An Unsavory Take on Ritz

Published on Thursday, April 15, 2010, by James Norton / Edit Post

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ritz Crackers

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ritz Crackers

I Paid: $3.59 for a 1-pound box (prices may vary by region)

Taste: 3 stars

Marketing: 3 stars

The buttery, light, roasty, nutty, slightly sweet Ritz has been a rock-ribbed American staple almost from its introduction in 1934. (By 1935, the cracker was “selling in the five-billion volume area … during its first year of nationwide distribution,” according to the Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands.) It also featured prominently in the opening of The Godfather Part II, one of the most unambiguously terrific films ever made. Quoth Frankie Pentangeli: “A kid comes up to me in a white jacket, gives me a Ritz cracker and chopped liver, he says, ‘Canapes.’ I say, ‘Can o’ peas my ass! That’s a Ritz cracker and chopped liver.’”

So why mess with a legend? The theory behind the newly released Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ritz seems to be, based on the cream cheese/apple/granola/raspberry jam recipe on the back of the box, that we need a sweet Ritz cracker for deployment on dessert-type missions. The problem with this assumption is that it overlooks the fact that regular old Ritz crackers do quite well in this capacity—their buttery saltiness doesn’t clash with sweetness, it only accentuates it.

That said, irrelevant or not, there’s nothing wrong with the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ritz cracker. Its cinnamon sweetness is mellow and understated, not cloying, and it retains the pleasant flaky, buttery texture of its venerable brother. It’s a good product—but quite possibly a thoroughly redundant one.

James Norton edits the Upper Midwestern food journal Heavy Table. He's also the coauthor of a book on Wisconsin's master cheesemakers. For his Supertaster Daily videos, he samples offerings from supermarket aisles and fast-food menus. (Click here to see all of James's previous Supertaster work.) You can follow him on Twitter and fan him on Facebook.

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POST A COMMENT |16 Comments

COMMENT

  • Wonder what would happen if you used these in the famed Ritz faux apple pie? Hmm...

  • Nothing wrong with them except they contain trans fat, hydrogenated oil AND high fructose corn syrup. It's a trifecta. Yummy.

  • here in Scotland we love them too .I run cafe Gandolfi in Glasgow and we use them in a magic walnut cake that must originate in America .You will just have to visit and taste Seumas

  • This may be a little off topic but in some Asian supermarkets in the borough of Queens in NYC you can buy packages of Ritz Cracker sandwiches with custard cream filling between them. They are UNBELIEVABLY delicious and I'm thankful I don't live in that part of Queens—otherwise I'd weigh over 500 lbs!

    Ciao,

    Glendale is hungry...

  • I think the clear application for these is in Ritz mock apple pie. It'd be pre-seasoned.

  • I think Ritz crackers taste unpleasantly chalky.

  • Sounds like they want to compete with the cinnamon graham cracker. As I read this, I immediately thought, "Sounds like something good for the toddler-set," similar to Fibro's comment above. Hey, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish came out with graham and cinnamon graham gold fish, so why not Ritz!

  • I wonder about the HFCS and trans-fat content tho..

  • I must be one of the few people in the US who never particularly cared for Ritz crackers.

  • I second the sentiment on the pretzel crisp thingies.

  • I just tried this product for the first time. Actually, it's not bad, and kids will think they're cookies. (Little kids will, anyway.) I can think of several applications in which this product might work. I will most likely purchase them. (I got a coupon today for them, but seldom buy things that aren't on my shopping list) I might add them next time as long as I can stay within 'budget'. (Sadly,...+READ

    I just tried this product for the first time. Actually, it's not bad, and kids will think they're cookies. (Little kids will, anyway.) I can think of several applications in which this product might work. I will most likely purchase them. (I got a coupon today for them, but seldom buy things that aren't on my shopping list) I might add them next time as long as I can stay within 'budget'. (Sadly, at this time our budgets are sacrosanct.)-COLLAPSE

  • This is a marketing deal. 'New Twist on Tried and True' brings in $$$
    Remember when George Carlin said "If you nail two things together that have never been nailed together before, some schmuck will buy it from you"...? So, a little silly but it serves a purpose. (not that I'm calling anyone a schmuck for God's sake)
    Hmm. Ritz piecrust???

  • say whatever.. but the new Rirz pretzel crisps are a whole new food group for me.

  • That's not irony, it is a pun.

    I actually think it's funny, but I'm a dork.

  • I think the irony was intentional.

  • Bad headline. The word "unsavory" has a negative conotation, yet Norton says this version of Ritz is "a good product."