My father's college degree is in the History of Country Music (truly). I grew up with a lot of country, bluegrass, folk and other roots music playing in the house. Because of this early childhood conditioning, to this day I am a huge fan of old-timey music. However, I've never had much of a tolerance for currently popular Country music (although, Dolly Parton can do no wrong in my eyes). So, when a PR person for the Fritos company offered to send me a couple of bags of Tim McGraw's new Spicy Jalapeño Fritos, I was skeptical. I was curious what the chips would taste like (being a lover of all things spicy) but had a scornful reaction that went something along the lines of,"What's a Country music star doing lending his name to chips? Jimmie Rodgers would never have done something like that!" It did nothing to elevate my opinion of current Country music.
However, after tasting the chips, I am forced to admit that they are darn tasty. They aren't actually all that spicy, but they capture the heat and greenness of a jalapeño pepper in a way that is addictive and delicious. And, they can't be that terrible for you, since the Frito was originally invented as a health food!
These chips are currently available in select areas around the country and will be for sale nationwide soon.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-08-2008 @ 9:25AM
Patrick R said...
"they can't be that terrible for you, since the Frito was originally invented as a health food!"
What a bizarre assumption to make. Indeed, the inventor was big on health foods... And that's why he rarely touched his own product. It's made of corn, oil and salt; if that's health food, I'm Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, and Jude Law rolled into one.
Kitchen Sisters article on NPR website:
"When he invented the Frito, C.E. Doolin imagined them as a side dish, a handful to be served with soup and salad to complement a meal. He never imagined anyone would consume an entire king-size bag. He rarely ate them... And if he brought them home, he would have grabbed them off the conveyor belt before they were salted... We now eat our weight in snack foods instead of the modest portions Doolin had in mind."
3 oz of Original Fritos contains 30g of fat, 510mg of sodium, 480 calories. It's not the worst thing you could eat, certainly, but I wouldn't say it's a "health food" in the same sense as, let's say, an apple (4oz = 0g fat, 1mg sodium, 65 calories).
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5-08-2008 @ 2:29PM
kevjohn said...
You can leave Tim McGraw at home, but I'll gladly try a handful of these chips. I have a fondness for all things jalapeno.
Heck, make it TWO handfuls! Patrick R, that handsome Brad Pitt-like fellow, he talked me into it! Who knew they were that healthy?
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