When I was young, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, potato chips were decidedly imperfect, which made them perfect! You see, kiddies, there was a time when potato chips were made by slicing potatoes, dropping them in hot oil, draining and salting them, and tossing them into a bag. If the potato was a bit blemished going in, it was blemished coming out. And sometimes a thin edge of the potato might get a little more browned compared to the rest of the potato, and that was okay, too. They tasted wonderful, with all those little imperfections adding myriad variations in flavor. In college, I used to buy the cheapest potato chips I could find, Golden Bear, which I think were culled out of the “other” potato chips because they had imperfections, brown spots and holes and such. They were glorious, as I recall.
But somewhere in time, manufacturers found ways to take the imperfection out of potato chips. No variations, no overcooked spots, no blemishes. Just one potato chip looking just like the last one, Pringles and the like being the worst, abominable chips which appear to be formed or pressed out of some kind of potato mash before being fried, so that they all are EXACTLY the same. What a shame!!!
But joy of joys, this past year I discovered Kettle Chips, potato chips made the old fashioned way, imperfections and all. They are wonderful, and almost as good as the old kind. (I have left out the part where good ol’ hips used to be fried in animal fats, which made them even better.)
So I love Kettle Chips, and I was especially amazed to discover them in Sainsbury’s in London!! I love ENGLAND!!! LOL