Instead of making spicier products, Takis has recently been making tamer ones to grab the taste buds of more snackers. Earlier this year, it released a line of non-spicy snacks called Intense Nacho that don’t cause your mouth to wish it had a built-in fire suppression system. The brand’s newest product, Dragon Sweet Chili, is significantly spicier than the heatless Intense Nacho but less hot than Takis’ most popular flavors.
Fuego, Nitro, and Blue Heat all have an “Extreme” level of heat, but these Dragon Sweet Chili chips are one step below that and are rated “Hot” by the unscientific thermometer on the side of the bag that all Takis flavors have. Unlike Fuego, these sweet and spicy chips will not make you think your taste buds have been burned off or that you’ve just made out with all the gods and goddesses of fire (there are many of them). After eating an entire bag with my lunch, there was no overwhelming desire to stick my mouth under a Slurpee spigot to cool it down, but my head did sweat a bit.
Their initial flavor reminded me of Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists, which is my favorite Fritos variety and not at all spicy. However, by the third chip, the taste morphed into something a bit more unique, with the garlic powder and cayenne peppers making themselves more noticeable. Throughout it all, the sweetness remained and helped cut through the spiciness.
So how does this compare with a similarly named flavor from a famous competing chip brand that I will not name here? (But you can probably figure it out by looking at the photo below.)
Well, these Takis are spicier, sweeter, and, um, chili-er than the other chip. Also, despite their somewhat similar names, their flavor profiles are entirely different, with the other having a strong soy sauce taste. Of the two, I prefer the Takis.
Dragon Sweet Chili chips have a lot of flavor, a decent level of heat, and their spiciness doesn’t get in the way of the sweet chili pepper seasoning. While they don’t have an extreme level of heat, they do have an extremely great flavor.
DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples from Takis. Doing so did not influence my review.
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 3.25 oz bag
Purchased at: Received from Takis
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 12 pieces) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of sugar (including 1 gram of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.