I’m not normally into the free samples being hawked at Costco. But I’m glad I slowed my wagon down long enough today to contemplate these three new products.
Riceworks Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps are a terrific new entry in the snack food marketplace. Made of “natural whole grain brown rice” – “You can see the rice right in there,” gushes the label – the chips are free of preservatives, artificial flavors, wheat and glutens. Even more important: they are delicious.
Costco only stocks the Sweet Chili crisps, but the line also includes Sea Salt, Salsa Fresca, Parmesan, Wasabi and Baked Cinnamon.
I love the subtle garlic and chili flavors of the Sweet Chili chips, the corny background flavor (masa corn flour is ingredient #3), and the ever-so-subtle hint of sweetness. I also like the texture – coarse, crackly and substantial enough to pile a dip or puree or salad on top. (There’s an interesting recipe for Sweet Chili Inside Out Spring Rolls on the Web site.)
We’re not talking low-cal here. A one-ounce serving (about 10 large chips) is 140 calories, with 6 grams of fat. But these chips are, in my opinion, a better alternative to mass marketed tortilla chips that taste like they are dusted with chemicals.
I’ve long been a big fan of Terra Chips. In fact, I’m crazy about the original Terra Exotic Vegetable Chips, a medley of sweet potato, parsnip, taro and yucca chips that are thin, crispy and bursting with flavor.
But I’m underwhelmed by the company’s newest product, Terra Stripes & Blues, which are so new they are not yet on the company’s Web site.
With a discreet barbecue sauce flavor and brilliant red, white and blue coloring, these chips might be a natural for Fourth of July parties and baseball or football tail-gating. But, overall, they’re disappointing. I find the veggie flavors muted and the textures unpleasant – some are overly thick, some are slightly soggy, none are light and crisp.
A “seasonal” mix of root vegetables, the Stripes & Blues typically contain sweet potato, blue potato and beets. The list of ingredients also includes tomato and garlic powder, Worcestershire flavor and fructose.
Shifting gears completely, I also tasted Reese’s latest entry into the “foods you can’t live without” department. Reese’s Select Clusters are ridiculously good.
(Disclaimer: I was the mom, accompanying her little kids on Halloween, who personally went to the door of any house handing out Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. OK. I also lifted a few from their bags when they were sleeping.)
Basically, what we have here is a chocolate-covered turtle. A super soft, ooey, gooey chocolate-covered turtle. There’s a little bit of caramel in there. And some rather finely chopped peanuts and pecans. But don’t go looking for bittersweet chocolate and Fancy grade pecans. This is, at heart, a jazzed-up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup with great mouth feel and a high comfort food quotient.
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