’s the general thought that’s going to put off most vegetarian consumers.

So here are my thoughts on this year’s four offerings.

KETTLE COOKED GREEKTOWN GYRO – I’ve been a fan of this Greek delicacy since the first time I tasted it during my college days at the University of Montana.

Succulent meat slowly roasted on a revolving spit, sliced thinly, and laid on lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and slathered with a creamy yogurt sauce made with dried dill, mint, black pepper and other spices.

With the first taste of the chip, my first thought was cucumber. Sort of like a Tzatziki sauce, if you’ve ever had that (and if not, get some at TJ’s when you go shopping for that Truffle Cheese!!).

Dipping these in sour cream actually had the exact opposite effect of the others; muting the Tzatziki flavors, which are so important to a Gyro.

This was this year’s kettle-cooked option, which means it’s a thicker chip. While I generally prefer kettle-cooked, it wasn’t nearly as important as it was to last year’s winner, Wasabi-Ginger.

NEW YORK REUBEN – Unmistakable aroma of rye bread could be detected when opening the bag. Flavor-wise, rye is also the first thing detected. But, that’s quickly followed by a tang of the sauerkraut, Russian dressing and then a cheesy goodness.

It takes some time. But, there’s even a peppery corned beef lingering in the aftertaste.

Dipping in sour cream made the spice flavors more pronounced. Still not a load of meat. But, perhaps that was the hope.

This one definitely has all the flavor components of a good Reuben Sandwich, and reminds me it’s been way too long since visiting Saul’s Deli.

SOUTHERN BISCUITS AND GRAVY – Another offering with a southern heritage. I have to be honest, I haven’t had real biscuits and gravy very many times. There’s just something so heavy about it.

But, saying that, these weren’t too bad. The flavor is most definitely heavy on the gravy part of the spectrum, with flour and pepper coming out in the end. The meat part that’s usually supplied by whatever has been fried is delicate at best (sausage?).

Adding sour cream in the mix was pretty much a wash. While it didn’t detract from the flavors, it didn’t really enhance either.

WAVY WEST COAST TRUFFLE FRIES – To me, this was the lightest of the four flavors.

Since these are supposed to be potato fries they’ve already got a leg up on the competition, which are trying to mimic some non-potato offering. Then you add to that the delicate flavor of truffles, that ridiculously expensive fungi originating in the Alpine regions of Europe, and there you have it.

If you’re not familiar with what a truffle tastes like (and not the chocolate candy which borrowed the name), you should seek out a cheese example, such as Trader Joe’s Italian Truffle Cheese. I think most people will be pleasantly surprised at the flavor.

I actually expected the flavors to get lost when it came to the sour cream. But, like the New York Reuben flavor, the cream actually enhances it; really bringing out the truffle goodness.  

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This was probably the toughest choice since they started the campaign two years ago. I think one of the reasons for that is they dialed back the flavor strength.

Last year, there was no question when you tasted the ginger or the Cappucino, and the prior year they left no doubt that there was garlic on that Cheesy Garlic Bread.  While all four flavors were unique, and could be detected, it took a moment to pick them out.

My choice for the final flavor is New York Reuben! The spices aren’t overpowering. But, they’re strong enough to be recognized, and are unique.

People in the USA have until October 18th to vote for your favorite flavor at https://www.dousaflavor.com

And for those north of the border, there’s a Canadian version, which offers four – Butter Chicken, Montreal Smoked Meats, P.E.I. Scalloped Potatoes and Wavy Cowboy BBQ Beans! The Canadian deadline is September 30th. https://www.dousaflavour.ca/en/

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*By the way, despite Lay’s passing on the Mountain Dew-flavored submission, someone somewhere thought the flavor combo might be a good idea. Pepsico is testing Dewitos; a soda with the flavor of Doritos chips, and the unmistakable neon orange color!