From the snack aisle: Cajun Spice Ruffles

Product: Cajun Spice Ruffles
Company: Frito-Lay
Years: 1986-???

Who remembers these? I sure as heck didn't, when alert reader Gerald Logue emailed me and said "What about Cajun Spice Ruffles?", to which I was like "Cajun Spice Ruffles? Now you're just making stuff up!", to which Gerald was all like "Un-uh - they're real!", and I was like "No they're not"................this went on for days.
Finally, I remembered Gerald had said something in the initial email about Justin Wilson, the Cajun Cook, so I looked it up.........and holy s%*t, I found the commercial on Youtube, and bam, I remembered. (Well, I remembered the commercial, anyway....) Justin Wilson was the pitch person for these delicious, Cajun flavored chips.

Justin Wilson was from Southern Louisiana. He was a cook, a recording artist, a writer, a humorist, and best known for his catch phrase: "I gar-on-tee!" 

In the mid 80's, Cajun cooking was all the rage (much in the way Sriracha is today). Every brand of chips and snacks around this time had to have a cajun flavor, and Ruffles had a hit on their hands with their version. Problem is, like every other fad, people lost interest pretty quick, and these chips were discontinued after only a few years.

I do now remember liking these back in the day....I've always been a sucker for new potato chip flavors, and Cajun Spices have that kick I dig.

So if someone starts a petition to Ruffles to bring these back, I'd gladly stand in line to sign it.

I gar-on-tee!*


*Yep. I went there. It's been a long week, cut me some slack. He's dead, I hope he doesn't sue me for catchphrase infringement. Is that even a thing? I mean, I could spell it a little different, then it should be ok, right? Right???

From the Snack Aisle: Chester's Cheese Doritos

Product: Chester's Cheese Doritos
Company: Frito Lay (Pepsico)
Years: 1995

At some point in our lives we all need to make hard decisions. Go to college or travel the world. Buy a SUV or buy a minivan. Eat that meatball you found under the couch or not eat that meatball you found under the couch. We make them every day. But the good people at Frito Lay (and I am not saying that to get free samples, Frito Lay......though you do have beautiful eyes. You know that, right? (That is for the free samples)) took it upon themselves back in 1995 to say "Why Choose, bitches? You want Doritos, but at the same time, you also want some delicious cheesy Cheetos. You are high as a goddamn kite, and we're not one to judge you, so lets take the choice out of the equation....and make......CHEETO FLAVORED DORITOS! BOOM!"

Well, as great of an idea as it was, I have to say I certainly don't remember them. And I was in college at that time, so I was, well, lets just say I was their target demographic. (There's a time and a place for everything kids, and that time and place is called College). After scouring the interwebs trying to find a picture of the package, all I could find is this article about them testing this product. Most everyone who tried them loved them, though some said they were too cheesy. And then there is Bill (the single guy). His objection to this product? "Just who is this Chester Cheese guy? Is he really that famous? Why couldn't they just call these cheese flavored Doritos? And what does a cheetah have to do with cheese or tortilla chips?

Well Bill, the reason you are still single is because you ask too many questions.
And Chester Cheese Doritos, the reason you are still not available in stores is because people like to make hard decisions. You either want a Coke or you want a 7up, you don't want a Coke flavored 7up.
And the same goes with your chips.

Oh, and because they are (according to the taste test) way too cheesy, but in a good way?

I kind of wish these were still around, if for no other reason to see what other kinds of mutated Island of Doctor Moreau style chip inventions they would come up with. 
Funyun flavored Fritos?
Dorito flavored Pretzels?
The world will never know.