I’ve been enjoying the influx of internationally inspired, inventive, or trendy chip flavors that have been coming out lately. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a good sour cream and cheddar Ruffle, but “New!” holds a special kind of allure for me, and creative AND new? Well, sign me up yesterday!
Lay’s Wavy Magic Masala isn’t the brand’s first foray into the world of internationally-inspired flavors. Heck, it’s not even the only one available on shelves right now… but it’s definitely a unique addition to the lineup and the lineup of other seasonally available or otherwise limited edition chip flavors at my local grocery store, and that counts for something!
These chips smell amazing as soon as you open the bag. There is a distinct waft of spices in the most delicious way. Strong, but not overpowering, much like the flavor. They have a great balance between the bold spices and the rest of the ingredients, with a surprisingly perfect kick that leaves that gentle warmth on your lips and tongue for a few minutes after eating them. Perfect if you like that sort of thing, anyway.
My favorite Indian restaurant starts every meal with a little bowl of a complimentary snack called Aloo Bhujia: thin, crispy, spiced potato noodles. These chips remind me almost exactly of that. The spice blend is strikingly similar (thus, I feel it’s probably fairly authentic to the chips’ Indian inspiration), and it complements the potato base equally as well. It’s a perfect pairing of crispy texture and a flavorful, spicy seasoning that doesn’t hold back (probably a six on a 1-10 scale of relative snack food spiciness). They would go great with a cooling, creamy dip, too. The color is also nice and bright without that artificial Cheeto-y orangeness some chips have. And while we are on the topic of color, I absolutely love the bag design! The colors are bright, the accents are fun, and it definitely lets me know that something special and delicious waits inside.
I’m most definitely picking up several more bags of these, along with the ingredients for a nice homemade raita to dip them in.
Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 7.5 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz) 150 calories, 10 grams of total fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 1 gram of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
I picked up some creamy plain yogurt to dip them in when I got them. It was PERFECT.
These are great. They taste similar to the ones in India, which have existed for a while now.
The review references “spices” multiple times without describing the type of spices used. There are different types of masala. What do these taste like? Are they heavy on cumin?
There are a variety of types of masala. Which spices are used in this? The review doesn’t doesn’t describe how it tastes aside from “spices”. Is it more cumin forward? Cardamom? Coriander?
Cumin forward, turmeric, a hint of ginger
Our local Indian grocery store (Patel Brothers) carries many of the Lay’s flavors sold in India, including Masala. I don’t remember if they are wavy though…I’m thinking they probably aren’t. I definitely prefer a wavy chip for dipping, so I might have to give these a twirl
I thought they were gross