With the exception of writers with child-like spice tolerances, just about everyone loves Sriracha. Snack-makers everywhere have taken note, and now Julius Pringle has thrown his bow-tie in the ring of fire with a Sriracha chip available exclusively at Walmart.
It's worth mentioning that this isn't the first Sriracha chip. Kettle also released a version that tasted good, but didn't quite nail the signature flavor. So, how does the Pringles version stack up to the Kettle? Well, literally it stacks up much more easily, and figuratively it tastes much more like Sriracha.
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Heat index
This isn't going to turn your mouth into a rainforest or a desert. It brings to mind an unseasonably hot Spring afternoon: you feel an initial burst of heat, but it dissipates quickly.
Saltiness
Salt and grease are usually partners in crime when it comes to snack chips, but the baked nature of the Pringle allows the saltiness to stand alone. If you're looking for a salty snack fix, these do not disappoint. It's all of the sodium with none of the tell-tale wet-finger guilt.
Overall taste
When I think Sriracha, I think of the time I squirted it on a graffiti wall. But then I think of garlic and red jalapeño.
Sriracha's prime flavor components are gracefully captured in these chips without wavering into the realm of parody. It'd be easy to pump either flavor to the extreme, but Pringles has struck a fine balance. First you taste the jalapeño, then there's an aftertaste of garlic that's funky, but still subtle enough to keep these from rocketing to the top of the bad breath foods ranking.
Conclusion
Congratulations Pringles, you've succeeded at capturing Huy Fong's elusive flavor profile and delivering it on a satisfying snacking vessel. That's not to say this is the greatest chip ever created, but I can assure you that once you pop, you won't immediately want to stop.
Dan Gentile is a staff writer on Thrillist's national food and drink team. He has an unopened bottle of Sriracha that he uses just for photo shoots. Follow him to more pantry confessions at @Dannosphere.