Last Updated on July 17, 2022
Recently, Aldi added some street corn dipper chips to its selection of everyday Regular Buys. Mexican street corn, also called elote, is a dish found in Mexico and parts of the U.S. It features corn that is cooked (often grilled) on the cob and slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, cilantro, chili powder, cotija cheese, lime juice, or other seasonings. The street corn chips at Aldi attempt to recreate this popular dish in the form of chips. The Aldi chips used to be a limited-time Aldi Find, but now they appear to be on Aldi shelves year round.
Trader Joe’s, which is a cousin to Aldi, also sells its own take on Mexican street corn dipper chips. These chips are sold year-round at Trader Joe’s, and you’ll find them in the aisle with all the other chips and crackers.
Trader Joe’s Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers with a Mexican-Style Street Corn Flavored Seasoning cost $2.49 at the time of publication.
The packaging states:
Trader Joe’s Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers have the delectable flavor of Mexican Street Corn in a crispy snack. With a hint of chipotle and kick of smoky heat, these chips have loads of flavor on their own while pairing well with your favorite salsa or dips. Melt cheese over them for a punchy nacho, plunge into guacamole, crumble atop scrambled eggs … Delicioso!
These chip dippers are kosher and are certified USDA organic and are certified organic by Quality Assurance International.
One bag contains about 10 servings (28 grams, or 12 chips). A serving has 150 calories, 8 grams of total fat (10% DV), 1 gram of saturated fat (5% DV), 115 mg of sodium (5% DV), 17 grams of total carbohydrates (6% DV), and no added sugars.
If you’re looking out for allergens, these contain milk.
Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)
In terms of ingredients, the Trader Joe’s chips are practically identical to the Aldi chips. The one difference is that the TJ’s chips have a trace of lime. The fact that the ingredients list is nearly identical makes me wonder if Trader Joe’s and Aldi get their street corn chips from the same supplier. While Trader Joe’s and Aldi are distant cousins and it’s a common assumption that their products are the same but simply relabeled, in our experience most Trader Joe’s products are unique and don’t exactly mirror their counterparts at Aldi. (One exception we have found is seasonal fall maple leaf cookies, which appear to be exactly the same between Trader Joe’s and Aldi.)
With that said, the Trader Joe’s street corn chips have some differences from the Aldi chips. Both the TJ’s and Aldi chips list 28 grams as a single serving size, although the Trader Joe’s chips appear to be smaller in size because 12 TJ’s chips constitute one serving, while only 9 chips make up a serving with the Aldi chips.
The nutrition information panels list slight differences, with a serving of the Aldi chips containing a few more calories as well as a bit more fat and sodium compared to the TJ’s chips. The TJ’s chips have 150 calories versus 160 calories with the Aldi chips, while the TJ’s chips have 8 grams of total fat versus 10 grams for the Aldi chips, and the TJ’s chips have 115 mg of sodium versus 135 mg in the Aldi chips.
I served the Trader Joe’s chips with some Trader Joe’s Chunky Guacamole. The chips are similar to Aldi street corn dippers in that they have a generous coating of spices and seasonings that coat your fingers as you eat them. Taste wise, my family was unanimous in their opinion that the Trader Joe’s chips are a little spicier than the Aldi chips, and I don’t think these have as strong of a corn flavor compared to the Aldi dippers. So even though the ingredients are practically the same, I think the proportions of seasonings are a little different. While these TJ’s street corn dippers are good on their own, I prefer to eat them with guacamole to help mellow out their spicy flavor. If you like chips with some kick, these are definitely worth trying.
The Verdict:
Trader Joe’s Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers with a Mexican-Style Street Corn Flavored Seasoning are almost identical to street corn dipper chips Aldi sells, and it’s possible the two stores use the same supplier for these chips. We think the Trader Joe’s version is a little spicier, though. These are good served with guacamole for dipping, which helps to cool the spice level down.
