Monday, March 25, 2013

The Scottish Grocery Experience: Gourmet Potato Chips

Those of you in the US might be aware of the contest Lay’s Potato Chips are currently holding to decide what their new flavor will be. The voting options are Chicken and Waffles, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Sriracha. 
Not familiar with Sriracha? Neither was I, so I googled it and found it’s a sort of Thai hot sauce, and according to most, it’s blowing the Chicken Waffles and Garlic Bread contingents out of the water. 

America is relatively new to the obscure potato chip flavors game, but Britain has is down to an art. Here in the UK, chips (which are called ‘crisps’) are often a gourmet eating experience. Even when ‘crisps’ aren’t on my grocery list, I’ll usually take a pass down the aisle just to marvel at the complex choices before me.   

You’ve got your standard seafood options, such as Firecracker Lobster and King Prawn Cocktail. 

More of a meat lover? Scotland’s got your taste buds covered with Grilled Steak, Smokey Bacon, Roast Turkey, and Peking Spare Rib. 



They are also into their spices and sauces, so if that’s more your thing you may want to try Paprika, Worchester Sauce, or Texas BBQ.


More of a cheese lover? Forget your standard cheddar; they are all about the fancy cheese in the UK. How about Smoked Monterrey Chili with Goats Cheese? 
Probably my favorite flavor from today’s grocery run was ‘Honey Roast Ham with Cranberry’. 
And just in case you were wondering, they'd be 'wonderful with glass of red'… 

Luckily, if you aren’t into Haggis flavored crisps, there are plenty of standard flavors to choose from as well. 
I'm pretty boring, so I mostly buy ‘salted’ when I’m in the market for chips. 

There are a few American classics as well, including the whole line of Doritos. 
In fact, Aberdeen just started carrying the Cool Ranch kind, so Jonathan and I have been indulging in those while both having flashbacks of childhood summers spent at the ballpark, with only baseball concession stands to sustain us. Those were the days… 

The most exciting find this week were these ‘New’ Ruffles. 
They went perfectly with my 11 dollar block of Velveeta that I used to make queso last night. 

No, we aren’t hurting for chips here in the ‘Deen, but I sure do miss me some Fritos. Come on Aberdeen, make it happen. You know some goat’s cheese flavored Fritos would be heavenly, especially with a nice glass of white wine...

4 comments:

  1. You made me laugh! Love it!
    -Jess Clark

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  2. My favorites are good old sour cream and onion and cool ranch.. I do love that in the USA it's Cool Ranch. In the UK it's Cool Original but in Iceland it's Cool American!!!

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  3. Last summer we got Ruffles, Hershey's and Reese's. I cried in the grocery isle. Literally. I can't stop buying Ruffles now. I don't want anything fancy, just a really good potato chip. Ruffles are where it's at right now.

    I miss Fritos too!!!! All that salty goodness! GAH!!! I totally miss them.

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  4. HAHA.. I just finished writing my blog and scrolled down to read what other people have been writing about. We both wrote about food at the grocery store! How funny. :o) Steve likes those Angus crisps... not sure how I feel about the ham and cranberry... compelled?

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