Tortilla chip tournamentSuper Bowl snackers, the big day is nearly upon us, and there are some very important decisions to be made. First of all, let's talk about the best tortilla chips. Last time I waltzed into the store looking for chips, I saw row after dizzying row of crunchy corn snacks. Which one to chose?!?
Well, we've got you covered. We brought in testers from The Stir and from MamasLatinás (oh yes we did!) to taste a range of plain tortilla chips. We asked everyone to judge based on our proprietary and rigorous Ultimate Tortilla Chip Deliciousness Test: Chips that hold up to dip, have that light-yet-substantial crunch, are just corny and salty enough, and have the ideal tortilla chip texture. And now, as Hank Williams, Jr. would have sung: Are you ready for some TORTILLA CHIIIIIIIIIIPS?
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The chips we tested were:
- Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
- Xochitl Totopos de Maiz with Sea Salt Mexican Style
- Bachman Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
- Garden of Eatin' Mini Yellow Rounds
And the top two were: Tostitos Restaurant Style and Bachman Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips.
BEST: Tostitos tasted the "most traditional" to tasters, like "what I expect from a chip." They were "airy & salty, in a good way." Almost everyone liked the crunch and the saltiness ("just right") and found the chips dip-able. A whopping 7 out of the 11 tasters ranked it as their favorite -- a clear winner. There was one reader who just didn't agree and thought the chip tasted like cardboard. "There better be some good salsa to make this go down better." Aw, harsh!
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RUNNER-UP: Bachman got good marks for their great, "grainy texture" good dip-ability, and crunch. A few people thought they could have used a little more salt, and a couple others thought they weren't quite as flavorful as the Tostitos. Just about everyone who didn't pick Tostitos as their favorites picked the Bachmans as their number-one. So if you can't find that first choice, this is also a great choice.
Check out our salsa tournament later today!
Are you planning to nosh on chips and salsa during the Super Bowl this year? What do you want out of a tortilla chip?
Image via Adriana Velez
Written by Adriana Velez on CafeMom's blog, The Stir.
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