East Bay Times

Barbecue potato chips — the best, the dullest

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Sliced razor thin and crisped until golden, potato chips are a heavenly thing. Add a dusting of barbecuefl­avored powder, and they are another kind of delicious — salty, sweet, spicy, smoky and a perfect addition to a summer picnic.

Since making their debut in 1958, barbecue chips have become a favorite. Store shelves are crowded with options ranging from thick to thin, baked or fried, ridged, unpeeled and more. Flavor difference­s are huge, with chips skewing from sweet to salty, smoky to bland. Kettle chips tend to be thicker and more crunchy; traditiona­l chips are light and crispy.

Finding the best barbecue chips isn't easy, as there are few clues on the package. Words such as “hickory” and “mesquite” are not flavor guarantees. Ingredient lists are nearly identical; fat and sugar levels are similar. The biggest difference between chip brands is the seasoning.

Great barbecue chips are a mouthful of crunchy, tangy flavor. They're dusted with a balanced blend of flavorful spices, salt and sugar. The seasoning is bold, but doesn't overpower the toasty flavor of the potato chip. The best also deliver a punch of authentic smoke flavor that lingers.

Caution: Very few supermarke­t brands get it right. Bad chips are either boring and bland or they're dusted with too much salt or sugar. The worst punish the tastebuds with overpoweri­ng amounts of seasoning that's neither balanced nor tasty.

Here's the scoop on barbecue chips that deliver a tasty punch of spicy, smoky flavor — and the chip fails you won't want in the bowl. Nutrition details refer to 1 ounce, or about 16 chips.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? With their distinctiv­e spicy tang, barbecue potato chips are among the most popular crisps around — assuming you've picked up a good brand, that is. Not all chips are stellar picks.
GETTY IMAGES With their distinctiv­e spicy tang, barbecue potato chips are among the most popular crisps around — assuming you've picked up a good brand, that is. Not all chips are stellar picks.
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