It’s weird that the Takis Intense Nacho line is not spicy.
It’s not as weird as having something called pickleball become a national sensation, but after having many spicy varieties and being known for products that burn, it seems so out of character for Takis to offer something tame that it makes me worry about its well-being. Maybe the brand has run out of new spicy product ideas? If that’s the case, I’ve got one — Flamango, a sweet and spicy rolled tortilla chip with a splash of mango that’s pink colored and bent in the middle. Feel free to take it, Barcel.
Takis Intense Nacho seasoning is available on three products — original Takis rolled tortilla chips, Waves Potato Chips, and POP! Popcorn. After tasting all three, I’m surprised they have noticeably different nacho intensities.
Takis POP! Intense Nacho Popcorn
Let’s start with the one that can truly call itself “intense nacho” the most — Takis POP! To be honest, I’m surprised about this because there’s less surface area for seasoning on popcorn. But then again, maybe I shouldn’t be because popcorn has a milder flavor than fried chips, and kernels have nooks and crannies where the seasoning can be trapped. Anyhoo, the cheesy and salty nacho dust pops on these, and there’s also a slight tanginess that I didn’t notice with the other products. Surprisingly, this was my favorite of the three. Oh, a few other things. I’ve never had Takis POP! before, but I was stunned by how small-ish the kernels were. Also, these don’t have a cheesy aroma, which I thought was weird.
Size: 2 oz bag
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) 350 calories, 27 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 7 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 14 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 790 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.
Takis Intense Nacho Rolled Tortilla Chips
Lower on the Intense Nacho spectrum is regular Takis. With my initial bites, I thought these were less cheesy than the Waves. But after comparing them again a day later, my taste buds thought differently. My original opinion was probably based on how the corn chip overwhelms my taste buds once I get a few chews in. There’s an initial cheesy burst, and it lingers somewhat, but it quickly yields to the flavor of the corn. So I wish that cheesiness was a bit more lasting. Of course, these have the typical Takis rolled tortilla chip crunch.
Size: 3.25 oz bag
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 10 pieces) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 3 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 2.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
Takis Waves Intense Nacho Potato Chips
When I first took a whiff of these in the bag, I wondered if they would be spicy because they have a chile con queso-like aroma. Of course, they’re not, but these chips taste like queso, but with heat that never shows up as if they’ve been made with neutered jalapeños. I do like the flavor, but at the same time I’m not sure “intense” is the best word to use to describe its cheesiness, which is noticeably less cheesy than the regular Takis and popcorn. Also, much like Takis POP!, this is my first time trying Waves and my impression of them is that they have a crunch similar to Lay’s Wavy chips.
Size: 2.5 oz bag
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 14 pieces) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 2.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
Overall, Takis’ tangent into non-spicy snacks is off to a good start, and this Intense Nacho line doesn’t make me want to say Takis needs to stay in its lane and continue to burn our mouths with flavors that may have names like Hotocado, an overly spicy guacamole flavor on an avocado-shaped and green-colored chip. (Yes, I know there’s already has a guacamole flavor. Feel free to take this idea too, Barcel.) I like these enough that I’m curious if there will be other non-spicy flavors.
DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Takis. Doing so did not influence my review.
Takis are so wonderfully delicious BUT I often wonder why they haven’t made the fajita brand in the kettle chip and also the guacamole ? in the kettle chip!?! Hmm ? bet if they did they’d be a huge success!
I’ve never wanted to hord a snake more then i do for the takis intense nacho i pray this stays for good