Snack Review: Terra Sweet Potato Chips
Nothing quickens my pulse quite like the sight of sweet potato fries on a restaurant’s menu. They are, by far, one of my favorite side dishes, and stumbling upon them is like finding a large, gift-wrapped package with my name on the tag. When sweet potatoes show up, an ordinary evening is suddenly transformed into Christmas morning circa 1995 (when the anticipation was still near seizure-inducing), and I have to fight the urge to burst into the kitchen and high-five the chef.
This means that when I discovered Terra’s Sweet Potato Chips in the organic aisle of my local grocery store, I was physically unable to pass them up. The photo on the package featured a blissful pile of golden circles, and I knew I had to try them. “Screw this amber waves of grain nonsense,” I thought, as I hurled the bag into my shopping cart. “Real patriots eat amber waves of sweet potatoes.”
Looking back, I was probably setting myself up for disappointment with such unbridled enthusiasm. But since loving sweet potatoes is part of my DNA, quelling my giddiness was pretty much impossible. Sundae-flavored burritos are perhaps the only other food that could have propelled me to such a state of excitement, and I don’t even dare to think about that.
Sadly, what I failed to consider before purchasing Terra’s chips, is that I love the spices that chefs throw on their sweet potato fries, perhaps just as much as the fries themselves. The hard fact of the matter is that when sweet potatoes fly solo, they inevitably loose some of their punch. Without flavorful wingmen – oregano, paprika, table salt – this potentially delicious veggie is just bleh.
Some snack-lovers might find this root vegetable tantalizing on its own, but I believe it tastes best when paired with another flavor. Heck, sweet potatoes are even good with marshmallows, as my overfed Thanksgiving belly can attest. So although these chips boast a light, layered texture, their extreme mildness is a big turn off for me. My grocery store didn’t carry Terra’s spiced chip varieties, but I can only assume that their other products carry more of a kick.
Despite being generally underwhelmed with this snack, I will give it credit for its crispiness. Unlike standard potato chips, Terra’s Sweet Potato Chips won’t leave a trail of grease down your esophagus, which I appreciated. So if you’re sick of oil-laden potato slices, then this product might be for you. But if, like me, you prize flavor over texture, it’s probably best to steer your shopping cart in another direction.
Buy Terra Sweet Potato Chips Online:
- at Amazon.com
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[...] you gotta love the seasoning. After my disheartening encounter with Terra sweet potato chips, I knew better than to accidentally purchase the “plain” variety of these crisps. So I [...]