What is up with condiment themed chips?
Herr's was the first brand I noticed, they announced a line of boldly flavored chips meant to be added to sandwiches, "Sandwichips." They are currently available and come in four flavors: mustard, ketchup, spicy pickle, and sweet onion. As someone who likes adding chips to their sandwiches, I like the idea, but I am skeptical about their flavor pay off. If you have the mustard chips, do you still add actual mustard? Normally I find adding chips to my sandwiches is more-so a texture thing than a flavor one. And what about ketchup? Is that meant to go on Burgers? What other "sandwich" do you eat with ketchup? Hot dogs? Are hot dogs a sandwich? (I say no. Also, ketchup on hot dogs after the age of 12 is a crime.)
Then Doritos got in on the action with a ketchup and mustard duo of their own. No application gimmick, just condiment flavors for chippy consumption. Mustard, I get. Especially with a name like "hot mustard." It makes me think the the spicy mustard packets that came with our Chinese take-out. Which could be great in tortilla-chip-form. But...ketchup?
Ketchup chips are very popular in Canada, but I have never been a fan. The closest I come is All Dressed, which is a combination of Ketchup, Salt & Vinegar, and BBQ. Normal ketchup chips are too sweet for my personal snacking preference, but Doritos aren't known for being sweet. They named these "tangy ketchup," for a reason, and the "tangy"-aspect has me intrigued.
Time to jump in and see if buying these was a terrible mistake.
First up, Hot Mustard.
Opened, I smell corn tortillas, salt, and a bright vinegar-y tang that reminds me of bright yellow mustard.
They looks so pale! Practically like a plain tortilla chip, but they're not.
Taking a bite, I get salt, tortilla chip, and a bright, tangy, yellow mustard. It's vinegar-heavy, and certainly tangy, but hot? I wouldn't say so. I've had brown mustards spicier than this. Which isn't to say it's bad. I love mustard, I have at least 5 different types in my fridge as a type this (my fridge is 45% condiments), and these are definitely yummy, and very snackable, I just take issue with the "hot," aspect of the name.
Yellow mustard? Sure. Brown mustard? Maybe. But Hot Mustard? This is not. I like these a lot, but even after several chips-worth, I would categorize these as tangy more than anything else. In the same sense that salt and vinegar chips are tangy. I would definitely buy these again, and they are very enjoyable, but if you were hoping for a hot and spicy mustard, this isn't it. (Shocking for a brand as bold as Doritos to play it safe with the heat!)
Ketchup time!
This flavor promised to be tangy, but I found mustard to be tangy, not hot, so what will this one have in store?
Opened, they don't smell like much. You really have to get in there, and once you do they kind of remind me of beloved, discontinued, pizza-flavored Doritos. Tomato-y, and a little zesty, but mainly salty corn tortilla.
Visually, they look a lot like Nacho Cheesier, but a bit more red-tinged.
Taking a bite, they're definitely Ketchup-y. I made myself home fries today using the air fryer, and I ate them with ketchup (of course), so the flavor is fresh in my mind, and this is definitely recognizable as ketchup. But, to me, it kind of reminds me of cafeteria pizza sauce. Where it's ketchup-y, but with a little kick.
I taste tomatoes, vinegar, sweet onion, salt, and corn tortilla chips. As you eat, the tanginess build up, again in a similar way to Salt & Vinegar style chips, I could see this leaving the corners of your mouth a little raw after prolonged snacking, but I find the saltiness is the main after taste. After several chips I am craving water because I feel like I've been at a salt-lick. I like these way more than traditional potato-based ketchup chips, but this just isn't the flavor for me.
Both flavors seem to have a naming issue. If I were in charge I would change it to, "Tangy Mustard," and "Zesty Ketchup." Which probably wouldn't test well with consumers, but I think it would be way more accurate to what you're actually buying into.
That said, I would definitely recommend buying the Mustard before they disappear. I find myself reaching for them way more than I do the Ketchup, but if you're an OG ketchup-chip person, you may feel differently.
What condiment should be made into chips, but isn't? I would say Thousand Island. I love using it on Turkey sandwiches, and think it would make for a very interesting chip flavor. What about you?
Fans of this would also like: My Honey Mustard Chicken Bacon Panini recipe, Hot Diggidy Dog Pringles, Cuban Sandwich Lays, or the Rock n Roll Weiner
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