Bet you can’t eat just one...gourmet chip with sea salt and vinegar. Photo courtesy of Kettle™ brand Potato Chips.
May 2005
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Fabulous Flavored Potato Chips
Sour Cream & Onion And BBQ Are
So
Twentieth Century
Today’s foodies have chip choices from Herbs de Provence to Pesto to Spicy Thai
In the summer of 2004, in the first year of what has become an annual event, Kettle Foods asked fans of Kettle™ brand Potato Chips to be consulting “Flavor Architects” and guide the company to select a new flavor. Kettle received more than 16,000 suggestions, and chip lovers got to vote for the finalists (we voted for four of the five flavors—and passed on one of the ultimate winners). The finalist flavors were:
- Chai: More sweet than savory, with light notes of cinnamon, ginger and other harvest spices.
- Cheddar Beer: Tangy cheese with malty beer notes, a perfect balance of smooth and salty flavors.
- Moroccan Curry: A complex blend of exotic spices in buttery chip, with cool mint and yogurt flavors and a rich aroma.
- Spicy Thai: Sweet and hot flavors chili, ginger, lime, and honey notes with a tangy finish.
- Strawberry Cream: Pushing the envelope with a surprising blend of sweet, tart and salty flavors: a great-tasting chip with a jammy aroma.
Due to a close vote, two winners were chosen for a July 2005 debut: Cheddar Beer and Spicy Thai (both taste great, like all Kettle brand chips).
Flavored chips aren’t new: they’ve been popular across the pond for decades. The technique of flavorings chips was invented by Tayto, an Irish potato crisp* manufacturer (see A History of the Potato Chip). The first flavored chips, debuting back in the 1950s, were Salt ‘n’ Vinegar and Cheese and Onion. While some might be surprised at the more unusual flavors suggested to Kettle—Chili Cheese Dog, Fish Oil & Garlic, Asparagus, Anchovy, Beef Stick, Broccoli, Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, Peppermint, and Mustard & Ketchup—they probably can be found somewhere in Great Britain, where such highly flavored crisps are not unusual.
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To translate from British to American English: crisps are potato chips; chips are French fries. |
Great Gourmet Flavors
Not that we Americans are deprived. Specialty food stores are happy to introduce you to them. And, as the products of boutique manufacturers, the quality of the flavorings is as high as you’d get if the chips had been made by your favorite two-star chef.
While some might say nothing beats a great basic, salted chip, we disagree: a great flavored chip is equally good, and maybe even more spectacular because of the excitement of fusion. They’re a special treat whether for snacking or as a complement to casual or more formal fare (think of Moroccan chips with curried chicken salad, or cinnamon-spiced sweet potato chips with vanilla ice cream). And, with a cornucopia of flavors, you won’t run out of creative pairings anytime soon
Here are some of our favorite manufacturers and their fabulous chip flavors:
Brand |
Flavors |
Purchasing Information* |
| Jack & Ollie’s |
- Gorgonzola and Red Onion
- Pesto
- Thai 7 Spice
- Sea Salt
- Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper
40 gram bag, $1.25
150 gram bag, $3.29
ChelseaMarketBaskets.com
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| Kettle™ |
- Cheddar With Beer
- Classic Barbeque
- Honey Dijon
- Jalapeño with Tequila & Lime
- Lightly Salted
- New York Cheddar with
Herbs
- Roasted Red Pepper with
Goat Cheese
- Salsa with Mesquite
- Salt and Fresh Ground
Pepper
- Sea Salt & Vinegar
- Sour Cream and Onion
- Spicy Thai
- Unsalted
- Low Fat: French Onion,
Hickory Barbeque, Lightly
Salted, Mustard &
Honey
- Organic: Chipotle Chili
Barbeque, Lightly Salted,
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
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| 5 ounce bag, $2.29
16-ounce bag, $4.69
Available at Whole Foods.
KettleFoods.com
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| Route 11 |
- Barbeque
- Chesapeake Crab
- Dill Pickle
- Garlic & Herb
- Hayman (heirloom potato)
- Lightly Salted
- Mama Zuma’s Revenge
Green Chile Enchilada
- Mama Zuma’s Revenge
Habañero (barbecue with
habañero& chipotle)
- Salt & Vinegar
- Sour Cream & Chive
- Sweet Potato (cinnamon &
sugar)
- Yukon Gold
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| Mama Zuma’s Revenge Green Chile Enchilada Chips combine the flavor of two favorite foods. Potato chips are seasoned with green chiles, pinto beans, corn, cheese and onion. (They’re mild, not hot.) |
2-ounce bag. $1.00-$1.25
6-ounce bag, $3-3.25 (Sweet Potato is in 5-ounce bags)
Case price: twelve 6-ounce and three 2-ounce bags, $35
Rt11.com |
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| William Poll |
- Garlic
- Herbs de Provence
- Italian
- Jalapeño
- Mediterranean
- Moroccan
- Onion
- Original
- Rosemary
- Sesame
- Shallot & Pepper
- Sicilian
Click here to read our review. |
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4-ounce box, $6.00.
WilliamPoll.com
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*Prices shown are the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Price and flavor availability are subject to change.
What’s Your Favorite?
If your favorite flavored chip isn’t above, click here to tell us about it. We’ll check it out.
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Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
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