Sunday, July 12, 2015

Margarita Kettle Chips - Aldi

Margarita Kettle Chips - Aldi
My food stash is backed up (again). I posted a photo of these on my Instagram roughly two months ago, and I'm finally getting around to reviewing them. Oh well, better late than never!

Ever since the Bottom Dollar buy-out, Aldi has been getting fancier and fancier. We're getting seasonal and limited edition products, fancy flavors, and a ton of gluten free options. Aldi went from being in the same league as Save-a-Lot, to being like a lower-end Trader Joe's, and I'm loving it!



The chips are inside one of those matte-finish heat-sealed plastic bags, which is the bag of choice for most kettle cooked crisps. (I love this finish! It always photographs nicely.) Even though I love the bag's texture, the design and layout aren't as polished as other specialty Aldi products. The blue sky background seems really out of place, almost as if it were a free stock photo they wanted to use for no reason other than it was pretty, and the type choices seem really lazy as well. Other than the food imagery at the bottom of the bag, everything else feels half-baked. (Get it? It's 'cause they're kettle chips.) I love Aldi, and this flavor sounds really interesting, but the packaging is definitely not why I picked this up. (Also, is anyone else getting pirate vibes from the badly worn paper banner?)

Enough picking on the design, the bag does function well. When I opened it up I got a mild whiff of lime mixed with potato-y kettle chips. The lime aroma is really weak, but there's just enough of it to let you know these aren't your average kettle chip. There's a mild fruitiness that is kind of reminiscent of Froot Loops, but it's no where near as strong.


I popped a chip into my mouth, and wow, these have a pretty authentic lime-juice flavoring. The powdery coating is sweet, citrus-y, tangy, and a bit zesty, almost as if you took powdered lime juice and added them to a bag of plain kettle chips. The overall flavoring is sweet and salty, and you know what? I dig it! This is what I imagine a Key Lime pie flavored potato chip from Lay's Do Us a Flavor contest would taste like, and I really like it.

This isn't your average every-day-snacking-chip, but it's a great accompaniment for hot dogs, hamburgers, and other grilled foods. At least I think so. I served a bag of these to my extended family on 4th of July, and most of them refused to even try them. However, my cousin and I really liked them a lot, so it all depends on your personal tastes. If you're a fan of the tortilla chips with a hint of lime, you'll really like these.

For the record a typical margarita is lime juice, tequila, salt (for the rim of the glass), and orange flavored liquor, and with these chips I can only really taste the lime and the salt, so I feel like the name "Margarita Kettle Chips" is a bit misleading, but I can see what they were going for.

If you like lime flavored tortilla chips, or pretty much lime-flavored anything, these are definitely worth trying. I think they're really refreshing and a great paring for grilled meats and veggies, but it all depends on how much you love lime.
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3 comments:

  1. As you mentioned those chips sound like a really good treat to serve while holding a BBQ! :)
    Let's hope Aldi is bringing them over to Germany ^^

    btw is it me or why can't i understand people who won't even try new things? (no offense here to your family! my girlfriend is kinda the same ^^):
    I mean if you try it and don't like it afterwards, it's ok. And it is also kinda alright to not try things that have (for example) shrimp flavor, when you hate shrimps. But saying you won't even try something without knowing you'll dislike it... i can't get my head around it... am i too much of a foodie? xD :D ^^

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  2. ^ I have this exact same conversation with people all the time!! It is mind-blowing to me. If you try it and you hate it, you never have to eat it again and you suffered 5 seconds worth of unpleasantness. If you try it and you love it, you've gained a simple pleasure that you can enjoy forever and ever. Risk vs. reward, people!

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    1. Well said Chris! And exactly how i feel.
      Example? My girlfriend never tried zucchini and arugula before she met me and i'm more than sure she would never had tried them without me. Today she loves both and has to put arugula on almost every pizza or pasta with a tomato based sauce. :)
      Ans still...it needs a lot of effort from me to make her try news things xD

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