Paprika, but also all those weird flavors one sees in Europe. It has become difficult to find my husband’s fave Lay’s Classic when he is craving crisps.
And why Pringles are so popular around the world. I’ve never eaten them, but noticed them in the “gift food” area at the Linate airport recently. And then saw them in Japan last month.
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/dec/02/the-weird-secretive-world-of-crisp-flavours
Still craving the rosemary potato chips I bought in Vienna last month. So good, but unless I order way too many bags from Amazon, not available here…..
The best I've ever had were the olive oil potato chips in Spain.
Janet, I had olive oil potato chips in Spain recently. I didn't make note of the brand. It sounds like they'd be plain but they were so good.
Note to self… try the olive oil chips in Spain. We should be there the beginning of March.
I really like oddball potato chips from around the world. Montreal all dressed, ketchup, paprika, nice!
But Tim's chips local to the Northwest are still my favorites. Maui onion with clam dip, old school family classic!
American potato chips have nothing on their Spanish cousins (sorry). In Spain they are just so light and crispy. They come in tastes like Jamon, Truffles, Olive Oil, even Cava Wine flavour! One brand to look out for is called San Nicasio, which comes from Andalucía, specifically the area around Córdoba. Another which is available to buy in the USA is from chef José Andrés' brand. Torres is another great Spanish potato chip brand. As you can see we are crazy about our potato chips in Spain.
A post about paprika chips?? How could I pass this one up. 😊 My sister and I are obsessed! Our favorite is the Zweifel paprika chips from Switzerland. A close second for me is the Walker’s Max puncy paprika I had in the UK. I found some in the Netherlands, by 3 dutch farmers. A very mild flavor, but the freshest potato chips I have ever had. The Spar brand we found in Austria was pretty good too.
Ones we did not like were Pringle’s and Kelly’s.
I always try to bring some home which is very stressful. Every time someone goes near my carry-on in the overhead bin, I’m thinking, don’t smash my chips, don’t smash my chips.
My GF gave me the Zweifel "Christmas Calendar". It is basically a big box, with (as expected) 25 little doors, and a Zweifel product behind each one. Didn't know they made that many different snacks.
Anyways, Paprika crisps are indeed my favourite. And growing up in Europe I was surprised to hear that they are not that common elsewhere. For me they were always the "default" crisps, and anything else is exotic.
Haggis potato chips, Scotland.
I dont care for them but Amazon can supply you with paprika chips, including Torres and Pringles.
My GF gave me the Zweifel "Christmas Calendar". It is basically a big
box, with (as expected) 25 little doors, and a Zweifel product behind
each one. Didn't know they made that many different snacks.
What a fabulous gift!!!! In addition to the paprika chips, I also like their corn chips and the paprika cashews. And I see they now have a mustard flavor chip. I’ll have to look for those.
I too love the Spanish olive oil crisps particularly the Torres brand, I find them to be lighter in texture than British crips however for sheer variety of flavours no country compares to the UK. My favourite.........Pipers Great Berwick Longhorn Beef flavour.
I think it was Lay's that had a slogan that "you couldn't eat just one," but then I tried Ghost Pepper chips....
Great article! Thanks for sharing!
Carrie, I had you in mind when I started this.
And Allan—Ghost pepper chips—-yikes. Isn’t that the new “hottest pepper in the world”, replacing Scotch Bonnets for that title?
I think the Lay’s ad line was “Betcha can’t eat just one,”. I know my husband can’t. But at home I have convinced him that the Cape Cod “reduced fat” chips are much better (and almost healthy).
But when traveling, it is usually Lay’s that we find, wherever we go. And they must be Lays Classic, the original unflavored ones. Even in Japan.
I recall that in Argentina, they were so expensive—-two 1-0z. Bags cost the same as a nice bottle of Argentine red wine.
In Spain, the local crisps are so good I convinced my husband to stick with those—and I even eat about half of them.
I like buying the chips in Norway — Kim's!!
Oh my word - I see that Torres even has a smoked paprika flavor. That's getting specific!
In Belgium, a bar served us a little dish of star shaped snacks. They were like little cheetos, and tasted amazing. We couldn't find them in a grocery store. Also, I wish I could find mustard like we had in a brewery in Bruges. It was served with a pretzle and packed a punch.
My favorite chips are the Brets brand in France. They have some great flavors:
Brets:
Camembert potato chips
Marine-flavoured chips (oyster and the sea)
Onion confit chips
Aioli chips
Andalouse sauce potato chips
Porcini potato chips
Tapenade potato chips
French fry sauce chips (or crisp sauce if you’re British)
Braised chicken chips
Grilled pepper chorizo chips
Gouda and cumin
Grilled rib roast or prime rib chips
Organic Thyme Rosemary chips
