Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Uttering the word "garlic" tends to send some people running due to the overwhelming aroma of that very pungent spice, but it is considered by many cooks to be an absolutely vital ingredient to many different recipes. And it would seem that the Boulder Canyon Natural Foods company has seen it fit to combine this distinct herb alongside the more subtle taste of Parmesan, which is definitely intriguing.

Now, potato chips are a universal snacking food of which very few people are allergic. But whenever the bag gets a few additions to it such as spices or herbs, the potential for some sort of evil wheaty or glutenous content becomes all but certain. Any time that there's ever a plate of fries (potatoes) that have been cooked up in a restaurant and covered with some sort of delicious topping, there has always been some sort of flour tossed about in the mixture.

And the folks at Boulder Canyon seem to be aware of this issue as they have specifically suggested on the top of their bag in big letters that their kettle chips are gluten free. Which is sort of awesome. 

Because how common is it to find toppings on fries and chips that are gluten-free?

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

It tends to happen about as often as finding a freeway with no traffic on it in Los Angeles, according to the experiences of this writer. And sometimes companies don't even bother to provide at least one variety of chips that haven't otherwise been draped with pounds and pounds of gluten infused toppings. So seeing "gluten free" stamped on the front of a bag of chips is likely to make me snatch them off the shelf immediately.

And Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan & Garlic are the first potato chips of this sort that I decided to try simply because they were on sale at my local Sprouts. And what a good choice that was, too. Because these chips are pretty terrific. Kettle cooked potato chips are generally a deliciously sinful way to eat potatoes and when there are toppings involved, the experience only gets better.

The people in charge of seasoning these things at the Boulder Canyon manufacturing place definitely know how to use their spices as the chips are not overwhelming with their aroma, such as might be the case with a bag of Funyuns where the moment they're opened everyone runs for the hills to avoid the tsunami of onion smell that unfurls.

The Boulder Canyon chips have the expected taste and texture (and greasiness) that is expected of such kettle cooked potato chips and the fat content and calories are similar to what you'd expect from such food.

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan and Garlic
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Boulder Canyon Kettle Chips Parmesan & Garlic Report Card

The Good Stuff

Everything. If you like garlic and Parmesan, these chips are a great option as the two flavors definitely sit well together on those potato chips. The garlic isn't overpowering and there's just enough of the seasonings included on the chips for a really enjoyable snacking experience.

What Could be Better

While it's not something I would recommend the company change, the calories and fat in these delicious suckers are definitely something of which to be aware. Just like any other calorie-laden snack, eating these chips should be a treat and not an entire meal. Eat them in moderation! If you can. Because the contents of that bag tend to disappear rather swiftly...