"When it comes to crisps, British appetites have traditionally been sated by a packet of Frazzles or a bag of Skips", said Chloe Mac Donnell in The Guardian. But no more, we are fast approaching the "summer of the posh crisp".
From black truffle to smoked pheasant and sparkling wine, fancy crisp flavours are appearing on supermarket shelves up and down the country. Gourmet snack company Torres makes what is expected to be the next "viral hit": a fried egg flavour potato crisp that mimics the classic Spanish tortilla.
At home, "traditional blinis are out"; instead hosts are crafting inventive "crisp canapés" spooning caviar onto Bonilla's sea salt crisps that cost up to £27 a tin. Elsewhere, "hipster-filled bars" are serving organic wines alongside bowls of the elevated potato snack, and Toklas in central London has swapped bread for crisps as the accompaniment for its mussels escabeche dish. The restaurant's head chef, Chris Shaw, told the newspaper he is tapping into the British "love affair" with crisps.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
These "elite" potato snacks are typically hand-cooked before being "dusted in decadent flavouring", said Abha Shah in London's The Standard. Howdah's Indian-style crisp ribbons are made from ancient grains and "smothered in a mix of spices" including cumin, chilli and dried mango powder, for an "addictive" snack. "Best to open when you've got company over for your own safety." And Manomasa's Serrano chilli and Yucatan honey corn chips are "so full of flavour" you won't need salsa.
You'll be sure to "impress any dinner party host" with a gift of a tin of Truffle Hunter's white truffle and lobster crisps, added Amy Beecham in Stylist. Perfect served with a "chilled bottle of albariño", the potatoes are thinly sliced and extra crunchy. Or grab a bag of Sarriegui's pickle-flavoured crisps – the ideal snack for "scooping up creamy dips".
