Snack Review: Su Guttiau Italian Crispy Chips

When I saw these chips in Whole Foods, I was drawn to them, and I immediately realized that this was because I was just the kind of borderline-yuppie they were obviously trying to appeal to. This made me suspicious, of course. And since, having been raised in an Italian family I am prejudiced in favor of anything Italian, foodwise, were they just trying to trick me there too? You know, like using the name Häagen-Dazs on a product that has nothing to do with a foreign country.

I was torn. So I read the label. They were really made in Italy. And it said this:

“Based on an ancient Bronze Age bread made over 3000 years ago on the island of Sardinia, Guttiau is probably the world’s first snack food.”

OK, they are probably full of it, but how could we not review something that claims to be the world’s oldest snack food?

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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.”
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Snack Review: Eating Right Cheddar Potato Crisps

It seems everyone’s on a health kick recently. Once upon a time, snacks could survive on tastiness alone. This is no longer always the case. Customers today want products that not only taste good, but are packed with nutrients as well - or, at the very least, as few calories and fat grams as possible.

Originally, “healthy” snacks were the domain of boutique shops and high-end grocery stores (Whole Foods, anyone?) Now, as companies release lesser-evil versions of old snacks, the signs of health-consciousness are popping up everywhere. Some grocery stores have even ventured into healthier territory with their own product lines.

Just under a year ago, Safeway/Vons launched its “Eating Right” line. Offering everything from salty snacks to frozen entrees, the brand promises on its packaging to “unite flavor and nutrition” through lighter versions of favorite products. Recently, I encountered Eating Right’s “Potato Crisps” for the first time, and decided to give them a try.

I was tempted by both the image on the package – the puffs reminded me of some very tasty rice snacks I’d tried long ago – and the nutrition stats on the back of the packaging. Safeway/Vons offers the Potato Crisps in four flavors: Cheddar, Barbeque, Salsa and Wasabi. After much internal debate, I chose the Cheddar variety.

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Snack Review: Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime Tortilla Chips

When a label reads “certified organic” I know I’m in for an expensive snack, but one that’s bound to taste fresh and satisfying. These low-fat, low-calorie chips lived up the the guiltless moniker, and the only guilt I felt was in spending close to the price of a gallon of gas for a 7 oz. bag. The generous serving size of 18 chips is twice that of regular tortilla chips, while fat content is half of other chips, and there are no saturated or trans fats. Guiltless indeed, but watch out - these chips contain nearly double the sodium of standard ‘guilt-full’ chips. Oh well, everything’s a trade-off. Moderation, my friends, right?

I admit they are delicious, but the oven-baked crunch is a bit overwhelming. Apparently, some of the stone-ground corn had not been completely ground and I found myself crunching hard grains of corn between my front teeth long after finishing the chips. For those of you with dental work or “iffy” crowns, I would advise cautious chewing.

The natural lime flavoring was subtle with just enough of a citrus essence to be noticeable and not overbearing or artificial-tasting (hence the “natural” label). The chili pepper was a touch heavy-handed and too salty, but spicy enough to tweak the tongue while dissipating within two minutes.

I wouldn’t recommend these for your everyday tortilla chip needs, but if you’re looking for something different or want to impress your friends at your next South-of-the-Border-themed party (even though these chips are manufactured in Secaucus, New Jersey), the Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime tortilla chips are a delightful alternative. Ole!

Guiltless Gourmet

Buy Guiltless Gourmet Chili Lime Tortilla Chips Online:

• at Amazon.com