Caffeinated Snack Chips - Engobi Energy Go Bites are a winner

Engobi, short for “Energy Go Bites” are a deliciously flavored highly caffeinated snack food, perfect for the afternoon slump. They are more like Veggie Booty than a potato chip, and come in two very interesting flavors, Cinnamon Surge and Lemon Lift.

Straight from my Engobi energized heart, if these get into major market supermarkets they will Clean Up. The snack managed to stay very tasty and light, but still provide a very substantial caffeine lift. The only problem I can see with this product is placement in big chains, and a family-sized bag would be near deadly. Convenience stores , maybe, but these snacks are tasty and unique enough to really take on the big players in the chip market. The global potato chips market generated total revenues of 16.4 billion dollars in 2005, accounting for 35.5% of the total savory snacks market, so this is a huge potential for Engobi to really buzz the masses. Rudolph Foods, the worlds largest manufacturer of pork rind snacks brought us these treats, and so they know about distribution and manufacture, and it is obvious from the first taste that they have some fantastic food scientists working to create these great flavors.
The biggest problem I have found right now is rollout to stores. They have this fantastic product, which everyone I gave a taste to loved, but according to a spokesperson I talked to, the chip is not coming out to my market in colorado. There is no ordering off their website, so I am just hoping they release these snacks nationally - as they are without a doubt unique and tasty enough for a major campaign. Engobi is currently having a tour around the country to promote these snacks - and here is to hoping they get the mass distribution these snacks deserve.

I wanted to note here quickly a big thanks to Melody at Engobi for sending me samples to try of this great product!  (gentle wired readers, while sending me a sample product with shwag does not mean you will get a good review, in this case things turned out great and the product they sent over really is as yummy as their press releases described)

Buzz/nutrition: 10 for buzz, 3 for nutrition
Rather than just sprinkle caffeine as a flavoring on the chip, they manage to bake it inside the chip, using the flavor sprinkled on to mask the caffeine bitterness. Very clever. Now just because these chips taste great and are caffeinated does not mean that they are in any way healthy - they are chips. The big difference is that it is very hard to just lounge around and eat a bag of them. The caffeine goes almost immediately to work in you, putting a spring in your step and a jitter in your fingers. At 140mg of Caffeine per 1.5oz bag, that is some serious buzz!

As for the other ingredients, fortunately they did not fall into the same trap that alot of novelty foods do and also feel the need to put in B vitamins and Taurine.This is just a straight on caffeinated snack, shaped with corn and wheat flour with flour, fried in oil, and coated in flavor. There are 220 calories in a bag, with 11% of your daily sodium and 28g carbs - so you are not going to mistake these for Baked Newman's Own Organic, but coming from the company that produces "Grandpa John's Pork Cracklins" that is not really t expected.

Taste:10
Both flavors are very good, and both very different. The Lemon Lift is like a sweet crunchy lemon merengue, and has a familiar tang I expected to taste from a caffeinated food. It was definitely crunchy, but not at all oily or greasy - like a potato chip. It is very easy to eat this bag up in a very short time. In about 5 minutes time I was a little full and a whole lot buzzed - giving me the energy to get moving during my afternoon slump. The Cinnamon flavor is far better though. As good as the lemon was, the cinnamon was twice as good, tasting like Taco Bell cinnamon sticks, or a light and airy version of churros. The cinnamon went twice as quickly as the lemon, and made a fantastic dessert to couteract the sleepiness of a big lunch. Don't be wary to try either one of these if you come across them - they are some of the tastiest chips you will have tasted in a long time.

Packaging:7
Love the package, not so sure on the package size. I am glad there is not more than one serving in a bag, as it would have been impossible to stop eating until they were all consumed, and could easily have sonsumed 3 or four servings, which would have been very unhealthy with this mega dose of caffeine. The chips have a great design, staying far away from energy drinks and developing their own unique design. Problems are a lack of caffeine info ( saying you have 70% more than an energy drink means nothing, as some energy drinks I reviewed had 50mg, and some have 500mg). The website says clearly there are 140mg in each bag, but it would be nice to know how much in the chip, especially because this product is so unique.
Website:7 www.engobi.com
Everything the package did not tell you is on here, from allergin reactions to caffeine content. The copy is light and funny, and although there are some misses (there is a silly thing where you roll over piles of.... something... and happy people pop out from behind them for no reason or explanation) There are enough hits that it is worth a 5 minute peruse for the extra interested.  I just wish that if they were not going to provide a wide distribution, there would be a place to order some online - as they would be absolutely perfect for late night parties and caffeinated get togethers.

UPDATE:
Was just informed by Melody you can now buy this online at http://www.engobi.com/store - something I would highly advise for your next late night gathering...

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Topics: Energy foods