Trader Joe's Jerk-Style Plantain Chips

If you haven't had plantain chips, y'all missing out. "But wait - aren't those giant bananas?" You wouldn't be entirely wrong; plantains are also members of the banana family but they are larger and starchier, which means they make a marvelous snack. If you've never tried them, I highly recommend the original roasted ones - they are a road-trip staple in our house. 

This new "jerk-style" (American Jerk? Jerk American? Neither sounds nice :P) comes in the same size and similar type packaging. Tropical-ish theme. I like the idea of a jerk seasoning on a plantain chip - it makes sense.

The nutritional profile is about the same as any other plantain chip (except wahoo no trans fats). 

TBH, I didn't actually look at the ingredients before purchasing (and apparently a lot of people don't? If you've ever wondered what's inside a particular product, if there's a label, the label usually tells all. Or most).  I was a little worried about the presence of cinnamon and nutmeg but then I remembered that this is jerk-style, not pumpkin spice and breathed a sigh of relief. I will never buy pumpkin spice plantain chips no matter how "good" they are. :P

I quite like these and would recommend them. It's not too salty but savory enough. The heat hits you gradually, like a warming spice, and also has something that's reminiscent of a curry (probably the coriander. And it does remind me of the now discontinued Bollywood popcorn, which didn't execute the flavor as nicely as it has been done here). I don't remember the last time that I had jerk chicken, so I can't comment on how "jerk-like" this spice blend is, but it is tasty. It's different and pairs nicely with the starchy crunchy plantain chip.

A also liked it but he prefers the original flavor over this one (he's the guy who picks vanilla over all the other 20 flavors at Baskin Robbin). However, he agrees with me that this one is equally as good the plain flavor and that it boils down to personal preference. To me, it's like picking between Tina Fey or Amy Poehler. Can't I have both?

TL;DR: Trader Joe's Jerk-Style Plantain Chips. Jerk-style (I hope it's jerk? I don't know if it's jerk? But it's a jerk-style that tastes good!) spice twist on a classic crunchy plantain. 8 out of 10. Mantou Joe repurchase? Absolutely.