Move Beyond The World of Gourmet Cheese: French Potato Chips Represent Utterly Decadent.
I recently spent time in France, which was displaying impeccable manners. Tasteful, twinkling lights, outdoor market stands stacked with beautifully vibrant fruits and veggies, and a vast array of cheeses to coat the whole Eurotunnel with cholesterol. Overflowing trays of shimmering crustaceans atop ice beds seen through fogged brasserie windows. As I watched a extended but civil line of stylish locals picking up their craft Christmas cakes, I mused, with some guilt, that my home town, York, which becomes a present-day version of a scene of decadence over the holidays featuring mince-pie flavoured vapes and pre-mixed cocktails, might benefit from several tips.
The Elegant Facade
Yet every bit of “art de vivre” business is just a refined front – The country falls victim equally to its lowest desires like any other place. Just go into any grocery store and the truth is revealed. The crisp aisle constitutes a temple of indulgence, crammed with such varieties as *bleu d'Auvergne*, chickpea fritter, *carbonade flamande* and *beurre salé* tastes. What kind of person consumes a fried potato snack flavoured like dairy spread? It’s like something from those infamous American fairs where they deep fry sticks of butter. A certain comedian stated online they are the ultimate chip in her experience, but she’s obviously fallen victim to some kind of regional conditioning – she grew up in Brittany.
A Global Lawlessness
I know the crisp flavouring industry internationally is as lawless and unregulated as big tech. Nobody seems willing to let potato be potato, adorned only rightly by a modest application of seasoning. The UK boasts a dubious legacy when it comes to snack tastes across Britain, especially at this time of year. Not long ago, after all, bestowed upon us gingerbread Doritos and limited-edition Beef Wellington Walkers. Furthermore, who can erase the memory of the occasion when a well-known shop thought “festive fizz and berries” made for a good idea in a salty crisp? But I thought better from the home of haute cuisine.
What next? Goose liver potato chips? Choux pastry flavour? Cigarette-tasting crisps? I should stop, before I accidentally suggest the next big thing.
