Sometimes Foodie: My Kind of Shots - Doritos Crack Pepper Chicken Flavor Shots

Doritos Flavor Shots Crack Pepper Chicken - Hung Vuong Market
Are Flavor Shots still sold in America? The Frito-Lay website only lists one flavor, Fiery Habanero Triangles, but when you click on it, they're not available for purchase locally or online. I guess they're discontinued state-side? Which goes to show how much attention I pay to Doritos these days.

I can never find new products in my area (RIP Wasabi and the Tangy Cool Ranch flavors I never got to try), and when I do fall in love with something new and interesting, it's discontinued, like my beloved Collisions series. Frito-Lay is like the Bath & Body Works of the snacking world, as soon as you fall in love with something new, it's gone. (But they'll have Japanese Cherry Blossom FOREVER.)

I've had no luck with American Doritos flavors, but what about a Taiwanese one?

I spotted this package in the snacking aisle at Hung Vuong and thought a Pepper Chicken flavor sounded pretty interesting. Plus, the bag is small, so if they're not my cup of tea, there's less food to either power-through or go to waste.

When opened, the chips inside smell much sweeter than you'd expect, a very common trait of most Asian snack foods. These are sweet, a little meaty, and savory. Kind of like chicken ramen seasoning, if it was turned into a sugary candy or breakfast cereal. It's different, but not off putting.

Look! They're little baby Doritos, about 1/3 the size of normal chips. How freaking cute? I've never had a flavor shot before, but I guess they're all tiny and adorable like this?

I popped a few teeny chips into my mouth, and they're quite surprising. I've had Korean Doritos and Cheetos before, and they were always terribly sweet, but these are more balanced. They're still sweeter than most American Doritos flavors, but they're also salty, savory, a little meaty, and just the tiniest bit spicy. The spice isn't so much a vegetable based peppery heat, as it is cracked pepper the seasoning.

The more I eat, the more these make me think of some takoyaki or hoisin sauce. Sweet and BBQ-like, but also smoky, and not tomato-based like most American sauces. These grew on me rather quickly. I don't think I would ever want a full Dorito's-size bag of this flavor in particular, but the portion of this Flavor Shot was absolutely perfect. I found these interesting, and enjoyable, and I was able to finish the entire mini-pouch.

While it was yummy, I don't think I would buy this again for myself, but I would buy it to share with friends. It's a successful, fun, and low-risk product. Have you tried any Flavor Shots? If so, what's your favorite flavor? (This is the only one I have ever tried.)