Paqui: Haunted Ghost Pepper

Spicy chips are a wonderful example of how spice can be consumed, using the same variety of peppers that hot sauces use. Paqui (Paa-Kee) is a brand known for its variation of extremely spicy chips and of course the odd mild flavor, such as, Mucho Nacho Cheese.

Paqui is most known for its chip flavor unenthusiastically, named the One Chip Challenge. the One Chip isn't stored in bags as chips are typically stored, it is stored as one singular chip in its own coffin shaped box. The One Chip is made with Carolina Reapers, hence the coffin shaped box because a reaper is a symbol of death. The chip is completely black which only adds to the death like element of the chip. I personally have never tried the One Chip but I would be more than willing to try it some day.

Regardless, this post isn't about either of those flavors, but instead the Haunted Ghost Pepper flavor. I chose to write about this flavor in particular because its the only flavor from Paqui I've tried. It is difficult to determine the Scoville measurement of Haunted Ghost chips but the chips heat measurement is "Freakin Hot" as shown on the rear of the bag. The first chip is always the hottest which is the same principle that can be carried over to chicken wings. After a few chips they get less hot and eventually stop burning completely, not because your spice tolerance increases but because the chips physically stop burning. Once the chips seize to burn your taste buds, the chips become excessively salty. I assume this happens because upon production the spicy seasoning is unevenly distributed and the only thing that descends to the bottom of the bag is the salt meant to maintain the spice. The chips do have a decent flavor once you look past the saltiness, the flavor is savory and almost sweet flavor similar to sweet chili heat but less sweetness compared to actual sweet chili heat, yet still caries the sweetness element just the right amount in my opinion.