PrøvGOLD- Free

The flavour has chipped away

Brunch|January 04, 2025
Potato chips used to be a thing of joy. Now, they're mass-produced in factories, the flavours seem artificial and, like so much else, the good stuff is branded as gourmet
- VIR SANGHVI
The flavour has chipped away

It is the taste of my childhood. And it has many different names. When I was young, the thinly sliced deep-fried potatoes I love came from shops with names like Okay Wafers, because wafers was what we called them. And they were crisp, golden and actually tasted of potatoes.

I never found any fresh wafers, let alone wafer shops, when I went to school in England but there was no shortage of industrially manufactured, pre-packaged crisps – which was what they called wafers. They never seemed quite right but you could buy them in different flavours, which tasted just enough of the ingredients they were mimicking to give a jolt to the palate.

This was before I discovered the range of wafers/crisps in America. Everywhere I went I came across new brands, many of which were local. Except they called them potato chips.

I never got used to calling wafers “chips”. And when I started writing about food, nobody called them wafers. But I discovered that crisps (let’s call them that for the rest of this article) were a universal craze.

There was a story about their invention by an American called George Crumb, but the more I read the dodgier that claim seemed.

In her definitive study of crisps, British journalist Natalie Whittle writes about a talk by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria. “Who invented the omelette?” he asked his audience. Nobody had an answer. Some dishes, he said, have no specific origin, they just emerge from our consciousness.

Denne historien er fra January 04, 2025-utgaven av Brunch.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra January 04, 2025-utgaven av Brunch.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9500+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BRUNCHSe alt
Hardik Singh
Brunch

Hardik Singh

Hockey player, @HardikRail6

time-read
1 min  |
May 31, 2025
Cook, don't get cooked
Brunch

Cook, don't get cooked

Are you burning up in the kitchen? Try these cool hacks to beat the summer heat

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Cut. Take two, please
Brunch

Cut. Take two, please

Nobody asked for a new Pride and Prejudice film. Instead, here are 10 movies that truly deserve a do-over, with better actors, tighter plots or a modern twist

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Not all bright and rosy
Brunch

Not all bright and rosy

With vivid pinks and a hint of irony, Arpita Singh shows how disorienting the world can be for women pushed to the margins

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
You want to break free?
Brunch

You want to break free?

Quitting your 9-5 to become your own boss sounds like the dream. But are you ready for a different kind of grind?

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Brunch

Lost in the sauce

Condiments are no longer the sidekicks. Here's how chilli oil, tahini, pickles and aiolis stole the scene from the main dish

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Vibe check
Brunch

Vibe check

Delhi or Bern? Raclette or chaat? Alps or the Himalayas? Swiss-Indian singer BombayMami debates which country does it better, and where her loyalties lie

time-read
4 mins  |
May 31, 2025
The stars are aligning
Brunch

The stars are aligning

With three Michelin wins, it's a big week for Indian food, and for the country's new wave of under-40 chefs and restaurateurs

time-read
3 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Expand your palette
Brunch

Expand your palette

Why do romcoms love the desi girlwhite guy trope? It's overdone and outdated. The real interracial diversity is on Insta Reels

time-read
2 mins  |
May 31, 2025
Last-minute cram session
Brunch

Last-minute cram session

What's an extra suitcase in the grand scheme of things? Ditch the minimalism and pack what you want

time-read
3 mins  |
May 24, 2025

Vi bruker informasjonskapsler for å tilby og forbedre tjenestene våre. Ved å bruke nettstedet vårt samtykker du til informasjonskapsler. Finn ut mer