Did somebody order pumpkin spice tortilla chips? Probably not, but here they are.

Did we need pumpkin spice tortilla chips?

It’s a rhetorical question, obviously. That the blend based on cinnamon and nutmeg has taken over fall has more to do with the cultural significance we place on holidays and the memories they evoke.

Necessity, in this case, is not the mother of invention. Halloween gained popularity with the Baby Boomers, who collectively transformed a religious vigil into something that celebrates youth and, more importantly, consumption. Thanksgiving likewise shook off any remnants of solemnity to become a long weekend devoted to appetite and football.

The holidays brought pumpkin spice along for the ride. And in many—probably most—cases, the proliferation of the seasonal seasoning is cause for dismay, at best. But a case can be made in favor of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Tortilla Chips.

With corn flour as the lead ingredient, they don’t stray too far from ordinary. They are merely haunted by cinnamon and nutmeg—phantom wisps that flit under the crackle of corn and wash of salinity. Pumpkin lays an earthy foundation missing from regular chips…but then again, we’re so often disappointed by regular grocery store chips.

The spice eventually builds a familiar warmth that tingles on your lips and clings to your palate. Yet it never becomes obnoxious. 

At least that’s the consensus. One Weekly staff writer with a particularly sensitive palate recoiled from the pumpkin spice onslaught that others found to be nicely muffled.

That caveat out of the way, these are essentially tortilla chips, only with more character than most of the pale examples found in grocery stores—and more versatility. The flavors would benefit the mellow richness of hummus or a cool laban, not just a pico de gallo.

Would we try them again? Sure…well, mostly.