Dragon Sweet Chili Takis Have Snacking Down To A Science

Crunchy, salty, flavor-loaded—it's obvious why Takis are a go-to for so many millions of consumers. The tightly rolled fried tortilla chip brand comes in a variety of bold flavors, including Fuego, Intense Nacho, and Blue Heat (a mouth-puckering and alarmingly spicy version that is, yes, bright blue). But the brand recently released an inscrutable new flavor called Dragon Sweet Chili. Where does it fit in the Takis universe?

According to the press release, Dragon Sweet Chili features "a touch of electrifying sweet heat." One key word in that description, as well as the name, separates this flavor from all the rest: "sweet."

If you've ever had any of the other Takis flavors, you already know that they can get really intense. Some of them, like the Fuego and Blue Heat varieties, feature a big hit of acid up front along with a confident kick. Yet for all their fruity acidity, none feature actual sweetness. This new flavor already sounds promising.

The chips are red, but not as red as the Fuego (which are a fire engine red), signaling that they aren't going to be nearly as punchy. The first thing you catch is definitely the sweetness, followed by a touch of smokiness, along with a building heat at the end.

The sweetness is appealing, and if you're a fan of barbecue-flavored corn chips and can handle spicy food, these are perfect for you. Fellow Takeout staff writer and Takis enthusiast Angela L. Pagán tasted the Dragon Sweet Chili flavor, and she was able to suss out exactly why they taste so familiar.

These Takis, as she so aptly pointed out, taste like Fritos Honey BBQ Flavor Twists (you know, those Fritos corn chips shaped like a corkscrew), except with a layer of added spiciness. And what's good about these Takis is that they won't nuke your tastebuds; unlike the Fuego or Blue Heat, both of which pummel your mouth with powdered citric acid, the Dragon Sweet Chili Takis make a gentler pairing with a sandwich or the ideal mindless TV snack.

The long tail on the heat is good, too, because after you eat a small handful, you'll notice the spiciness increasing by a fair amount. It's nothing upsetting, but definitely appreciable.

If you're someone who likes the very crunchy crack of biting into some Takis but aren't looking to make your eyes water with sour powder, I'm happy to report that the Dragon Sweet Chili offer a great alternative. This flavor doesn't sacrifice the burn—instead, it just eases up on the throttle, replacing all that puckery tartness with sweetness. You can't do better than sugar and spice.