I’m a sucker for Frito’s Chili Cheese Corn Chips, one of about two things that make my mouth water at the mere sight of them (the other being Funyuns). So when I saw an off-brand bag at my local Aldi, I knew I had to scoop it up. So I did.
The first thing that struck me was the smell. It’s pretty off-putting. Whereas Frito’s smells like…well, delicious, Aldi’s smells like it was manufactured in a factory. I think “rank” might be too strong a word, as it’s not pungent…but “musty” might be a good choice. Definitely not what I was expecting, and all of a sudden my excitement at trying something new was quickly fading. But hey, I’ll try anything once, so a crappy smell wasn’t going to entirely dissuade me!
And I’m glad it didn’t, because thankfully these things taste twenty-times better then they smell. The more and more I eat these things, the closer to Frito’s they become. They even give you that same “sodium burn” (the burn you get in your mouth after eating way too much salt) after you down half the bag, and are every bit as addicting as the national brand: It’s easy for me to eat half a bag of Frito’s before I know what even happened, and I found myself doing the same thing with Clancy’s.
Extra points must also be given to value. A 9.25 oz. bag of Frito’s version retails for $1.99, which in and of itself really isn’t a bad price (especially compared to bags of potato chips, which can go for $3.00 and up). But Clancy’s can be had for a very reasonable $1.19, and we all know that saving some money can make some things taste just a little bit better.
Overall: 8.5/10. Its scent is rather off-putting, but taste-wise, Clancy’s Chili Cheese Corn Chips are pretty darn close to the national brand. To me, Clancy‘s seemed just a little less flavorful at first. But after inadvertently downing half of the bag in one sitting, I found that they are every bit as addicting. They even leave you with that “sodium burn” that I’ve come to expect from the Frito’s version. While it may not be an exact replica of Frito‘s Chili Cheese Corn Chips, Aldi’s version, when paired with its very reasonable $1.19 price tag, is more than a solid choice for those on a budget, or for those that simply want to compare to their own tastes.
