If you’ve lived in Austin for any amount of time, you’ve probably noticed we’ve got a few Mexican joints in the city. This is not about the many fine Mexican restaurants Austin has to offer, as it’s almost impossible to hand out a Top 10 list without pissing somebody (or a lot of somebodies!) off for missing their favorite.
Instead, we just wanted to call your attention to the fact that the world’s best chips AND salsa are both made right here in Austin.
Corn chips are traditional when you’re eating salsa, and we’ve eaten our way through many a bag of gnarly Tostitos when the right salsa’s in the house. But dude: corn ain’t so great for your bod, particularly if it’s been deep fried. So what’s a salsa-lovin’ shark supposed to do?
Enter Beanitos, Austin’s very own corn free, gluten free, soy free, trans fat free, high-fiber chip made from beans!
Celebrity Intern first spotted them advertised in the pages of Edible Austin, and ripped out the ad to remind us to look for them on our next grocery trip. Hitting up the H-E-B this week (now that we’re TOTALLY ADDICTED TO THEM!), we were pleasantly surprised to find a coupon for $1.50 off a bag.
Nope, these mofo’s aren’t cheap ($3.99 a piece for a 6-oz bag, yowza!), but they are oh so worth it if you’re counting your carbs and care about healthy—and delicious—snacking. Made from actual beans, unlike most of the so-called alternatives to corn chips on the market (check your labels; most still list corn as one of their primary ingredients), the chips are as tasty as they are good for you, thanks to beans’ naturally low glycemic index. The Black Bean chips (our fave!) have a GI rating of 33, and also come in 3 additional flavors: Pinto Bean and Flax (GI 44), Chipotle BBQ (GI 42) and Cheddar Cheese (GI 43).
Invented by Austinite Doug Foreman to help trim down his own expanding waistline, Beanitos are (according to the Austin American-Statesman) a product born of trial and error in the home kitchen. Hats off to you, Doug! These are a truly exellent chip for dipping, and we can’t stop snatching up bags when we’re at the grocery store.
As for our favorite salsa to load atop our Beanitos, here at Shoestring Austin we’re devotees of the Texas-Texas brand. One of their latest additions to their line of natural, Austin-made products is the Fresh Roma Roasted Salsa.
Smoky, chunky and full of roasted flavor, we are equally addicted to this tasty salsa. Made with fresh-roasted Roma tomatoes, onions and jalapeños, Texas-Texas’ website notes that this salsa is made “sado style (roasted) with a molcajete & tejolote (crush & grind).” Any way you slap it onto a nice fresh chip, with a bit of sour cream, you’ll love it!
The best part? Texas-Texas salsas do NOT contain water, fillers, oil, gluten or preservatives, so there’s nothing but fresh, delicious ingredients in your dips. Yum!
And there you have it: Austin’s best chips and salsa!
What’s your favorite brand of chips, or way to dip?
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