A recent trip to a supermarket that I've never been to yielded a variety of salt & vinegar crisps that was new to me. Well, kinda sorta.
Back in 2022 I sampled Kettle's Apple Cider Vinegar chips, an autumnal specialty and enjoyed them, though I felt they could have used more tanginess. This time around the spuds have been friend in avocado oil instead of what I presume was a mix of canola and/or corn and/or cottonseed and/or whatever.
The bag didn't indicate that they were a limited edition seasonal flavor but I still sighed at the thought that potato chips might be going the way of craft beer with autumnal flavors hitting shelves not even a week after the summer solstice. So, if apple cider vinegar isn't considered a taste of fall here, I can only wonder at what is in store come September. Pear vinegar?
The crisps were, uh, a mildy darkened yellow with occasional brown spots and similarly colored edges. Do brown edges always mean the skin was left on? Or do they brown more quickly because of the small surface area or some such thing? Speaking of edges, these looked thicker than your average crisp. I stuck my snout in the bag and found that the slightly sweet tang of the vinegar was quite prominent. Behind it was the oil.
I popped one in my maw, bit down, and was greeted by a nice, firm crunch. It was a bit light on the salt while the tanginess seemed to be of the same level as the non-avocado oil variety. Very middle of the road. However, I really liked the apple taste with its hints of pomaceous sweetness. Poms and tubers seem to be natural complements. Once the vinegar mellowed on my tongue, I tasted a luscious, creamy potato flavor. More sweet than earthy.
These are some fine chips. Like their brethren, they could use twice (or more) as much tang. Still, the apple cider vinegar is delicious and makes for a fine crisp diversion.
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