Lobster Potato Chips? We Blind-Tasted 9 New Flavours, For Science
Canadians don't shy away from bold chip flavours — after all, we're notorious for our love of ketchup chips — but the current volume of options is starting to make the chip aisle a little daunting.
Gone are the days when "Aged Cheddar" was the most sophisticated flavour in the aisle. Now, you can dive into Lobster, Donair or Mozzarella N' Marinara — one Pringles variety even keeps the flavour a secret, offering a hefty cash prize for anyone who can correctly guess the flavour of their mystery chip.
But can these new chip varieties really deliver on their ambitious — and often highly specific — flavour promises. Can the taste of a BLT sandwich or a lobster dinner really be captured in a humble chip?
Chatelaine staff tried nine varieties (including a few yet-to-be released flavours) in a blind taste test. The goal: to see if the stated flavours rang true — and to take a stab at the Pringle's secret "Mystery" chip seasoning. Staffers tested the chips independently to avoid influencing each other, and gave their best flavour guess for each.
Some guesses were dead on — congrats to the loaded hot dog chip (really!) — while others left tasters stumped, demanding to know what the heck they were eating.
To find out if a donair-flavoured chip actually tastes like donair, scroll through our gallery below.
chip flavours
Covered Bridge Loaded Hot Dog
A couple of people nailed this flavour right away — and most people were at least in the ballpark (sorry, had to say it).
Our Guesses:
Hot dog!
BBQ ribs
Mustard
Buffalo wing
Steak
Smokey lime
Hot dog condiments
Ruffles Mozzarella N’ Marinara
This chip reminded tasters of their favourite comfort foods — and Ruffles’ rippled texture was the perfect vehicle for the hearty flavour. Our Guesses:
Cheddar cheese
Garlic aioli
Cheesy mashed potato
Pizza
Lay’s BLT ( Available November 5th)
This chip captured the zingy flavour of mayo, but tasters didn’t pick up on the ‘B’, ‘L’, or ‘T’ part of the sandwich.
Our Guesses:
Lobster roll
Mustard
Cheddar and chive
Sour cream and chives
Lay’s Sizzlin’ Szechuan (not yet released)
Tasters picked up on the sweet and spicy flavours in the Szechuan chip — good for those who like their chips with a bit of a kick!
Our Guesses:
Sweet curry
Sweet onion and cheese
Butter chicken
Sriracha
Jalapeno popper
Pringles Mystery Flavour
The mystery chip was a crowd-pleaser, although we’re still stumped on what the secret flavour is (there is definitely something cheesy in there).
Our Guesses:
Parmesan and marinara
Loaded potato
Nacho cheese
Cup of noodles
Sour cream and onion
Buttered cheese popcorn
Covered Bridge Atlantic Lobster
This chip embodied the salt water aroma of the East Coast more so than the rich, buttery taste of lobster.
Our Guesses:
Sea salt
Shrimp
Honey garlic
Neal Brothers Montreal Steak Spice
Tasters were quick to pick up on the classic savoury seasoning, and even detected the flavour of dill as well.
Our Guesses:
Pepper steak
Montreal Steak Spice
Pepper-dill pickle
Roast chicken
Caesar cocktail
Roast chicken
Covered Bridge Greco Donair
The famous meat, pita and sweet garlic sauce combo is a hard one to replicate in a chip — people were way off on this one. Our Guesses: Gravy
Roast chicken
Veggie dip
Wasabi-honey
Fried chicken
Poutine
Neal Brothers Vij’s Dehli-licious
Neal Brothers’ collaboration with Indian-Canadian chef Vij Vikram brought the flavour in a big way, reminding tasters of their favourite curry, dal and noodle dishes.
Our Guesses:
Singapore noodles
Curry
Chickpea garam masala
Barbecue onion
More:
Chocolate-coated kettle chips
14 easy snacks for hectic workdays
10 best-ever potato salad recipes
Chatelaine Quickies: Nachos Supreme
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