The fine folks over at popchips sent us enough bags of their new veggie chips to feed a considerably-sized vegan commune. Since there are none in my area, I shared the chips with vegans and non-vegans far and wide (friends, family, and colleagues) to gauge their response.
If you’re not familiar, popchips are neither baked nor fried; they’re…wait for it…popped! They contain no preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, or ingredients. All three of their veggie chip flavors: tuscan herb; hint of olive oil; and sea salt, are vegan, gluten-free, parve, and non-gmo.
Aside from the one person who politely declined my invitation to try them because he thought they looked like “dehydrated pepperoni slices,” everyone really enjoyed snacking on the popchips. The sea salt flavor was an overall crowd pleaser, but I found that, overwhelmingly, women loved the olive oil best and men loved the tuscan herb most. I have no idea what that means, if anything, but it was such an obvious and recurrent finding that I would be remiss not to mention it.
I did some significant testing on my own too. As did this nerd, who can apparently reach the counter now. She stole two chips while I was diligently setting up my personal taste-test, but failed to report a flavor preference. Grumpy Cat may or may not be earning her human $100 million dollars and my dog is stealing my pop chips. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?
I tried the sea salt first and really enjoyed the lightness of the chip and the hint of salt. Next up was the olive oil, which added a layer of unexpected decadence to the unassuming chip. Finally, the tuscan herb; it was extremely flavorful and the most complex. I admit that I personally enjoyed the olive oil the most, but I think I’d serve the tuscan herb at a gathering to make the most significant impression.
The bottom line is that you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Like most snack foods, it’s super easy to eat a whole bag in one sitting. Also, cats are more lucrative companion animals than dogs.