Everything a chip should be.

Old Dutch Potato chips make good on their promise of “delivered fresh from the heart of the upper Midwest.” Based in St. Paul, they’ve been lovingly making their chips for over 70 years. The originals are perfect: light, crunchy, irresistible. The dill flavor are great, albeit cheating a bit with a dose of MSG: still the vinegar, dill, and parsley with which its coated is subtle and good. Old Dutch’s kettle chips are thicker cut, and offer a heartier crunch than their original chips. The mesquite BBQ is bold and full-bodied, if maybe being a bit too singular in its taste to make it through a whole bag. The Parmesan & Garlic are more subtly flavored, its charm is more of a slow burn, certain chips taste more garlic than parmesan, and others vice versa. Old Dutch is a great American chip company!

Hangin’ with Mrs. Fisher

I picked up a bag of Mrs. Fisher’s at a gas station somewhere near the border of Illinois and Wisconsin. The packaging’s design was charming enough, but a quick squeeze of the bag instantly dashed any expectation that this was to be a solid chip. Awkwardly housed in a thick “new package for extra thickness” i could tell that the chips would be weak-crunching. The long list of ingredients necessary to make the BBQ flavoring further diminished my expectations. I was not disappointed in my initial judgment. These chips were DISGUSTING!!! Crunching as if they’d been dropped in a bathtub, and flavored so harshly and with such obtuse carelessness, me and me mates could only down a few chips before giving up and tossing the bag. Stay away!

Detroit Chip City

Detroit is one of my favorite places in America. It bore the entire Twentieth Century on its rusty legs and stands today broken and reborn, as positive testament to its people’s resolve. But I can’t talk about that here. I can talk about its chips, as wholly tenacious and proud as the city itself. I went for a Coney at Lafayette Coney Island, and to accompany their unrivaled signature dish, they offer bags of Better Made chips. The chips completely live up to their name; sliced thin, crunchy, eaten by the handful, gone too soon, cooked in cottonseed oil, they are a reminder of the simple food that, when accurately combined, makes a potato chip transcendent: oil, salt and potatoes. In 1934, Detroit had over twenty potato chip companies, today only one remains. Made with Michigan potatoes at a union plant, Ready Made is the kind of chip company that America needs. It is the past and, like the city in which it was birthed, it is the future.

….then we’ll take Berlin

This is my second post about Snyder of Berlin. This time I tried their Kettle-style variety, specifically their Hawaiian Sweet Onion. They were fantastic! The kettle krunch is there, but here the flavor makes them stick out. It’s subtle (betraying the paragraph ingredient list!), not too sweet, not too salty, with suggestion of onion, coconut, and Romano cheese. The back of the bag contains the disclaimer, “We are not connected with Snyder’s of Hanover, Inc. of Hanover, PA.”

UTZ

What can you say about Utz that hasn’t already been said? They do everything right. Aesthetically perfect packaging, where bold colors signify different flavors, a homegrown operation based out of Lancaster, PA, and a great product put UTZ up there in the major leagues of chipdom. The BBQ and Sour Cream and Onion flavors are classics; eat them by the mouthful, light and crisp, flavoring does not overwhelm the potato flavor. These are for some the chips against which all others are judged. UTZ has in recent years branched out to a plethora of other chips: balls, pretzels, snack mixes, gourmet chips, but they recognize the importance of keeping above all their classics available to all. Grandma UTZ are their attempt at harkening back to their first chip; a thicker-sliced, hand-cooked in lard chip, that while I think is decent, is too bacon-y to eat more than a few, and doesn’t hold a candle to their unadorned, classic chip.

Eat Your Greens

So I've been kinda lax on posting to chipweb lately because I've been trying to be healthy. Although you can't get more back-to-basics and salt of the earth than a potato (it's a historical vegetable!), they were really doing a number on my jeans, as in the number of my jeans i couldn't fit into. So imagine what a breath of salty air it was to see Green Bean chips at Trader Joe's the other day. It's a vegetable! It's a protein! Green! Salty! It's like freeze-drying Enid's spicy green beans! I'm just trying to say that it's worth the wait in line at the Union Sq Trader Joe's.

Next up- interview with a real live chip factory GM!

I've got the MUNCHIES

Say hello to the Munchies, the Hostess Mascotts of the 80's & 90's! These little stoners were so cute with their thick black eyebrows and furry bums. If you saved enough POP's (proof of purchase code bars), you could send them to Hostess and redeem them for dolls! They're slogan was "Cause when you got the munchies, nothing else will do!". They really catered to the stoners and stoners in training.

QUANTITY CONTROL!!!

When I was 10 I was ADDICTED to Hostess Hickory Sticks. They don't carry this brand in the USA and similar products made in the states are just not the same. Like a pomegranate, they are hard to eat, so tiny and fall through your fingers. But like green seedless grapes and popcorn, they are rewarding and there is little hope of stopping once in front of you. If you eat these, I would use my mother's method called "QUANTITY CONTROL! QUANTITY CONTROL!!!", where she would run around the house and scream this to all the kids and cousins to make sure even the little ones got their share.

Stoned w/ Dill Pickles in Canada

Humpty Dumpty Chips is a Canadian classic! First note, how STONED the Humpty Dumpty guy is! He can barely lift his eyelids! Then note the food coma he is in from all the tasty chips. You can't get this flavor in the states, so I had to smuggle two large bags across the border from my Toronto trip.

Got no friends in Pennsylvania

I was very excited to see Good's potato chips for sale at None Such Farms, in Doylestown, PA. The packaging is, as crudely evidenced in the above photo, wonderful. The chips, surprisingly, are NOT. They aren't bad, though, either. It remains a mystery as to whether they are kettle-cooked. The story on the back of the bag tells of how they still use their "time-tested handle kettle operation" though the crunch of the chip tells another story. This raises a dumb, but necessary question: if a chip isn't cooked in a kettle, in what exactly is it cooked? A giant vat? I have no idea, but I'm learning as I go; I guess as I chomp. Anyway, the immediate reaction to the Good's was these chips are NOT good, but as you find yourself eating more and more, it turns into a "not bad." The day after initially opening the bag, I ate another chip and thought, "this tastes like bacon." I checked the ingredient list and sure enough the chips are cooked in LARD! With no apology, or allusion to the fact that these chips are in fact not vegetarian! Total respect - I'm sorry, that is bad ass - especially in these calorie-counting times. McDonald's stopped cooking their fries in beef tallow in like 1992, so for a taste of the old times, get the Good's!!

Mac trux in the Poconos...

Does Pennsylvania's soil offer something unique for the planting of potatoes? I imagine a time when, maybe during and after the war, every state in this vast land had more potato chip businesses than one could ever hope to tally. A half century ago, I would reason that a trip to any new state would afford plenty of new and exciting, local chips. So I'm left wondering why Pennsylvania (and to a lesser degree, Ohio) houses so many lil chip companies, and how they remain in business. Why haven't the national brands killed the little guys here? It warms my heart! Others should take note! That said, I'm beginning to see a trend: Wonderful, heart-melting, classic, timeless, packaging but a MEDIOCRE CHIP! If I'd grown up with any of these chips, I would wholeheartedly sing their praises and claim them to be the best chip the world's ever birthed, but in the interest of objectivity, and building the credibility of Chipweb, I must be fair in my assessment of these chips. I tried Martin's "Kettle-Cook'd Hand Cooked Potato Chips" and they were NOT GOOD!!! Some hypothesized that it was the oil in which the chips were cooked that made for the disappointment. Maybe. It is listed as Vegetable Shortening, which doesn't have the same appeal as Sunflower Oil, etc. But maybe that is naive? Most bad chips taste the same; they taste synthetic, they taste like those Potato Stix that come in a can. The kettle crunch was not up there with other chips I've had, and the taste was just bad. I wanted to like these chips so much and I'm sad to give my honest report. Visit their website and support them just the same: www.martinschips.com. More PA chips to come!

i will trade my first born...

...for a bag of these....




"Sabritones brand is the traditional puffed wheat snack from Mexico that combines the authentic flavors of spicy chile with tangy lime."

I ate these for breakfast, lunch and dinner when i went to Mexico. According to the Frito-Lay product finder, the only place I can find my precious Sabritones is Moultrie, GA or duh, Mexico. Should anyone come across a bag....you will be greatly rewarded.

Soon the desert will be gone!!!

Poore Brothers Potato Chips are based in Arizona, and available in California and the Southwest. They get it right! The packaging is bad, but the kettle-cooked crunch is spot on, as is the flavoring. I tried Desert Mesquite Bar-B-Que and they were mostly wonderful. (What the hell is mesquite?) Not overwhelmingly “bold” (though they boast as much), with a satisfying garlic, and onion flavoring, the chips are a success. They have a range of flavorings, and I’m curious to try their Parmesan & Garlic chip!



















I don’t speak Spanish and it’s the worst! But I can still eat their chips! Toreadas are hecho en Mexico, and they RULE MY LIFE! They remain impossibly light while retaining a kettle-cooked crunch and the Habanero makes them addictive. The flavoring is subtle but intense. And it’s not simply a let’s get it as hot as possible type thing, you really do taste the sweet/hot contradiction of the Habanero. As the back of the bag says, celebrate the chiles!!!



















Let’s be real. Like it or not, these days when you eat a flavored tortilla chip, you’re going to be measuring how it stacks up to the original Doritos chip. Most are either inferior imitations or fancy impostors trying to better the quality of the product while not understanding it’s in part the phoniness of the Dorito which makes it transcendent in the first place. El Sabroso’s Jalapenitos get everything right. An all natural – no msg – and stone ground corn chip, packing a hat trick of Manchego, Cotija, and Asadero cheeses, and blended with fire-roasted jalapenos make these the perfect combo of high and low brow chip. The flavoring doesn’t overwhelm the corn, allowing all the flavors to shine. These chips are made by the mysterious Snak King (“King of Snacks”) based in Los Angeles. Let’s get lost in his castle!

pac-nwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!

The great underdog the PAC-NW has got regional chips! Tim’s is available at every corner store. They are “Cascade Style” and promise to be “extra thick and crunchy.” I got Sour Cream & Onion, I would say in general my favorite “classic” flavor of a chip. These were exceptional! A perfect kettle-cooked crunch is driven home by the awesomely mild and flavor-packed sour cream & onion seasoning. It doesn’t try to overwhelm the potato itself like so many flavored chips do, rather it’s a perfect ratio; it’s a potato chip where first you taste the potato and then the flavoring. Tim’s are great! I also tried a friend’s Jalapeno, also awesome. Support your local chip company, people! Think Global, act local!!!





Zapp’s Potato Chips is a company based in Gramercy, LA. They have limited nationwide distribution and are, or at least try to be perceived as, a mom and pop organization. I can say that their chips’ packaging is very handsome: Simple, classic design, with different primary colors calling out different flavors. I went for the Spicy Cajun Crawtators and I’m disappointed to report that they are NOT GOOD. The kettle-crunch is there (apparently not so difficult to get right, I’m learning, or maybe from here on I should pay more attention to the nuance of the kettle crunch.) Anyway, it just seems that these chips were tossed in with a box of Old Bay seasoning. They’re intense in a bland, broad way; they’re spicy but hollow - where’s the excitement? I can’t believe I got ZAPPED in the PAC-NW!

pretzels?

The availability of local or regional brands of chips falls off dramatically once you cross the Mississippi, so much so that I traveled from that river to the foothills of the Rockies without finding a single exciting bag of chips. In Couer D’Alene, Idaho, I picked up my first truly national chip – or pretzel. Do pretzels count? Snyder of Hanover’s Sourdough Nibblers. I appreciate this line of Snyder’s – the flavored pretzel, usually something subtle, savory, and addictive. The sourdough flavor is mild, not too salty, and you can easily eat a whole bag and not feel gross. I wish I’d had cranberry juice to accompany these, because cranberry juice with pretzels is one of life’s finest pleasures. I would say try it on a plane but for some reason most airlines only have CRAN-APPLE juice, which significantly diminishes the experience. Also, shout out to the window bag. It’s nice to see what you’re getting yourself into. Bring back the Dorito window bag!

Mike-sell's!!!

A friend told me that Mike-sell’s potato chips are considered some of the best in the country. They are fromOHIO, and have been around forever. I tried something from their Kettle-cooked line – a moniker which raises expectation of a harder, denser chip with a strong crunch. I got the Bold Bahama Barbeque flavor at a gas station in Bloomington, Indiana. The crunch was a satisfying kettle-cooked chomp, but the flavoring was odd. It was too intense to want to eat a whole bag; after a few chips I was left for want of water. There was no subtlety in the flavoring and although it implies some Carribbean connection, I couldn’t figure out what made it thus. These chips didn’t taste like the tropics!

coming soon...

I want to let you guys know how strong my love for Dorito's The Quest is, only i dont have the time to put that love into words yet. Stay tuned.

Acceptable Chip Substitutes

1. French Fries especially shoe string fries....sorry Jada I know you may disagree.
2. Pretzels but only the flat pretzel chip that Dan mentioned before or Snyder's Pretzel Nuggets.
3. Popcorn preferably flavored and/or homemade.
4. Tater Tots
5. Dry Roasted Edamame

Never substitute these:

1. Pork Rinds.....I can appreciate the texture but these are so wrong in so many ways!
2. Crackers...Too sophisticated, better served with cheese or salad. Couldn't be eaten with a sandwich or solo.
3. Baked Chips....What's the point? They may as well be crackers.

You will see these again soon in my Do's and Don'ts!

First reports from the field - DF

I need to say first that I do not like Trader Joe’s. I don’t respect that it’s they’re ingenious marketing and business acumen that’s made them a success rather than their product. To me it’s obnoxious how they take another company’s idea, embellish it, mass produce it, brand it, and sell it for less than the original makers are able. Therefore, it is with reluctance and a hypocritical guilt that I say that their Pretzel Slims Everything chips blew me away. My friend in Brooklyn had a bag at her house, and when I crunched down on my first chip I felt like the first person that bit into the first potato chip must have felt; it was revelatory. An impossible crunch, a wonderfully thin pretzel-cracker, flavored with a sweet and savory combo of sesame, poppy, caraway seeds, onion, garlic, and maple syrup. They’re ripe for dipping, and they aren’t greasy or too salty, so you could easily eat a whole bag in a sitting and not feel terrible about yourself. To assuage my guilt in making my first entry on Chip Web about a Trader Joe’s product, my next few chip posts are certainly going to be more locally spun! Steal this chip bag!

Pennsylvania seems to be chip country and so I got a bag of Snyder chips while in Pittsburgh. Snyder – of Berlin, apparently - the potato chip home of the more famous Hanover side of the family - has been making potato chips since the 1940s, and they are competent, if unremarkable, in their original flavor. A crunch on the softer side somewhat lessens the otherwise decently salted chip. It tastes like a potato chip, no frills.










Conn’s is based in various locations in Eastern Ohio, and while at an ice cream/hot dog stand in downtown Cambridge, Ohio I chose from an assortment that also included original, BBQ, and salt and vinegar, the oddest flavor: Green onion. These chips were disgusting. A weak-crunching chip covered with a synthetic-tasting Green Onion powder, as if an evil condiment had been simply sprinkled over the final chip. I could only eat a few before discarding the unfinished bag and it took an hour and many sips from my new stainless steel canteen to completely relieve the taste from my mouth. And it’s a shame too, because I wanted to like these chips, as the charming design of the bag had raised my expectations.

more than just nutrition