Xips de verdures - Ve de gust

Today we bring you potatoes of the sweet type. Together with extremely thin slices of yucca, beetroot and platain that complement eachother very well. All are cut flat and carefully fried in sunflower oil. The ensemble provides a crunchy symphony and subtle flavour mix in our palates. Sweet and salty never went along so well. The package transmits purity and luxury.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	4,2 cm long
and has a thickness of	? mm
Crunchiness:	95 dB
Other features:	Very thinly sliced sweet potatoes with yucca, beetroot and platain.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a butcher in Mataró.
Price / gram	4,50 € / 130 g
On-line:	http://www.xipsvedegust.com

Inside a bag of Xips de Verdures of Ve de Gust.

Patatas Artesanas Al estilo tradicional - Snack Day

Snack Day's Patatas Artesanas were tested while travelling in a high speed AVE train between Barcelona and Madrid. Our palate cannot distinguish some flavours when we are flying on a plane. Since our train was figuratively "flying" through tunnels, hitting speeds of 300km/h, our ears were feeling pressure differences. Are our palates and smell altered by the pressure changes, low humidity and surrounding noise? See here.

We felt these chips can play in the top league: We perceived a very good flavour with sweet scents and a real taste to hand made potato chips as the label indicates ("Artesanas al estilo tradicional"). Without jacket, these chips are cut flat, fried in 100% olive oil and modestly seasoned with salt. A balanced combination.

If you try them in "normal conditions" and think otherwise, please share!

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	? mm
Crunchiness:	99 dB
Other features:	Golden yellow chips, oily, no jacket.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a Lidl supermarket in Spain.
Price / gram	0.89 € / 150 g
On-line:	www.lidl.es

Inside a bag of Patatas Artesanas Snack Day

Premium - Frit Ravich

The first time we reviewed the Frit Ravich Premium potato chips was in 2014. At that time the chips were cooked with a mixture of vegetable oils: 30% olive oil, 70% sunflower oil. 

In 2016, Frit Ravich keeps on labelling these chips as Premium but using only sunflower oil. In our opinion, the use of high quality olive oil provides a soft but authentic scent to the chips. We miss that scent in the 2016 edition of the Frit Ravich Premium.

The chips have a lively yellow colour and are partly peeled. The measured crunch is reasonable for the chips' size and thickness. The flavour is good but in our opinion many other potato chips without flashy premium labelling deserve that labelling more.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.04 mm
Crunchiness:	88 dB
Other features:	Lively yellow colour
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a blogger from Barcelona bought them for us ;-)
Price / gram	1,60 € / 170 g
On-line	http://www.fritravichgroup.com

Inside a bag of Frit Ravich Premium

Patatas fritas en aceite de oliva - Espinaler

The Riera family opened a little tavern named Espinaler back in 1896. Today everyone can enjoy a vermouth and savour excellent cockles standing next to wine barrels with views of the Mediterranean sea in Vilassar de Mar (a few km from Barcelona). Apart from its traditional sauce the Espinalers have also very good potato chips.

Selected potatoes from Soria are peeled, cut thin flat and baked with a generous amount of olive oil (34% of final product). Plus a tiny pinch of salt (0.2%). Nothing else is needed to result in an excellent combination: natural yellow colour chips with a great juicy potato flavour and an intense mouth feeling with many little crunches of each curled and bent potato chip.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	0.98 mm
Crunchiness:	91 dB
Other features:	Thin, brittle chips with many bent-overs and curls.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a Crisps&Critics follower sent them from l'Espinaler tavern in Vilassar de Mar.
Price / gram	2.30 € / 150 g
On-line	www.espinaler.com

Inside a bag of Espinaler

Patatas fritas estilo Churrería - Frit Ravich

Estilo churrería -“frying stall” style - is the name the Frit Ravich's marketing department has chosen for these potato chips. At Crisps&Critics we have tried crisps whose flavour matched better such labeling.

Still, these chips are cut thin and translucent, with some interesting curls and many bubbles. They crunch very nicely in our mouth, feeling light and good. Really. Fried with enough sunflower oil and a bit over salted, we can only guess a well selected potato flavour.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	8,5 cm long
and has a thickness of	0,94 mm
Crunchiness:	103 dB
Other features:	Golden yellow colour, thin cut, bubbles...
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a Carrefour supermarket
Price / gram	1.10 € / 150 g
On-line	http://www.fritravich.com

Inside a Churreria Frit Ravich bag

Artesanes - Tot Snack

The family company "Tot Snack" was created in 1997 and their products are well known in Catalonia, Andorra and the south of France.

The labeling reads "Artesanes" (home-made). We were expecting that either the bag rear or their website informs on how these crisps have really been prepared. We couldn't find any clue.

Besides that, "Artesanes" by Tot Snack have positively surprised Crisps&Critics. As customers, we like to see what we are buying, and the transparent bag, helps us making a more informed selection.

Cut flat and fried in a mixture of oils (30% olive oil, 70% sunflower oil) the chips are spiced with exactly the right tiny bit of salt. The flavour is very good, like the crisps of a frying stall, and the potato taste is authentic. Ideal to share during a day at the beach.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps we find is	6.9 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.01 mm
Crunchiness:	95 dB
Other features:	Flat cut. Curls and bubbles.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a supermarket in Andorra la Vella
Price / gram	1.00 € / 180 g
On-line:	www.totsnack.com

Inside a bag of Artesanes Tot Snack

Patates Fregides Cruixents Artesanes - Casa Ametller

The Ametller family cultivates vegetables since the mid XIX century. In 2001 and seven generations later, the business model changes: two Ametller brothers decide to start commercializing their products directly, without intermediaries. Nowadays, their products are sold in their own brand shops and are a sign of fresh, close and quality product.

The potatoes in this review come from Casa Ametller’s own fields and are traditionally fried with high oleic sunflower oil. In principle such oil keeps the food stable, preserves the flavour, is low in saturated fat and has no transfat. The proportions between crunchiness and thickness of its potato chips is excellent, together with the amount of salt. Once in the mouth, the potato breaks into pieces that feel light and taste good.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6 cm long
and has a thickness of	1,10 mm
Crunchiness:	105 dB
Other features:	Different shapes, sizes and colours: brown, orange, yellow.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Catalonia
We got them from	a Crisps&Critics reader bought them at a “Casa Ametller” shop in Barcelona
Price / gram	1,45 € / 170 g
On-line:	http://www.casaametller.net

Inside a bag of "Patates Fregides Casa Ametller"

Patatas Fritas Artesanas - Alfonso Torres

Fried with a mixture of vegetable oil (30% olive oil, 70% sunflower oil), these crisps have a really intense flavour. Such an explosive taste may probably be due to the mixture of oils and cooking time. 

Many of the potato chips inside this bag are bent and curled what multiplies the crunchiness in our mouth. The aroma when openning the bag reminds us of hand-cooked potato crips at a typical spanish "churrería" (fritter stall).

Dimensions:
	the biggest potato crisps is	9 cm long
	and has a thickness of	1.35 mm
Crunchiness	(dB)	109 dB
Other features	cut, section, colour...	Flat cut with some chips bended over themselves. Pale yellow colour with some orange/brown areas.
Origin
	country, region	Spain, Catalonia
	We bought them at	Carrefour
	Price / gram	1,85 € / 180 g
On-line		http://www.patatasalfonsotorres.es/en/