In a time when political and moral debates are playing out on America's screens and streets on a daily basis, an argument about the proper makeup of a snack mix should probably take a backseat. And yet here at the headquarters of a cooking website, an internal snack mix debate has lasted not days but weeks—and has set off high emotions in the process. Today, I will put the issue to rest.
That issue is Chex Mix, and whether peanuts belong in said Mix. Having never given more than a minute's thought to Chex Mix, I am a neutral judge on the matter. I have listened to each side's respective case, both of which can be summed up thusly:
Those who are against peanuts claim that they overpower and take center stage. In a snack that is in theory a model of equitability, the nuts compromise not only the Mix's flavor but also its democracy.
Meanwhile, those who include peanuts insist that they are necessary to break up the monotonous carbiness—and, besides, "peanuts taste good."
Central to both arguments is the idea of balance—strike it right, and you have a bowl of something people can't get their hands out of. Get it wrong, and you've wasted a lot of money on cereal.
I concur that Chex Mix does hinge on the delicate balance of all of its ingredients. Chocolate, for instance, does not belong in Chex Mix for this very reason—next to a bite of chocolate, the subtle Rice Chex has no chance.
Luckily for peanuts, the legume is nowhere near as strong a flavor. And in a side-by-side tasting, I found that a Chex Mix with peanuts did not lean at all in a nutty direction. Instead, the peanuts added a pleasant savoriness, and a respite from the aggressive crunchiness of the Chex, pretzels, and bagel chips.
Indeed, after this tasting I found the argument that peanuts upset the balance of Chex Mix very curious, as a Chex Mix without nuts is all crunchy carbs. Uniformity is not balance. It is, however, a little boring.
This is probably why the original Chex Mix recipe called for the addition of nuts in the first place. Let me be clear: Historical precedent held no sway in my decision, because though there is an official recipe, the true spirit of Chex Mix is in improvisation. However, the good idea to include nuts then remains a good idea now, and thus it is my official opinion that those who omit peanuts haven't made Chex Mix at all, but rather something more accurately described as Chex Crunch. And that's a perfectly fine snack. But if it's a Mix you're after, you need to set aside your staunchly held snack ideology, and reach across the aisle. To the nut section.
