I guess it's been several months since Lay's Potato Chips embarked on this perfect marketing scheme. Create a new flavor with the winner getting a cool $million and letting the public vote for their fave. I mean brilliant, why keep test batches strictly in the flavor lab paying only a few test market tasters? Market and sell it! And release it in limited quantities so the public will want to sample it even more. Whomever developed this scheme should reap a HUGE bonus this year!
But since the winning Cheesy Garlic Bread has been announced, there now seems to be a surplus (in the 50th at least) of the Chicken and Waffles. I've never seen the Sriracha in the 50th, maybe because of our large Asian community here or maybe because Lay's never shipped an adequate supply to Hawaii. But in any case, I finally tried the hype thanks to "T" who made the trek from K-Town over the Koolaus for possibly the last run of the test flavors.
Chicken And Waffles
Even before sampling these, I wondered how the flavor of fried chicken and waffles could be translated to a potato chip. Waffles, well, they'll probably give it a touch of butter flavor with pronounced maple syrup flavor but fried chicken? The only chicken flavored snack is Chicken in a Biskit crackers which don't really have any chicken flavor at all. Just salty (really salty) chicken flavored bouillon cubes (which also don't really taste like chicken). But Lay's did hit on the waffle AND the maple flavor.
Cheesy Garlic Bread
You immediately get the hit of garlic that you would get from garlic bread - possibly raw toasted garlic with a touch of Parmesan. So kudos for the aroma and flavor profile. But the lure of freshly made garlic bread is the toasty bread and cold potato chips no matter how flavorful can't replicate that sensation. If this flavor could be reproduced on Tater Tots while still hot out of the oven, then it would be a winner.
Sriracha
Can't comment here since they never seemed to be on retailers shelves. Maybe because the 50th has more than their fair share of those who drizzle Sriracha on everything. Or maybe because the combination of vinegar, garlic and spiciness can easily be replicated on a chip. But I'll never know though acquaintances who sampled the Sriracha thought it was the clear winner.
In any case, the Long's Kaneohe Bay location had both the Cheesy Garlic Bread and Chicken and Waffles for $3.29 this morning (I can't guarantee it's still in stock) while the Safeway Kaneohe Bay location had the Chicken and Waffles at the regular price as of this morning (again, I can't guarantee their current availability). But in the meantime I'll continue my quest for Cape Cod's Reduced Fat Chips that occasionally are carried by Costco... especially dipped in my homemade tartar sauce...
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