National Geographic Travel Magazine: Salt of the Earth

Yesterday I was sent some pages from National Geographic Travel Magazine by Dear Friend in Buffalo. And here they are.

Or you can click on this link to read the article online.

I notice that most of these crisps (potato chips) are from Lay's (owned by PepsiCo). Walkers (the Marmite flavour crisps) are, I know, owned by PepsiCo, so I imagine that Old Dutch and Mackie's of Scotland are too. But it's not always easy to glean this information from company websites.

I haven't encountered Old Dutch crisps. I see they make some (what I would call) crinkle cut crisps. Oh dear. I see Old Dutch call them "Rip-L". I've got to say I find that pretty deplorable. However, I daresay it is memorable. And they may be very good crisps. I see from their website they also make "Ripples" and a new flavour is Onion Blossom. Now that sounds rather tasty. 

Mackie's of Scotland I have only seen to buy in Sion, in Switzerland (which does seem a little odd). But I know you can buy them in Scotland because my brother sent me a couple of packets of their Haggis & Black Pepper crisps for Christmas two years ago. But I've not seen the Whisky & Haggis crisps or the grand sounding Venison & Cranberry.

I also don't know the Korean crisp company Nongshim who make the Octopus flavour but fishy-shaped crispy snack (number 5). I'm not sure I could bring myself to fancy octopus flavour crisps. Could you? I couldn't find an octopus snack on their website, so here's what they have to say about their cuttlefish snack!

The crisps come from:

1 Russia

2 Scotland

3 Canada (Tomato ketchup! yum)

4 China

5 Korea

6 Peru

7 England (the only one the reluctant taste testers and I have tried)

8 Japan

9 Mexico

10 Turkey

11 India

12 Brasil

The little clues down next to each crisp are interesting. The clue for Scotland is the Loch Ness monster; the clue for Russia is a set of Russian dolls; the clue for Canada is a Mountie's hat, and for Peru a llama. But the clue for Korea is a dancing man.... oh I suppose it's that internet dance sensation I can't remember the name of because I paid no attention.... erm..... Gangnam style!  I would never have guessed that. And the clue for English crisps (British crisps really) is Stonehenge! 

Weird.