Wow. Special thanks to the unreasonably good and able Rebecca Ross for bringing me these three chip bags that she bought at an ACME supermarket in Akron, Ohio. I can't imagine going into a supermarket and seeing so many local chip brands. What CENTURY would I think I was in?? Just another reason why Ohioans defy their unfortunate geography and end up RULING more than those in nearly any other state! Cursory research reveals that Ohio houses the country’s second highest amount of potato chip companies (PA is the first) and so here is a fine sampling of localized flavor and charm that one might find on any trip to that small but crucial swing state.
Corell's
These, despite clearly winning in the design category, are unfortunately not good! A preliminary pat of the bag reveals a paltry amount of chips within, and they themselves follow suit in their mediocrity. It’s not a strong crunch, made worse by the fact they’re kettle-cooked, and the taste is odd, despite claims of being cooked in typical oils. That said, however, Corell’s is a tiny company, and I must give them their due for simply existing at all. Located in landlocked Beach City, they have been turning out their chips for the last 75 years, and deserve a special note for their purity and simplicity: They make only one kind of chip. Oil, salt, potatoes. And nothing else.
Gold’n Krisp
I’ve heard lots of good things about Stark County’s Gold’n Krisp Kettle Cook’d chips and was excited to try them. I was impressed by the consistency of the chips themselves; all were folded over, clearly a result of the cooking method. A solid, historic crunch reveals the true source of their cooking oil: Lard. Though listed on the back as “shortening and/or lard” it is clear which of those two finds its way to the kettle with more regularity. A hint of bacon makes the chips decadent, and, for me, a little heavy; I only will eat a few at a time before images of bacon fat clogging my arteries make me give up on snacking. While not entirely my bag, these are very good, localized chips that have more than earned their reputation as “internationally known!”
O.K.
O.K. Chips are made in Canton, Ohio and they are nothing if not modest. O.K. chips are actually FANTASTIC. Up there with Seyfert’s as the best chips I have ever had the pleasure to DEVOUR. A beautiful, autumnal golden brown, thicker cut than your average fried chip, and salted to perfection, these are potato chips at their greasy finest. The metallic bag in which they are packaged is the perfect encasement for these stellar, medal-deserving chips.
