Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Chips Gluten Free

Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Chips Gluten Free
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Plain potato chips, plain french fries, unadorned mashed potatoes... enjoying potatoes as someone who can't eat wheat or gluten is often an exercise in eating plain food as so often the tasty topping and dusting of flavors placed on chips and french fries have been to Crazy Town with Wheat and Gluten.

This usually means that half the time a person who needs gluten free food walks into a restaurant, they can't even have a simple side of chips with their fish.

But plain food isn't something that gluten free folks will have to put up with forever as various manufacturers are indeed warming to the idea that there are certainly methods available to provide toppings for potatoes that aren't infused with wheat. Some restaurants are starting to be extremely cognizant of such allergies and will actually provide a gluten-free fryer in their kitchen for the preparation of foods that might otherwise become contaminated with gluten or wheat if they are prepared in a common area.

But for anyone who is looking for a tasty potato-themed snack at home, Boulder Canyon makes a series of pretty tasty potato chips that are all rated as being gluten free. The garlic and Parmesan variety are quite tasty and offer a pretty subtle way to get your garlic fix. The same cannot be said for the jalapeno and cheddar variety as they are quite a kick to the tastebuds. 

Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Chips Gluten Free
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

I honestly don't recommend eating these if you're especially hungry and are in danger of wolfing the entire bag down in a few bites. The Boulder Canyon folks really mean it when they say these chips taste like jalapeno. Some companies just joke around and put only the faintest touch of jalapeno taste into their chips. Not so with Boulder Canyon. They like their jalapenos and they like their chips to slap you around a bit if you're unwise enough to eat through a whole bag without taking a breather. Do have a glass of water nearby if you feel like scarfing these things.

And that's probably one of the only issues with these chips. If you've decided to have some chips with your grilled cheese and have these on your plate, they will completely take over your taste buds and it's possible that you won't really get to taste that much of any other food while you're eating these chips. Of course, some people do like this sort of kick-in-the-pants when it comes to their snacks. 

Either way, Boulder Canyon does put a fine scald on their flavored potato chips and this variety is recommended for a taste if you're a fan of jalapeno and cheddar flavored snacks.

Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Chips Gluten Free
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Boulder Canyon Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Chips Gluten Free Report Card:

The Good Stuff:

Overall, Boulder Canyon gives people who have a gluten intolerance or who have problems with wheat a great, tasty snack and they're one of the only vendors on the market who makes flavored potato chips that don't otherwise have wheat in the flavoring mixture.

What Could Change:

They could likely try a bit less of a kick on the flavoring for these chips, but this comment might stem from my personal opinion. They are a bit strong. They will stay with you for the day and visit your senses far beyond when you initially ate them. But if that's your thing, these chips might fit the bill.

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...