Chupacabra Canoe Est. 2012

This past Sunday (Feb 8), I decided to conduct a taste test. Normally, I reserve taste comparisons to my favorite beverages (coffee, water, bourbon, vodka) but on this day, I branched out and decided to do a potato chip taste test.

Chips are the preferred food of the younger generation of Chupacabra. We call them “dead weight” on the river. For some reason, the parade of chips eaten by the non-paddlers while on the river is a phenomenon. It is hard to explain. So, since the potato chip has a connection to the river, I decided to taste test. 

With so many options out there, I narrowed down my choices to my current favorites:

• Gold N Crisp – my one and only for more than twenty years. Made in Massillon Ohio, the bag claims the chips are “Internationally Known,” and I can understand why; these are some tasty chips. Gold’N Krisp Potato Chips | Kettle-cooked potato chips | 1900 Erie Ave NW, Massillon, OH 44646, USA
• Hartville Potato Chips (Black Label) – I just discovered these chips. Brought to my attention at the Cigar Lodge, thanks to Summer Sausage who had them first, and then to the neighbor George for grabbing me a bag later that week. Hartville Potato Chips | Snack Food Manufacturer | 1064 Grant Street, Akron, OH, USA

 

Here are some details and why I chose the two…

• Locally made chips. I mentioned GOLD’N KRiSP are cooked in Massillon and Hartville Potato Chips from Akron (not the namesake town a few miles east). There are some amazing local businesses and products, I like to discover things that make where I live unique.
• Both are cooked in animal fats; Gold N KRiSP are cooked in lard and Hartville Chips (the black bag) are cooked in tallow. With a desire to eat more simply, I have been looking for more foods that have simple ingredients. If you look at the ingredients in either one, compared to chips like Lays and others, you can see the marked difference.
• Both are kettle cooked. Kettle cooked chips are prepared in small batches in kettles filled with hot oil. The chips are thicker and have a better crunch than traditionally cooked chips. Quite frankly, if you have a choice, why would you choose anything but kettle cooked chips?
• If you are talking “freshness” (my nickname in high school), I just purchased the Gold N Krisp from my local ACME Norton location. For the Hartville chips, I visited the facility in Akron on Friday and pulled some fresh off the line. The Hartville chips are fresher, but I would think both are adequately fresh!

 

So, what about the taste test?

 

               Gold N Krisp – This has been the pinnacle of chips for me for years (twenty years since a certain sister-in-law introduced them). They have always delivered consistent quality. Crunch, a good amount of salt (not too much) and a classic bag. Simple but effective. These were the crispier of the two choices today.

               Hartville – while not as distinctive a crunch as Gold N Krisp, the crunch is no slouch. There is a distinctive “sweetness” to the chip which is the biggest difference between this and the Gold N Crisp. There is a definite “potato” flavor that is pronounces more in the Hartville chip. Also, the Hartville chips are more reserved on salt, which allows the flavor of the potato to come through as well.

 

The Verdict:

               Taking all items into account, I must choose Hartville chips. The flavor is better. Gold N Crisp’s crunch is not to be diminished but there are other reasons to choose Hartville over Gold N Crisp.

 

When we are talking ingredients, Hartville Chip has three… potatoes, beef tallow, salt.

Gold N Crisp is now potatoes, a blend of lard, canola and soybean oil, salt, and antioxidant.

 

I am disappointed with Gold N Krisp. I do not know when they decided to include fats other than lard, but realizing there is a blend of lard with canola and soybean, I almost could not keep from retching. Just kidding, they taste good but all things being equal, I choose the simpler product. As I strive to remove unnecessary industrial ingredients, the Hartville chips just fit the bill.

 

I cannot wait to combine the Hartville Chips with Lawson’s Chip Dip… I may pass out!

 

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Paddles Up!

JStroke