Snack Review: Cheetos Spicy Cheddar Cracker Trax
I have many fond memories involving Cheetos. The cheesy snacks weren’t my favorite thing to discover at lunchtime (that honor went to Oreos), but they were near the top of my list. The sensation of a Cheeto slowly melding to your tongue; dissolving to leave in its wake a sea of spongy, “cheez”-flavored goo, was and remains a simple and unique pleasure. One taste and it’s summer 1997… I’m at Performing Arts Camp, enjoying a brief respite from singing and dancing, frolicking with a merry band of fellow theatre geeks on a flawless Ohio summer day. I’d suspect I’m not alone in this sort of Cheetos-experience.
Yet for all its nostalgic value, you have to admit Cheetos aren’t the most attractive snack ever to grace a picnic table. When I observe the humble Cheeto, with its puffy, elongated ovoid shape and toxic-tangerine hue, I can’t help but imagine how at-home it would look in a newborn’s diaper. Cheetos have a one-of-a-kind feel and taste - but they’re very homely. Wouldn’t it be great if someone could capture the flavor of Cheetos, but give them a stylish new makeover?
That’s what must have been on the minds of the powers-that-be when they created Cheetos Cracker Trax. The new baked snack crackers, available in both Original Cheese and Spicy Cheddar flavors, flaunt their chic nature on the deep red bag, which features the image of a very self-satisfied Chester Cheetah showing off his new paw-shaped creations through a magnifying glass. The bag even features a pawprint signature by Mr. Cheetah. These are obviously being marketed to a more “sophisticated” crowd than the original, beloved poofy creations.
As I’ve eaten my share of cheesy snacks recently, I decided to mix things up a bit and give the Spicy Cheddar Trax a try. I thoroughly enjoyed my first few bites. At bag’s end, though, I found my opinions mixed. Here are my views on the positives and negatives of Cracker Trax:
The Good: The “real cheese” flavor of Cheetos is well-represented here, coupled in this variety with a pronounced, if not searing, heat. The familiar orange powder, here tinged with red, liberally coats every pawprint, and the resulting brightly-colored mouth may well trigger a rush of happy memories for childhood Cheeto-fans. Last, but certainly not least, these cheesy paws are adorable!
The Bad: As well as Cheetos Cracker Trax hold up in the taste department, they don’t capture the mouthfeel of the original puffs. Undoubtedly, an integral part of the Cheetos experience is what happens once the snack is in your mouth. Overgrown kids seeking a nostalgia dose should be warned: these Cracker Trax are aptly named. They are crackers. Very thick, baked crackers - which gives them a texture and crunch which takes some getting used to. I’d almost compare the paws to a superdense, cheese-flavored cereal (definitely better than it sounds, but still strange).
There’s a definite “Good” and “Bad” to this snack, but I’ll credit Cracker Trax for containing no hint whatsoever of “Ugly.” The oh-so-sexy paw prints would fit in as well in a glass bowl at a cocktail party as in a kid’s lunchbox. Like the snack that sired them, they are quite tasty, and, as the package proclaims, “dangerously cheesy.” But really, there’s no replacement for the real thing.
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