Tangy cheese tortilla chips are a category defined by Doritos. That orange dust, that aggressive tang, that finger-staining artificialness. Every own-brand version is measured against this standard.
Sainsbury’s version measures up adequately.
The cheese is tangy. The coating is appropriately orange. The flavour profile is recognisably the same concept, the same artificial cheese experience that generations have grown up expecting from this category.
The differences are subtle but present. Slightly less intense flavouring. Slightly more variation in coverage. Slightly less addictive quality. None of these differences are dramatic, but they accumulate into a product that’s clearly derivative rather than definitive.
For the price saving, most people won’t mind. These taste like tangy cheese tortilla chips should taste. They fulfil the brief. They’re just not quite as good at fulfilling it as the product they’re copying.
Buy these for parties. Buy Doritos for personal indulgence. The distinction matters.
