[Ninja treat scouts search high and low, jay-walk, slide through subway doors, and examine every aisle, to find the tastiest, weirdest, and coolest bites. Here are their chronicles; @yzhalia's passage as a ninja treats scout]

I love tortilla chips, but more as a “food vessel” than by its own. They are so versatile: you can pile high toppings to make nachos, dip them in a variety of sauces & dips or crumble them in a thick spicy soup. But alone, they seem quite bland to me or just salty, depending on the brand.

On a bright yet brisk day of autumn, as I was wandering in Ottawa’s Byward market in the hope of making some new tasty discoveries, Don Fernando’s Viva la rolls caught my attention.  It must have been the red packaging sporting the word “hot” since anything with a spicy kick tends to pique my interest!

Once home, I could not resist sampling them. Before opening the bag, I checked the provenance of the product (I’m an archivist, so the place of origin is always important!) and had a surprise:  despite the Latino look of the package, these tortilla chips are made in Austria – which makes sense since I bought them at Continental Delicatessen, a Polish-European style delicatessen (57 York St., Ottawa)

I quite like the look of the chips: they are rolled into a tight cylinder as if trying to say that no dip or topping is required. And they totally stand on their own! The chips are crispy as a chip should be, with a pleasant spice blend – reminiscent of salsa – and a slightly zesty zing at the end. I usually go for burn-in-the-mouth-for-hours-spicy chips and while the Viva la rolls do not qualify in this category, I enjoyed the mild spiciness that just tingled on my tongue.

So if you are looking for some heat, those tortillas chips are not for you. But if you are looking for a snack full of flavor, then you are in for a treat! And like any type of tortilla chips, Viva la rolls’ are at their best when paired with some beer, lively music and a few friends.