When Chef Joe and I first started brainstorming Tantos, we knew one thing for certain: Flavor would be everything. We had to give people something unique, delicious, and unmistakably “pasta” in chip form. But which flavors? And how exactly would we figure out the perfect recipes? Here’s a peek into how we develop, and sometimes debate, our Tantos flavor line.
From the start, Joe suggested Marinara and Pesto as absolute musts, because who doesn’t love classic tomato sauce or basil-forward pesto? We also agreed we needed some kind of cheese flavor—originally, it was a toss-up between Mac & Cheese and Cacio e Pepe. One of Joe’s early experiments accidentally tasted like mac and cheese, so that triggered an entire discussion. We ultimately chose Cacio e Pepe because it felt more on-brand; mac and cheese is great, but something about that peppery, authentic Italian vibe just spoke to us.
For a hot minute, Joe was also tinkering with a sweet flavor. While we won’t spill the details yet (we may launch it someday), we actually ended up shelving it when a potential investor pointed out the need for a plain flavor, think Tostitos chip. We instantly thought, Duh, how did we miss that? We scrapped the sweet idea (for now) and introduced Classico, which has a simple, comforting buttered-noodle essence. So from there, we locked in four main flavors: Marinara, Pesto, Cacio e Pepe, and Classico.
The process itself was anything but simple. Month after month, Joe would whip up new seasoning blends and mail or bring them to me for a taste test. I’d gather my wife and our two friends, and we’d compare notes:
- “There’s barely any basil here—needs more!”
- “Way too salty.”
- “Mmm, that one’s awesome!”
- “Nope, start from scratch.”
Rinse and repeat. Literally. This went on once a month for seven months until we finally had our final seasoning formulas. The craziest part is how Joe concocted these blends from scratch, he wasn’t Googling “pesto chip seasoning.” He was basically inventing them in his kitchen, guided by his Michelin-level culinary instincts.
We decided early on not to ask too many people for feedback. That might sound risky, but I firmly believe in the saying “too many cooks in the kitchen.” Everyone’s palate is different, and we knew we couldn’t please absolutely everyone. We also trusted our core group’s taste buds enough to say, “If we all love it, we’re going for it.”
One surprise, though, was discovering how many folks didn’t know what ‘Cacio e Pepe’ was. We assumed it was universal, but apparently not. While it didn’t deter us from using the name, it taught us we might need to explain that flavor a bit more during marketing.
Balancing Authentic Italian with Snack-Friendliness
We’ve always said we wanted Tantos to taste like a bowl of whatever pasta dish inspired it, but as a chip. So, if you close your eyes while crunching our Marinara flavor, it should recall an actual plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Of course, it won’t be a perfect replica, but we do our best to capture that core essence. The idea is “Italian heart, American snack soul.”
After finalizing each flavor, we sent the recipe to our seasoning house, basically, a group of food scientists who replicate your blend for mass production. It’s mind-blowing how accurately they can clone Joe’s kitchen experiments. Out of the four flavors, only one needed a second round of tweaks; everything else was nailed on the first try. The seasoning house also ensures it’s all safe, regulated, and reproducible on a large scale.
Lessons from the Test Kitchen
Looking back, I’m most amazed by how it all starts in a real home kitchen, with everyday ingredients you can buy at the grocery store. That raw creativity, especially when you have a Michelin-rated chef on your team, turns into flavors that (we hope) delight snack lovers everywhere. My best advice? Love your product. If you don’t genuinely love the taste yourself, you’ll never be able to sell it with confidence. Sure, not everyone will like it, and that’s fine. But you have to believe in every bite.
For Tantos, flavor development isn’t just about making something “good.” It’s about transporting you to that comforting place in your mind where pasta meets bold, snackable fun. And if you ask me, that’s a recipe worth perfecting.
