If there’s one thing I know about Ruffles, it’s that they have ridges. If there’s two things I know about Ruffles, it’s that they do flavors RIGHT (and they have ridges). Have you ever had Cheddar & Sour Cream Ruffles? They are the best Cheddar & Sour Cream thing on the market right now, and yes, I am aware that Pringles exist (and that Cheddar & Sour Cream is the Sporked crew’s favorite Pringles flavor). Come at me, bro. Ruffles are the chip hill (or rather, series of tiny bumps) I have chosen to die on, and no one can stop me. So you can probably guess what my reaction was when I heard that they were releasing a new limited edition Korean Sweet Chili flavor this summer. Got your answer locked in? Great. Here’s what I did: I went up to my apartment roof and screamed one super loud “YAY!” then went back down to my apartment, leaned out the window, and yelled, “Sorry for the disturbance!” Well? Were you right about my reaction? Of course you were…you know me so well.
Today, however, this new Ruffles flavor evolved past news and became a thing that was actually in my apartment and ready to try. So I grabbed my laptop and my high expectations and gave them a go.
- Korean-Style Sweet and Spicy Chili Ruffles
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Pros: These new Ruffles are sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, crispy, crunchy, and above all, addicting as all get out. I would describe the flavor as somewhere in the ballpark of classic sweet chili sauce, pepper jam, and cucumber kimchi, all with a slight warm duskiness no doubt from the “spices” and molasses that are listed in the ingredients, giving them a bit of a “charred on the grill” sort of character without getting into smoky BBQ chip territory. It’s essentially like sweet chili sauce with a bit more depth of flavor and a salty, satisfying crunch. These truly have it all—salt, fat, acid, heat, sweetness, and most of all, my heart. I think I just found one of my new favorite chips. It’s a dang shame these new Ruffles are only limited edition!
Cons: If the fact that these say “Korean” in the name makes you expect extreme spice, you may be a bit disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, these are actually spicy, just not quite on the level of Takis, Hot Cheetos, or any food at a Korean restaurant that is labeled “spicy.” But the bottom line here is that these chips are excellent and you should 100% buy them, especially if you are a sweet chili sauce and/or Ruffles fiend like me.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!