Chester's Snacks

Everyone's favorite orange cat, Chester (you know, the Cheetos mascot) has ventured out on his own.  He has his own line of products now, entirely devoid of Cheetos branding.  As a lover of all snack foods, I obviously had to try some of these, even though I don't actually like Cheetos chips (or their branded mac & cheese ...).  His product line includes "fries" and "puffcorn", the later of which I tried. 

Puffcorn

Puffcorn is not popcorn (although the Cheetos brand carries a version of that that I've reviewed before too). It is however corn (meal) based.   Puffcorn comes in several flavors, such as butter flavored (not cheesy at all!), a classic orange signature cheese flavor, and of course, a Flamin' Hot variety - he may be acting as an independent icon, but he is part of the same franchise after all, and Flamin' Hot is, well, their trendy range these days.

CHESTER'S® Cheese Flavored Puffcorn.

"When CHESTER CHEETAH puts his name on a snack, you can count on a bold and cheesy flavor like you’ve never tasted. CHESTER’S® snacks are made with a special blend of real cheese seasoning to give each bite the perfect pop and zing."

I went for the classic neon orange "cheese" flavor.  The pieces really did look like just kinda blown up Cheetos, although again, there is no Cheetos branding on this product.

I took my first bite, and wasn't sure how I felt about them.  I took another.  Same thing.  I really didn't know how I felt about them, even as I devoured half the bag in no time flat.

The product is pretty hard to classify - it really isn't like chips, and it isn't like popcorn, it is somewhere in the middle ... uh, I guess calling it "puffcorn" will suffice after all.  I really did like the form factor - it was airy, it was crispy, it was very munchable.  If you are familiar with Trader Joe's Jalapeño Seasoned Crunchy Corn & Rice Puffs, it reminded me a lot of that.  So, form factor?  Definitely a success for me, although I did grow a bit sick of the pieces being so soft, I missed the extra crunch that popcorn hulls provide.

The flavor is the part I wasn't as into.  Yes, they were savory and cheesy, but definitely in a fake cheese sense, and just not something I gravitate towards.  When I go for fake cheese, I prefer white cheddar.  They did still leave an orange hue on my fingers, although not as bad as traditional Cheetos.  

Overall, an interesting product, but, I'd rather eat Trader Joe's Jalapeño Seasoned Crunchy Corn & Rice Puffs, or white cheddar popcorn, instead.  ***+ for novelty, but probably more like *** for me really.