There are many modern stories about how potato chips came to be. The one that has gained the most traction is from 1973, linked to an advertising agency that the St. Regis newspaper credited with the invention. George Crum, who was a cook at the luxurious Moon's Lake House hotel near Saratoga Springs, New York, is said to be the inventor.
Here's what supposedly happened: on August 24, 1853, Crum's regular client, and the second richest of American tycoons, "railroad king" Cornelius Vanderbilt, was not satisfied with the roasted potatoes he ordered. He returned them to Crum several times, as they were too thick and greasy for his taste. Indignant at the complaint (whether he threw the frying pan at the waiter is not known), Crum sliced the potatoes as thinly as possible, fried them in oil, and salted them. Vanderbilt was thrilled with the result, and the restaurant added the chips to its menu under the name Saratoga Chips. Incidentally, you can still buy chips under that brand today.
We, however, are not enamored with the fat and thick potato chips, and because our editorial staff is adventurous, we tried 30 varieties of them. We managed to get through them in one afternoon, and surprisingly, our gallbladders survived. The four judges scored the design of the packaging, the smell when opening the bag, the crunch, the texture of the potato, and of course, the taste. The maximum score a product could achieve was 240 points. Only smooth, relatively uniformly thick slices of different flavors were assessed.
Each judge had a favorite, with one even having a certain dislike for potato chips. Still, there was a great deal of agreement on the results, and there was general surprise that the IKEA chips performed so well. This was probably the biggest surprise of the whole test. What wasn't surprising, however, was the finding that if you just have chips in front of the TV, you "eat them" in one sitting, regardless of their quality. Which really didn't happen during the test. In fact, in a direct comparison, some really luxurious and popular brands completely failed, and the difference in texture or taste between the samples was dramatic.
We deliberately don't include prices and links to retailers, as some varieties are really only made to order, and buying them is a bit of an adventure. And when you ever leave your apartment and venture into a foreign country, buy foreign potato chips to take home. You have no idea how many flavors and brands are not sold here at all. Cheers!
Da Vinci Chips - olive oil, Himalayan salt; Flor de Sal - Mediterranean; Hobžovy - Strážnické, lightly salted; IKEA Festligt - mushrooms; IKEA Festligt - salt; IKEA Festligt - sour cream, onion; Lay's - chili, lime; Lay's - salt; M&S - cheddar cheese, red onion; M&S - beef Wellington; M&S - sea salt; M&S - sea salt, balsamic vinegar; M&S - sea salt, malt vinegar; M&S - parmesan, prosciutto; M&S - parmesan cheese, prosciutto; M&S - sea salt, malt vinegar - roast chicken, garlic, herbs; Mackie's of Scotland - sea salt; Mackie's of Scotland - sea salt, vinegar; Pringles - original; Pringles - Japanese BBQ teriyaki; Pringles - chicken tikka masala; Pringles - Peking duck, hoisin; Pringles - Texas BBQ; Tesco - BBQ jerk pork; Tesco - cheddar, red onion; Tesco - sea salt, black pepper; Tesco - sea salt, apple cider vinegar; Tesco - Thai sweet chili
BURTS - GUINNESS
Impression:
Absolute winner! Great bittersweet taste of the iconic Irish stout. You can really taste the barley in the relatively thick crisp, and it will appeal to people who don't like beer culture. The crunch and texture of the potato are great. The English family-run Burts manufactory has gone to great lengths.
Detailed pictures in the gallery below the article.
FLOR DE SAL - SALT FLOWER
Impression:
Spanish potato chips with Salt Flower from Mallorca are a luxury item, and the price corresponds. The taste is balanced and delicate, the slices are thin and perfectly crispy. You need not be afraid to use these hand-harvested potatoes in your gastronomic experiments. Just "in front of the TV" is a shame.
Detailed pictures in the gallery below the article.
M&S COLLECTION - BLACK TRUFFLE, OLIVE OIL
Impression:
Relatively expensive foods (even in the UK) are held up as a benchmark of quality. The same is true for these hand-fried chips. The below-average texture and almost no crunch satisfaction are completely made up for by the smell of truffles when you open the bag. And the taste doesn't fall short either. They're a bit of a waste in front of the TV, unless you want to indulge in a bit of that luxurious haze at the Rose Garden.
Detailed pictures in the gallery below the article.
KETTLE - SEA SALT, PEPPER
Impression:
Made in Denmark, these relatively thick unpeeled slices follow an original recipe from faraway Hawaii. All of this, including the great smell and taste, earned these chips a fourth-place finish. The crunch and texture are a little weak, but the American producer has mastered his craft. We also positively rate the packaging, which is very well done.
Detailed pictures in the gallery below the article.
IKEA FESTLIGT - PEPPER, LEEK
Impression:
The big Swedish surprise of the whole test. An interesting combination of pepper and leek. Apart from the packaging, it received almost the best rating. However, the packaging, which hardly protects the chips, hurt the overall impression the most. Otherwise, they became the dark horse of the whole test, and in all the evaluated parameters, the furniture chips scored almost full points.
Detailed pictures in the gallery below the article.
