Lay’s drops new flavors all the time, but their Baked line rarely sees new additions. So, as big Baked Lay’s fans, we were psyched to hear about not one but two new Baked Lay’s flavors. First up we’ve got Lay’s Baked Roasted Garlic & Herbs.
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You don’t see roasted garlic chips very often. Regular old garlic, sure. We’re huge fans of Trader Joe’s new Garlic Butter potato chips. And Parmesan Garlic is one of the best Kettle Chips flavors. But roasted garlic has a very specific flavor—it’s sweet and rich and earthy and umami. Can Lay’s capture that flavor with a baked chip? We tried them to find out.
Pros: They captured the roasted garlic flavor. It’s unmistakable. It’s not powdered garlic or raw garlic or jarred garlic. This is roasted garlic. It has the distinct sweetness of roasted garlic. Impressive! If you’re the type to squeeze roasted garlic cloves directly into your mouth, then I’ve got a new Lay’s flavor for you.
Cons: If you don’t love garlic, you are going to be absolutely overwhelmed by this flavor. It’s potent and it lingers. Really lingers. Personally, I do love garlic, so I don’t mind that. My main quibble is with the “herbs” part of these chips. What types of herbs are we talking about? And where are they? While I get somewhat of a chivey flavor, I can’t pick out any other herbs. I’d love if these were roasted garlic and rosemary or roasted garlic and sage. Get specific, Lay’s! And then actually add some herb flavor.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!
Justine Sterling
Ariana Losch
Joe Rumrill
May Wilkerson
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!