India's Magic Masala Lay's Chips - India Bazaar
Everyday when I drive to my graphic design day job I go past this grocery store called "India Bazaar"which is an Asian-Indian supermarket and I've always wanted to see what was inside. Since it was on my way IN to work, and not on my way home, I never got around to it. (It's not like I have time to pull over in the mornings, and even if I did there's nowhere to keep the groceries I might buy while I'm at work all day except my hot car....) Right before Easter weekend I was able to leave work early and instead of using the highway to get back home, I decided to go the longer route and finally see what the India Bazaar had to offer, and it did not disappoint!
This place is freaking awesome! It has a ton of interesting vegetarian frozen entrees I can eat with my veggie boyfriend, delicious saffron and pistachio ice creams (I bought a single serving and ate it in my car on my way home that day), and a really well stocked snack food aisle. I'll have to go back and take photos and do a more in-depth post about the store itself, but for now, let's talk about these chips I found.
Wandering around the snack aisle I saw a lot of new and interesting things, like mint flavored potato sticks, but out of the corner of my eye I saw a familiar logo...Lays! I know those guys! There were two flavors from this brand in the aisle, these Magic Masala ones and a pile of "American Style Cream and Onion." It was really cool to see the American flavor being treated as something interesting and different, while the Magic Masala were considered typical. I had to grab a bag!
The overall design is just like all the other flavors of Lay's (Or Walkers/Sabritas/Smith's) available around the globe. Their name might change for their global marketing, but their brand identity and layout stay the same. It's easily recognizable and very appealing. I don't have much to say about the bag's functionality or overall look, since it's very similar to other chip bags I've already discussed, but I gotta say, this deep blue color is gorgeous! The contrast between the deep blue backdrop and the bright yellow logo and orange spices? Freaking beautiful!
I opened up the bag and took a whiff. These chips smell so...complex. I can smell garlic, onion, chili pepper...but there's this rich savoriness that can only be described as "meaty." It smells great and the chips inside look heavily seasoned. I'm excited!
I took a bite, and the chip's texture seems a little thicker and crunchier than the ruffled Lay's I get here in the states, this was more like a light kettle chip crunch. They taste... AMAZING! Just as complex as they smelled, if not more! It's salty, savory, sweet, and spicy all at the same time! I can definitely taste onion, garlic, and turmeric, but there's this sweet flavoring that reminds me of the tamarind sauce that came with those Aldi samosas, and a decent spicy kick at the end. Thanks to the heavy seasoning, these are easily a medium spice level, and the more you eat, the more the heat builds. As a spicy snack fan, I freaking love it! However, I'm already a few handfuls in and I can tell that I will be needing a breath mint and maybe an antacid by the time I finish this bag. Don't get me wrong, these taste fantastic, but they also taste like heartburn.
I absolutely LOVED these chips and I imagine most of my friends would love them too. I'll definitely have to go back and get a few bags to share. They're heavily seasoned, with an addicting crunchier texture that's a bit thicker than usual, and a decent spicy finish that kept me coming back for more. Now that my little bag is gone I can definitely feel he heartburn a'coming, but it was well worth it. I'll definitely be back to the India Bazaar, and I'll be grabbing more of these chips. If you're a fan if Indian take out, the now discontinues Lay's Sriracha chips, and spicy snack foods, you gotta get your hands on some of these! You won't be disappointed.
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