Baby boomers reared on play-it-safe Jello molds and tuna casserole live in a much different world today, where over half of American households carry hot sauce in their pantries. From the looks of it, our country has quickly shed its risk-adverse stance towards spicy food, as mega franchises like KFC swagger-jack hot chicken recipes, and schools even feel compelled to ban Flamin' Hot Cheetos for fear of their addictive qualities. The exponential growth of hot sauce challenges and buffalo hot wings franchises all goes to prove that that America is more or less obsessed with tongue-numbing grub.

It would only make sense that the snack game has followed suit, as nearly every variety of chip, cracker, or doodle seems to showcase some version of its spicy self. See, ‘merica isn't only smitten with a baseline "Buffalo" level of heat. Now we are game for body-warming, cheek-reddening spice from all cultures—whether we’re talking Asian (Sriracha, wasabi), Hispanic (habanero, jalapeños), or otherwise.  From the big brands like Frito Lay, to the indie producers, everyone is shooting their shot right now in the spicy snack game. We figured we’d shed some light on some of the new come ups in spicy snacks right now, and also test whether there’s legit spice, as often advertised, in our Spicy Bangers of the Month.

Price: $5.00

Why you need it: If you’re a Mexican food enthusiast, then you know nothing is better than a down-home spot that makes and fries its own tortilla chips. Gringo Jack’s serves up just that, a packaged product that feels like it came fresh out the fryer oil—slightly greasy, layered tortilla flakiness featuring an unrivaled crunch. Adding a sprinkling of chile seasoning ups the flavor ante here, although I'd be hard-pressed to call these "spicy."  Salsa verde or guacamole make for welcome dunking dips, and if your next thought is homemade nachos, then you’re starting to get on the Snack Gawd’s wavelength. If spice is still your end game though, there’s always jalapeños and salsa to get you there.

Price: $3.14

Why you need it: Kettle Chips is one of the most exciting brands in the snack game, consistently putting new flavors and products on the market—whether it’s weird random niche flavors like Pepperoncini and Maple Bacon, or their root chips. Their newest foray involves utilizing avocado oil as a healthier chip-cooking alternative, as well as chili lime seasoning and citrus infused sea salt to create a subtle flavor balance. The result is a chip that feels a bit lighter than the typical Kettle chip, although for the heat-seekers, this chip doesn't deliver. 

Price: $4.49 

Why you need it: The Daily Crave is a quirky brand name, and their marketing follows suit, featuring a faux newspaper motif on the packaging that serves to educate the consumer on the history and benefits of the lentil. What’s not strange is the light, delicious nature of their product, which has a perfect crunch and no real discernible lentil flavor—perhaps, thankfully. The Sriracha comes in the form of a light coating on the chip, and the spice hits the roof of the mouth but does not linger long. This would be a disappointment if the overall snack was not so tasty. Considering how spicy Sriracha is in pure form, and the obscene level of thirst regarding its usage on all things these days, it’s surprising that Daily Crave’s version is so tame (as were the Sriracha Triscuits I sampled, but was not impressed by). 

Price: $2.99 

Why you need it: The jalapeño spice in Skinny Pop Jalapeno popcorn is like the jab, kick-floor sweep you can do in most fighting video games: it’s slight, maybe a little more crippling than you’d expect, but far from a knockout blow. Skinny Pop is a brand I’ve been avoiding—it always seems to be at the front of the Whole Foods or other local markets where they have select products on sale. My aversion has been to my foolish detriment. It’s a solid snack. The jalapeño powder bites on the front end but is fleeting, allowing for handfuls to be consumed before a beverage is imbibed.

Price: $2.99

Why you need it: Pop Chips are another one of those snacks I have tried to avoid, due to their seemingly ubiquitous (i.e. annoying) grassroots marketing efforts. Giveaway bags of chips in the concession stand at Spotify’s SXSW event? Pop Chips. Free snack on a Jet Blue flight? Pop Chips. Brand ambassador approaches you while you’re trying to thwart pedestrians outside Penn Station and make your train on a random afternoon? Pop Chips. Maybe it’s an unfair aversion, but I don’t want to be force fed. Rant aside, Crazy Hot Pop Chips are not “crazy hot," but they’re very good. They’re the auburn flame color you expect a spicy snack to be, but they're also crunchy, light, and have a nice tomato, onion, and paprika spice profile. They’re like if Hot Fries were healthy. I fought the Pop Chips and they won—but they’re just “hot,” nothing “crazy” here.

Price: $2.50 

Why you need it: After you’ve sampled spicy snacks for a few days, you low-key begin to crave the burn. Expectations be damned, but Good Bean’s Jalapeñ​o Cheddar Chips actually have a noticeable lasting jalapeño spice, despite featuring a “healthy” sweet potato/quinoa/protein tortilla chip blend. The cheese element is a light powdery seasoning, and although the jalapeño isn’t visibly present, it’s clearly in the mix. The heat here actually coats your mouth, slightly raising the temperature in your face, and requiring a possible dip or drink accompaniment for round two.

Price: $2

Why you need it: It takes a special company to create individually sealed bags of potato chips in a coffee/nut type of container you’d get at a gourmet market. Warning: when you open the The Billy Goat Kicker bag, you may feel swindled at first—there are only twenty or so chips. However, upon first bite, you’ll notice the ridged chip’s perfect crunch, a robust, legit spiciness, and the feeling that someone took painstaking care in crafting this snack for you to munch on. When I discovered these chips, I felt I had stumbled on a diamond in the rough. Then weeks later I saw them at Starbucks—so either the Snack Gawd is late to the party, or the word on quality snacks gets around quick. Regardless, props to The Billy Goat Chip Co. for making a potato chip that is actually spicy, and producing a crave for return purchases. 

Price: $4.49

Why you need it: Once you’ve been disappointed by one Sriracha-flavored snack, you really start to jones for spice that is real and present. Habanero is dependable in that respect, a reliable plug for your spice fix. Biena’s Habanero Chickpeas are not uncomfortably spicy, but rather mirror the intensity of a handful of wasabi peas. Your nose clears, you sip something cooling, and you go back for another round. The chickpea as a spice vehicle works as well as the pea, though a bit chalkier in texture. Biena also wins by rounding out the habanero kick with lemon, cumin, garlic powder, tomato powder, and evaporated cane sugar to make a truly well-rounded, delicious snack. 

Price: $4

Why you need it: Finally, a spicy snack that lives up to its billing—and that’s to say, there isn’t one. Deano’s doesn’t advertise their product as “spicy,” but when you’re eating sliced jalapeño chips out of a bag, you should just know instinctively. Only a handful of these simply created chips (the only ingredients are jalapeños, salt, vegetable oil, and cornstarch) is required for perspiration to kick in. They eat like slightly fried salted peppers, and the heat is somewhat addictive. A sweet or citrusy beverage and a clean sleeve make great accompaniments, unless you somehow have a kerchief, hand towel, or pocket square nearby to blot your nose and brow.

Price: $2.49

Why you need it: What includes rice flakes, split mung beans, chickpeas, cornflakes, cashews, potatoes, peanuts, raisins, lentils, and moth bean flour? Deep’s All-In-One Snack Mix, straight from India. Unlike many of the other “spicy” snacks sampled in this grouping, Deep doesn’t even claim its All-In-One Mix to be spicy.  Instead, you’re left to a kind of snack roulette: the initial sampling seeming nicely spiced, until you get the creeper heat a few seconds later. With so many different ingredients in the mix, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the heat originates, whether it’s particular items or just the seasoning, or both in tandem. All-In-One is delicious, but deliciously spicy and slightly dangerous in that you maybe should have some Tums in the tuck.