Snack Review
CHEETOS CRUNCHY MOZZARELLA


Yeah, I know it's a little unusual for me to review something that doesn't have chocolate in it. The occasional change of pace is good, though. Besides, I like Cheetos, and when I saw these in the store, I decided that I wanted to review them.

Producing limited edition of their snacks is nothing new for the people at Frito-Lay. I don't know how many different flavors I have seen of their Doritos tortilla chips. Usually, though, I see pairs of flavors released at one time, and more often than not, it's a competition to see which flavor is the more popular with consumers. Two flavors are released -- but only one stays around. (Sort of like Thunderdome, now that I think about it.)

This is the first time I can remember seeing a package of Cheetos bearing the "Limited Time Only" banner across the bag. It was that banner that attracted my attention enough to want to pick up a bag, and then try it.

The back of the bag says, "[T]he beauty of these Cheetos mozzarella flavored snacks is that they combine the gooeyness and fun of mozzarella cheese with the dangerously cheesy crunch of Cheetos brand." Based on that bit of copy, my initial thought was to expect something that combined the crunchiness of Cheetos with just a little of the stretchy gooeyness of melted mozzarella. This was compounded by the picture on the front of the bag, which depicted Cheetos mascot Chester Cheetah stretching what would appear to be a chunk of melted mozzarella.

You know, something like that would make for a wonderful snack. Unfortunately, that expectation was about as realistic as expecting Lindsay Lohan to wear panties. It was a delightful bit of hyperbole on the part of the copywriters, but far from an accurate description of the snack.

Pay attention to the word "crunchy," because the Crunchy Mozzarella Cheetos is just as crunchy as the regular Cheetos. And this is not a bad thing; I love the resounding crunch of Cheetos as I grind them between my teeth. There is something satisfying about that crunch. I'm not sure how else to describe it.

Now, this particular variety of Cheetos does have the mild flavor of mozzarella, as opposed to the usual cheddar in the regular Cheetos. It's a little saltier than eating a piece of mozzarella would be, but the mozzarella flavor is still there.

As I said, this is a limited edition, so the standard limited edition disclaimer applies. I have no idea how long this will stay on the shelves, and for all I know, this is a one-shot deal. My best advice is, find a bag and enjoy them while you can.


-jc-