Chile Crunch Original

It’s majority garlic. I don’t really like it: I’m just eating garlic.

Chile Crunch (spelled Chile, from the Mexican tradition) came to us with promise: “hot crunchy condiment, all natural,” about $11.99 on their website.

The taste test

The oil ratio is low; it’s very crunchy-looking, smells smoky, and then you taste it and discover the truth: this is garlic. Lots and lots of garlic. So much garlic that the chile part becomes a rumor. It’s not spicy either: very little heat, we scored it 5 and 6 out of 10 between us.

Who it’s actually for

If you read that and thought “a jar of smoky fried garlic sounds amazing,” then genuinely, this is the one for you, and you’ll be happy. Garlic devotees exist and we respect them. On quesadillas or eggs it does a pleasant job.

Verdict

B tier. We came for chile and got garlic, and the versatility is limited even if the price is fair. If garlic-first is the dream, add a tier. If you want actual chile flavor, Chelas Chile exists.

Also available on Amazon if you’d rather not order direct.