Move Beyond The World of Artisanal Fromage: France's Potato Chips Represent Utterly Decadent.
I recently was staying in France, an area that appeared exuding refined charm. Tasteful, twinkling lights, market stalls overflowing with beautifully vibrant fruit and vegetables, and a vast array of cheeses that could line every mile of the Chunnel with cholesterol. Overflowing trays of lustrous seafood resting on ice glimpsed through steamy café panes. As I watched a lengthy yet well-mannered procession of well-dressed citizens picking up their craft Christmas cakes, I mused, with some guilt, that my home town, York, which becomes a present-day version of a tableau of excess at this time of year complete with mince-pie flavoured vapes and pre-mixed cocktails, would do well to absorb some pointers.
A Refined Veneer
However all this “art de vivre” business is just a polished mask – The country is as prey to its basest appetites similar to everywhere else. Merely enter any grocery store to witness it. The snack food corridor stands as a monument to decadence, lined with the likes of blue cheese, chickpea fritter, Flemish stew and savory dairy fat profiles. What kind of person consumes butter crisps? It is reminiscent of a product found at those infamous American fairs where they fry solid butter in batter. One popular comic has asserted they represent the pinnacle of snacking she’s ever tasted, though she has clearly been influenced by some kind of regional conditioning – her formative years were in *Bretagne*.
International Unregulation
It is widely understood the crisp flavouring industry worldwide operates with as few rules as big tech. Nobody seems willing to allow the humble spud to shine on its own, embellished as it should be with just a dignified dusting of salt. The UK boasts a dark history when it comes to snack tastes on British soil, particularly during the festive period. The year 2025, it should be remembered, gave us gingerbread Doritos and limited-edition Beef Wellington Walkers. And who could forget the instance where a major retailer believed “sparkling wine and seasonal fruit” was an appealing flavour for a savoury snack? I had higher hopes from the nation of culinary masters.
What next? *Pâté*-flavoured snacks? Choux pastry flavour? Cigarette-tasting crisps? I must cease, I’m only giving them ideas.
