Snack Review: New Combos in Zesty Salsa and Jalapeño Cheddar Tortilla

In honor of their Ultimate ManCation Sweepstakes promotion, the good people at Combos decided to send me a few samples of their merchandise. Saturday morning, a FedEx man arrived with a decently large package which turned out to contain four bags of the beloved cheese and cracker/pretzel rolls. Three were family-sized (6.3-oz.) packs, with six (supposed) servings apiece, and the other was single-serve (1.5 oz.)

Two of the larger bags were reserved for the popular snack’s first and most beloved flavors, Cheddar and Nacho Cheese. The final large bag contained the newest variety of Combos to be released (Zesty Salsa-Tortilla). The single-serve bag held another new flavor, Cheddar-Jalapeno Tortilla. Until I searched for an image of the bag, and came up empty-handed, I had no idea how new. As it turns out, this variety of Combo hasn’t been released yet, so shhhh! Don’t tell anyone!

I’m guessing most habitual snackers here have tried Combos in Cheddar, Nacho Cheese, or Pizza (not included in my free variety pack, but ubiquitous nonetheless) at some point. Found everywhere from convenience stores to gas stations since the early ’90s, they’re tough to avoid. If there’s a visitor to this site who hasn’t: Combos take the classic snack combo of cheese (well, a Cheez Whiz-y greasy/grainy substance) and pretzels or crackers and rolls the two into one convenient, bite-sized snack.

Now, Combos have never been my favorite snack food. This has more to do with texture and consistency than anything else. I’ve always found the filling a bit too oily, their pretzel encasement overly dense and bread-y. Yet, I’ll admit the little rolls are addictive. They’re tasty, and no matter how disagreeable the texture, I’ve never found myself eating just one.

I had high hopes for the two new, Tex-Mex inspired flavors. Along with the element of spice, which is usually a good thing in my book, the Zesty Salsa and Jalapeno-Cheddar flavors boasted “Stone-ground Corn” in the role usually reserved for ultra-dense pretzel. I’m pretty sure there’s no one actually stone-grinding cornflour in Combos’ Chicago HQ, but I love corn tortillas, so the concept sounded muy delicioso! Without further ado, here are my opinions on the new flavors:

Zesty Salsa Tortilla

The first of the new flavors I sampled, this is Combos’ newest snack sensation to hit supermarket shelves. Upon first opening the bag, I suspected these saucy bundles would leave quite an impression. My olfactory system was hit at once by the strong and genuine scent of hot sauce, laced with just enough cheesiness to assure me these were, in fact, Combos.

Holding my first Salsa-Tortilla Combo up, I noticed a striking similarity to the classic Pizza Combo. The filling was an identical almost-neon orange. There was a visible difference, however, in the roll’s outer layer. Rather than the deep, salted brown signifying a pretzel, this roll’s outside was, well… the yellow of corn. Unnatural filling color aside, the product looked fairly appetizing, and certainly smelled like it could be good.

I bit in, and was immediately struck by the tangy, zesty, and tomato-y sweetness of the Salsa filling. Tasting every bit as authentic as it smelled, I found a lot to like in this flavor. Its familiar texture of grease and grit detracted somewhat from the great taste, but with the success the Combos company has enjoyed, they probably aren’t going to mess with their classic formula anytime soon.

Disappointingly, the flavor’s much-touted casing of “Stone-ground Corn” wasn’t all that discernible from the classic pretzel coating. I’ve always found the pretzel a bit heavy and denser than it should be, as a compliment to the filling, and there’s no textural difference to be found here. I didn’t really taste or smell corn in the new blend, either. However, the prettily-hued shells look like corn, and most of the hyper-suggestible types out there should easily “taste” what they see… then again, my taste buds could just be off.

In any case, Zesty Salsa Tortilla Combos make for a solid snacking experience. Fans of Combos will really eat these up (no pun intended)! Now, we can proceed to the unreleased, super-secret, hush-hush stuff!

Jalapeño-Cheddar Tortilla

Not yet released? Only a tiny sample bag for the reviewer? No online images available, even on Google? I was intrigued. Add to all this secrecy the flavor: Cheddar-Jalapeño! In my book, anything with true Jalapeño flavor is going to be good. Many of my favorite cuisines - Thai, Sichuan Chinese, and South Indian, to name a few - use liberal doses of hot pepper.

Opening the diminutive bag didn’t strike my nostrils to the degree that the Zesty Salsa variety had. I smelled the usual mild cheese, salt and grease, with just a tiny bit of spice. Pulling one out, it looked much the same as a classic Cheddar Combo, only in the same “Tortilla” casing as the Salsa flavor.

Biting in, I was underwhelmed, especially with the assertive sensation of Zesty Salsa still lingering on my palate. Sampling another, I realized that these were comparatively dull. Whereas the Zesty Salsa variety offered more than enough flavor to compensate for the familiar greasy texture and heaviness of the Combo, this version packed less flavor than the classic Cheddar Combo, ostensibly the plainest of all.

I suppose the chemists at the Combos factory figured that spice from the “Jalapeño” flavoring meant that they could leave out salt. Unfortunately, there really isn’t that much spice in this flavor. Whatever pepper they’re using to flavor these snacks, it isn’t true Jalapeño. The no-man’s land of “Stone-ground Corn” casing only served to further dilute what spice was present. Those with a meeker palate might find the flavor a nice surprise… I was simply disappointed.

As previously mentioned, Combos have never been the first snack I reached for when craving a salty hit, or even a cheesy one. Once I’ve tasted a Combo, I do feel the mysterious urge to eat more. Yet I prefer real cheese to the “Whiz” variety, and wafer-thin crackers to pretzels, for that matter. Maybe, as a female, I lack the “manliness” necessary to appreciate the genius of Combos. Whatever my Combos-related defect, the package I received did little to alter the snack’s overall standing in my mind. However, I’ll confess that next time I find myself famished at a gas station or convenience store, I’ll seriously consider taking another dip in the Combos Zesty Salsa pool.

• Combos Website

Buy Combos Online:

• at Amazon.com

8 Comments

Leave a Comment

Username (required) :
Email (required) :
Web Site :
Comment :

Comment moderation is enabled. Your comment may take some time to appear.