Legend has it George Crum invented the potato chip in 1853 at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs after Cornelius Vanderbilt, the steamboat and railroad tycoon, didn’t love his lunch. To accommodate the disgruntled customer, Crum cut thinly sliced potatoes, frying them extra crispy. After "the Commodore" expressed his delight with the impromptu creation, they were added to the menu. And just like that, history was made. Some have called this origin story more of a myth. There are other stories of a fried potato recipe circulating decades before, but for the sake of this regional potato chip series, I'm gonna assume it was good ole George.
I recognize that classic salted chips are the best way to accurately test the quality of a brand, but this is a regional food blog and plain is just "plain" boring, so throughout this year, I'll be focusing on reviewing some of the lesser-known brands featuring local flavors you don't see anywhere else. There is no better place to start imo than with the St Louis Style, Hot Sauce flavored Red Hot Riplets. The sweet and spicy BBQ flavored chip has been a St Louis favorite since it was introduced in the late 1970's, but Old Vienna has been making chips for "The Lou" since the 1930's. The red-hot seasoning is so good, it can be purchased to place in your spice rack sans the chips and can also be found sprinkled on various foods throughout town like at the Gramophone where they make the Buffalo Soldier, a chicken sandwich with pepper jack, Cajun Ranch, Buffalo sauce and crushed Riplets. Mac's Local Eats pairs their Ripped Onion Rings with any of their gourmet burgers. And I've definitely glanced at an enticing Facebook pic or two of some fiery rimmed homemade bloodies, which makes so much sense.
The Review:
The Actual Chip: A thick, ridged chip cooked well done. There's no standard size as circumference can vary from a quarter to silver dollar depending on the bag. The chips are sturdy enough to hold a heavy dip and are heavily coded with the spicy sweet seasoning
Crunch: Excellent crisp, substantial chew.
Taste: Legit delicious with strong notes of onion and garlic with the traditional BBQ chip taste with a twist. There's a subtle, essence of smoke and a strong hit of sweet and a BAM of heat that nicely lingers on the tongue. This didn't taste artificial at all to me and has an addictive quality. It was very hard not to finish the bag once opened.
Fingers: These chips are not oily, and each one is generously coated. The paprika and other seasonings will absolutely stick to your fingers which isn't a bad flavor savor.
Thanks to e-commerce, I was able to purchase and write this review before my forthcoming trip to St Louis, so I can't compare the chips to actual STL BBQ yet. And while I'm not historically a BBQ chip guy, these are BANGERS! A great regional snack that deserves to be every convenience store shelf from sea to shining sea!