Uncle Ray’s Ripple Potato Chips

Here’s another fascinating crisp gifted to me by kind Missouri Taste Tester. It’s another crisp which doesn’t have the flavour (salt) on the front of the packet, or indeed on the back. The only place it says salt is in the list of ingredients. Weird.

On the back of the packet we get a chapter from the life and times of Uncle Ray. Our chapter 11 is Thanksgiving on the Line and we learn about a disaster with 12 turkeys on board the USS Bristol. Fascinating stuff.

Also fascinating for me is that this is the official crisp of Minor League Baseball. I know nothing about baseball. To me it’s obviously a version of rounders; played by schoolgirls in the UK, but in the USA by men in pyjamas. It sounds terribly dull to me but then I absolutely hated being forced to play rounders and never once hit the ball.

 But how many times have I seen a TV character reach for his baseball mitt and a ball in order to connect with an anxious child or a colleague under stress? I suppose there must be something in it. What though? Answers on a postcard please.

This is a beautifully simple crinkle cut crisp which the Chef and I enjoyed very much (hence no photo of the crisps). The crunch is a little light but we aren’t complaining. Very nice.

I wonder why it’s not for sale in California? That’s weird too, isn’t it?

Miss Vickie’s Sea Salt Kettle Cooked Potato Chips

Lightly sea salted, this crisp is a little bit thicker cut than some, but not too much. A very simple crisp. I ate the whole packet (only 38.9g) all at once. I tried to save some for the Chef, honest!, but accidentally ate the lot.

Made with love & care. And very nice too.

Some time ago we tried another Miss Vickie’s; sweet chilli and sour cream flavour, and quite enjoyed it.

Trader Joe’s Organic Kettle Style Potato Chips

Most unusually this packet of crisps sent by Instagram friend in her exciting parcel from Missouri (let’s call her Missouri Taste Tester), doesn’t have a flavour. In fact, if you read the back of the packet you can see they’re seasoned with just the right amount of sea salt. But it’s most unusual to find a crisp packet without the flavour front and centre.

To be extra kind, Missouri Taste Tester sent a Trader Joe’s brown paper bag too.  So here it is in the background. In fact I already have a Trader Joe’s bag, which is famed and hanging in our spare room. A form of recycling if you will.

I sent this packet of crisps to the office via my ex-colleague Noble Friend. Because of social distancing and the Rule of Six I can’t see most of the Reluctant Taste Testers IRL, but I value their opinions.The report is that these crisps have just the right crunch, and just the right amount of saltiness. So I think that’s a recommendation.

Old Vienna of St Louis Red Hot Riplets Hot Barbecue Flavored Ridged Potato Chips

Another exciting crisp in the parcel sent by Missouri Taste Tester. I had read about Old Vienna crisps in an online article, but never expected to try them.

This is a fabulously crinkle cut crisp with masses of rich red flavour dust. We’ve never had the opportunity to try St Louis Style Hot Sauce but it certainly imparts an impressive initial taste, and then a stunning afterburn or kick of heat. The Chef and Ski Instructor Taste Tester enjoyed a bowlful while discussing politics and found they had drunk a great deal more than usual (soft drinks thank you; it was tea time) to temper the heat.

This company produces hot sauce and seasoning as well as potato crisps, and popcorn, and also rather fascinatingly sells shower curtains! And T shirts, but you know, that’s not so exciting. I’m sure I could manage without a T shirt, but if I had a suitable bath I might be seriously tempted by the shower curtain. Check out the Instagram account for more tasty fun and games.

Coming soon: an even more super seasoned snack? Wow! How tasty can it be?

Personally I would spell it the Whole Shebang but never mind.

Tesco Mocha Peanut & Dark Chocolate Mix

This Tesco snack looked as though it might be rather a tasty packet of fancy peanuts and chocolate. It reminded the Chef and me of the fabulous KP Honey Roast Peanuts (sadly we think this is no longer available). But it’s nothing like so tasty.

For a start, I don’t much fancy chocolate coated peanuts. Nothing like so tasty as chocolate coated raisins or honeycomb. And then I really wasn’t taken with the chocolate cappuccino malt balls: I could manage without another ever again. And finally, there are far too many nasty little (sort of leftover) plain peanuts which if you ask me do not add to the experience.

Looks a glamorous tasty snack. Not sure it really is. Bit of a disappointment. On the other hand, the Chef absent mindedly ate almost the entire packet.

Cape Cod Kettle Chips Original

What a beautiful little crisp this is.

Each crisp is smaller than your average crisp but has just as much, or actually rather more of a crunch than you might expect. With the delightfully simple Original flavour (basically just salt) you get pretty much the perfect crisp. Lovely.

I’m really sorry that the Reluctant Taste Testers aren’t around to share this packet with me. Or perhaps I’m not around to share it with them. But there’s always the Chef and he says he quite likes them.

A kind American friend from Instagram, Missouri Taste Tester, sent me a parcel of crisps and this is the first we have tried. And never even bothered with a dip. Very nice.

As you see; no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and no GMO. And 40% less fat than the leading brand of potato chips. I wonder who that is? Apparently the Cape Cod Chips Company is based in Hyannis Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. To be honest that’s a bit of a surprise. Silly me. I thought it was just some marketing strategy. When your hand’s in the bag, your head’s in the cape it says on their website. They have merch!