Is this really a Gouda idea?

The last few years Frito-Lay has run the Do Us a Flavor campaign, where people could submit flavor concoctions they savored. Some were wonderful, while others left any sane person scratching their head.

Alas, they’ve come up with a new idea  for 2016 called Flavor Swap, which matches four current flavors vs. four newcomers; let the “best” flavor win, with the losers being banished to potato chip history.

I still hold out hope that someday Sizzlin’ Shawarma will be on most grocery store shelves across America! But, until that day arrives, and in the interest of do diligence, I offer you my critique of the new flavors, and how they hold up against the old standbys.

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Smoked Gouda & Chive vs. Cheddar & Sour Cream

SMOKED GOUDA & CHIVE: Pleasant aroma. But, I’m not picking up smoked Gouda. I have to try really hard to pick up a Smoked Gouda flavor too. At first taste, it actually reminded me of a light Camembert. Not what they were going for, I’m sure. Any chive was lost on me.

CHEDDAR & SOUR CREAM: With one whiff from the open bag, there’s no question what this flavor is supposed to be. The aroma of medium cheddar is readily obvious. As for the flavor, while the cheddar is definitely there too, the “sour cream” part makes it not as obvious.

WINNER: Cheddar & Sour Cream

No question for me here. There was no doubt of the cheddar flavor when having the older variety. While the Smoked Gouda & Chive wasn’t bad, it just didn’t hit me with what it was supposed to be like the newcomer.

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Fiery Roasted Habanero vs. Flamin’ Hot

FIERY ROASTED HABANERO: Pretty nondescript aroma. More potato aroma than habanero. Slight smokiness to the flavor. Not as strong as I’d expected. Spiciness is there. No question about the heat. It hits you almost immediately when you start eating. Not a blast furnace. But, a pleasant level of heat. None of that terrible bright orange dust I honestly expected to see.

FLAMIN’ HOT: The ambiguous name leaves a little doubt of what it is exactly supposed to be. Perhaps jalapeño? Slight peppery aroma to it. Chips have that artificial bright red color to them. Heat takes quite a while to build up compared to the habanero version. More smoky flavor here, though there’s an underlying hint of a BBQ sweetness which  really didn’t belong.

WINNER: Fiery Roasted Habanero

I like the heat better in this one, along with the more natural color. The flavor is closer to peppers than the Flamin’ Hot.

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Kettle Cooked Olive Oil & Herbs vs. Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper

OLIVE OIL & HERBS: Opening the bag there’s a wonderful herby aroma of rosemary and thyme. The herb flavor you get is light and compliments the olive oil flavor. It’s not overwhelming, which is a good thing.

SEA SALT & CRACKED PEPPER: The salt is pretty light, just enough to compliment the pepper. The pepper is clearly there. Not very hot when you first taste the chip. But, there’s no mistaking it as something other than freshly ground black pepper. I like the thickness of the kettle cooked chips. Surprisingly there’s no really oily flavor to them, as some kettle-cooked chips can have. I’d buy these again, especially with some plain sour cream to cool off the black pepper.

WINNER: Olive Oil & Herbs

As much as I like a good salt & pepper chip, the perfect balance of the olive oil and herbs is definitely a keeper!

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Korean Barbeque vs. Honey Barbeque

Let me preface all this by saying I LOVE BAR-B-QUE! There’s something like the fall off the bone goodness of slow smoked pork ribs and brisket.

KOREAN BARBEQUE: Odd aroma. It’s not huge so you might have to go looking for it. But, it’s there, and I’m not exactly sure what it’s supposed to be.

Flavor-wise they start out delicate. But, as you eat more, first comes soy and sesame, followed by roasted meat (reminded me more of chicken than the beef on the bag label), garlic and other spices. Finally, the sweetness follows on the backend. After all is done, I’m left with an aftertaste that definitely reminds me of Korean BBQ.

HONEY BARBEQUE: The aroma is muted at best, and not even as noticeable as the Korean one was. Plus, it really didn’t scream BBQ to me.

There’s no “meat” flavor in this one. It reminds me of a light version of the BBQ chips I had way back in elementary school, just minus the red powder that always used to decorate your hands after sticking them deep into the bag.

WINNER: Korean Barbeque

Truthfully, pretty much a wash. But, since the Honey BBQ is so close to normal BBQ flavor, I think I’ll be voting for the Korean version just to get some variety.

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So overall, it seems I liked the newer flavors better. But, it could have went either way on a couple. I’d suggest the new campaign was a flop, and didn’t peek my interest like trying new flavors did. But, marketing did accomplish one thing. I ended up buying eight bags of chips, compared to the four I did each of the last couple of years.

You have until this coming Monday, March 21st, to cast your votes at https://www.flavorswap.com

Tantalizing your taste buds

I'm sure by now most people have seen the commercial with Eva Longoria losing her mind over which of three potato chip flavors are her "new favorite" and then after she says she can't decide pitchman Chef Michael Symon tells us we will decide which one is America's favorite by voting by May 5th.

Now, we're not talking about deciding between mundane things like Barbeque, Sea Salt or Plain. Competing to break into the Lay's Potato Chip line up are Sriracha, Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken & Waffles!!

These three flavors were the top finalists in a contest held late last year where people could submit their own flavor ideas, and then vote on submissions. (I submitted Spicy Shawarma, a Middle Eastern treat!!).

If any of those three finalists sound odd to you, consider these mouthwatering options: Marshmallow, Watermelon, Bubble Gum, Mint Chocolate Chip. I kid you not. When I was going through voting I saw those among the options we could vote on.

One of the biggest problems has actually been getting my hands on a bag of any of the finalists so I could make an educated choice. Not sure if it was a case of under estimating demand, or an intentional scarcity to bump up popularity.

In either case, with the exception of the first week they went on sale, they have been scarcer than Hen's teeth, to the point that people were selling bags on Amazon.com for $25!! And to think I cringed at the $4.29 MSRP.

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Here are my thoughts after having been able to sample the chips.

SRIRACHA – This was my pre-sample favorite. I love chili and hot spicy foods. For those that don't know it, Sriracha is that bright red chili paste sauce you may have seen at your favorite Asian restaurant. It comes in a tall plastic bottle with a neon green cap, and usually has a rooster or tiger on the label.

Sadly, this flavor just didn't hold up well when compared to foods that I've drenched with copious amounts of the spicy sweet goodness of Sriracha, and never stood up and said, "HEY THERE DUDE!! IT'S SRIRACHA TIME!!"

CHICKEN & WAFFLES – Of the three flavors, this one has probably generated the most Internet chatter. People seem to either be intrigued by the idea, or repulsed by it.

For those that can't figure the combo out, it's a traditional late night, after the bars close, menu item that originated in Harlem, New York (despite all the non-Southerners trying to claim it's a Southern thing).

With an open mind, I finally got the chance to try this most sought after flavor just last Sunday.

It starts off with a syrupy sweetness which reminded me of Mrs. Butterworth's Butter Flavored Pancake Syrup. Then the back of your tongue kicks in and delivers a flavor reminiscent, not so much of chicken itself, but of the golden fried batter you get on the outside of a properly crispy crunchy piece of fried chicken.

As much as I did find the Chicken & Waffles flavor tasty, it wasn't to the point where I'd want to buy a big bag and wolf it down in one or two sittings. Admittedly never a good idea, but a sign of a good flavor.

CHEESY GARLIC BREAD – This was actually the first flavor I was able to get a hold of, and the one I originally thought I'd be least likely to vote for. It just sounded too normal compared to the more exotic offerings.

As I was eating this flavor, it honestly tasted like I was eating a piece of French Bread, crispy from the oven, with that garlic and parmesan butter, spread you can buy, slathered all over it. The garlic was just right.

So in the end, the flavor I thought I'd be least likely to vote for earned by vote. Now, will just have to wait to see which one earns a place next to other Lay's flavors such as Dill Pickle Chip, BLT and Honey Mesquite Barbeque.

Caucus Conundrum

As I'm writing this the Colorado Caucus has just opened its doors, and they are in the process of counting the votes in Minnesota, and in the non-binding Missouri Primary.

Most states use the primary system to cast votes in presidential elections. However, there are eleven states that use the caucus system for all parties, and three states that use it for one of the majority parties, but not both.¹

For those that are confused by the caucus process, you're not alone. Most Americans scratch their head when asked exactly how it works. Basically, people from the party get together and then discuss things before voting. Once voting is completed they announce the vote for their precinct and that tally is passed on for the state convention.² Honestly, it reminds me of what it must've looked like back at the time of the Founding Fathers.

But, that's the problem. While that may have worked when the population of the country was below 1 million, it's an outdated system when you're talking about states that have millions of people, and those people work all sorts of different schedules so they cannot necessarily make it to a particular time on a particular day. With few exceptions, caucuses usually see turnout below 10%.³ You'd be hard pressed to find a primary turnout at that low of a level.

What does it say for the caucus process when votes can be tallied on a notepad? To me it says you have such a low turnout that it has to question the cost of the process. The plus side is that those who show up to "caucus" get to also select who will represent them at the state convention, as opposed to the state party handing them out depending on party politics at the state level. Additionally, the state party generally pays for the caucus rather than the state as a whole.⁴

Frankly, I'd rather see all states go to a primary system so people can cast absentee ballots, which will cause more turnout.⁵ Additionally, I'd rather see a national primary date set for sometime in April. A national primary would not preclude having a whole bunch of debates as we have seen with the Republican presidential candidates this year and it would still give the national committees over two months to prepare for their national conventions.

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More troubling is what happened with last weekend's Nevada Republican Caucus, where it was decided to have a separate caucus for the Orthodox Jewish population of the state. This special caucus took place in Las Vegas and you had to sign a letter saying that you could not take part in the normal state caucus due to religious reasons. (Orthodox Jewish people are not supposed to work on the Sabbath, which is considered sundown Friday to sundown Saturday).

However, people supporting Ron Paul decided to attend this special caucus, even though they weren't necessarily prevented from attending the normal caucus due to religious reasons. As a result, Ron Paul received a vast majority of the votes as the special caucus, despite the state going to Mitt Romney overall. Additionally, a major Newt Gingrich financial backer chose to attend even though he had publicly said he was not an Orthodox Jew.⁶

This special caucus was arranged a month prior to the actual date of the caucus. There was no special caucus in 2008 even though it was also held on a Saturday. The 2004 Republican Caucus was held on a weekday, while the Democratic Caucus was held two weeks prior, on Saturday, January 21st. Again, with no special caucus.

My feeling is that if states are going to continue using the caucus system then then should plan ahead for contingencies like this. And in this circumstance, the date of the Nevada Caucus was moved to make sure it was held prior to the Florida moved it's primary.⁷ And was done quite some time ago.

Having special caucuses, due to religious reasons, starts moving us towards that slippery slope of supporting one religion over another. What would happen if a Christian group demanded a separate caucus due to religious reasons? Not as widely known, members of the 7th Day Adventist Church were also allowed to attend the special caucus as well, though they weren't the catalyst for it being established.

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¹ Answers.com, What states have presidential caucuses,
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_states_have_presidential_caucuses (Feb. 06, 2012).

^2,3 The Caucus System in the U.S. Presidential Nominating Process,
http://www.cfr.org/united-states/caucus-system-us-presidential-nominating-process/p15640#p2 (Feb. 06, 2012).

⁴ What Happens at a Presidential Caucus,
http://www.ehow.com/video_4871897_happens-precinct-caucus_.html (Feb. 06, 2012).

⁵ Caucuses Will Still Lack Absentee Voting,
http://www.thenation.com/blog/165218/caucuses-will-still-lack-absentee-voting (February 06, 2012).

⁶ Special Nevada caucus participants sign religious declaration,
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/02/05/3091525/special-nevada-caucus-participants-sign-religious-declaration (February 06, 2012).

⁷ Nevada Presidential Caucus Moved to January 14th,
http://www.nevadagop.org/nevada-presidenti%E2%80%8Bal-caucus-moved-to-january-14th/ (February 06, 2012).