OH! Chips is doing some funky things in the flavor department this summer. Known for its kettle and sweet potato chips, the chippery is now selling snacks in flavors such as Spicy Pineapple.
OH! Chips are smaller in diameter than your average chip. They’re almost their own sort of thing, and so very far removed from Ruffles and Lay’s. The Spicy Pineapple chips are built on a sweet potato base – a good call, as it’s a natural compliment for the flavor palate. The pineapple hits you first with an otherworldly sweetness — like concentrated pineapple juice, then it gives way to a spiky heat that compels you to eat another chip, just for instant relief. And so, the cycle starts again: sweet-burn-sweet-burn, right to the bottom of the bag.
There’s also a new Buffalo (plus Blue Cheese & Celery) flavor. It’s built on russet potatoes. More sophisticated than expected. there is a pronounced vinegar accent. That’s a good thing, as it’s an element in hot sauce, and it gives an extra dimension to the heat and blue cheese flavor.
The pineapple chip was pretty simple, the buffalo one is complex. The ingredient lists explain the experience. The former is basically pineapple powder, cayenne pepper, salt and sweet potatoes. When it comes to the latter, the list goes on forever, including dehydrated Frank’s Red Hot, dehydrated blue and cheddar cheeses, celery seed powder, salt and of course, the potatoes.
Both are good and entertaining — and they inspire a hardcore drive to seek out all the flavors for future testing: the chip maker is also producing Garlic Parmesan, Balsamic and Vinegar & Pepper snacks.
As the name indicates, OH! Chips are an Ohio product. More than that, they’re local to Columbus (Scott Street in Franklinton). You can learn all the restaurants and stores that sell the chips on the company’s website: www.oh-chips.com.