Lorenz Curly Cacahuete (Peanut)

Somewhere in my youth it was impressed upon me that the French don’t do peanut butter.  I don’t think they even necessarily hate it, it is just not part of their cultural repertoire, the way making beans on toast would never occur to the American mind.  Yes, you can find peanut butter in some of the better stocked super markets, but it is definitely an exotic product in these parts.  (Curiously enough, I am told peanut butter is more commonly appreciated in Germany, though not apparently, peanut butter sandwiches.)

Peant butter is a state of mind that
is unknown in the land of the hexagon.

But while the French may not have peanut-butter flavored anything, peanut flavored chips are in abundant supply. Peanut-flavored bugles and peanut-flavored corn puffs are prominently on display in super markets, and being a cheapskate I picked up the least expensive I could find and have been rewarded with a product of corresponding quality.

Lorenz Curly Cacahuete (Peanut) are shaped roughly like Cheetos corn puffs, but the texture is by far inferior.  Both rougher on the tongue and less dense, these corn-puff curls are lacking the oily texture and the chewy soft interiors that make Cheetos awesome.  In other words, while they do not completely botch the format, they earn a D for having an unfavorable ratio of air-to-tasty-goodness.

Ever though to yourself "Mmmm, I
love the flavor of salty, unsweetened
peanuts so much, if only I could taste
them on puffed corn?"  If so, stop
having these thoughts.

            I must honestly report that the actual flavoring of the chips is square on the mark, and after gobbling down a fair number (and you will tend to gobble down a fair number at once because of the aforementioned lack of substance), your mouth will be convinced you are gobbling a handful of peanuts.  However, you will ask yourself, “why not just eat a handful of peanuts?”  Because the chips are not at all sweet, and frankly I found myself wanting something that tasted more like peanut butter than peanuts, or at least honey-roasted peanuts or some such.  If you like the idea of having chips that tasted like salty unsweetened peanuts, you could probably forgive the failings of texture and appreciate what the mixers at Lorenz have crafted.  Myself, while I found they made a passable snack, they mostly left me wanting something better, or at least, sweeter.

Stars: 1 ½

Spiciness Rating: none

Pros:

-Very effectively emulates the flavor of unsweetened peanuts

Cons:

-Corn puffs are very poor and insubstantial in texture

-The flavoring may leave you wishing for something sweeter