Patatas fritas en sartén - A casa vella

"A casa vella" potatoes are thinly sliced and pan fried in Galicia with all the tenderness and tradition of a land known for the witches/fairies and the quality of its food. The secret mix of oils together to the salt origin make of these potato chips a mystic experience.

The salt of the Añana valley is considered to be the best salt in the world. The purity of this salt is due to freshwater courses that cross solid salt deposited more than 200 million years ago, and to its traditional production process. It has a natural balance of minerals and is rich in trace elements.

The mix of virgin olive oils of the picual and hojiblanca varieties is excellent for its fatty acid composition and natural antioxidants amount. These potato chips are given a degree of smoothness, freshness and acidity that compares to none.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.5 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.01 mm
Crunchiness:	71 dB
Other features:	Thin potato slices, juicy.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Galicia
We got them from	a close relative living in Spain.
Price / gram	1.49 € / 150 g
On-line:	http://www.acasavella.es

Inside a bag of A casa vella potato chips

Seawater experience - Mediterranea

Summer! Finally a bit more free time to enjoy with the family and share potato chips reviews.

Here we have the alleged first potato chips producer replacing common salt by seawater.

The potatoes are soaked in seawater before being fried in a mix of olive oils. Directly afterwards the chips are packed, without any added salt.

At first, these chips taste like eating non-salted or low salt potato chips. But then one realizes that the taste is very uniformly distributed in the whole potato. Not a single salt grain on the surface of the chips. All the potato chips, even the last one at the bottom of the packaging (usually too salty) will taste as good as the first. 

The chips are neither bland nor salty. Simply something else ;-)

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	5.6 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.08 mm
Crunchiness:	78 dB
Other features:	Small potato slices, solid and very uniformly salted.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Comunitat Valenciana
We got them from	a close relative living in the Mediterranean coastal area.
Price / gram	1.27 € / 150 g
On-line:	https://www.aguademar.es

Inside a bag of Mediterranea - Seawater experience potato chips

Patatas Fritas en Aceite de Oliva Sabores del Mediterráneo - Vicente Vidal

We were surprised receiving another potato crisps bag by Vicente Vidal, this time from a "Sabores del Mediterraneo" edition, traditionally baked in 100% olive oil. 

These potato chips are carefully selected and bought directly to farmers from the Iberian peninsula. Once washed they are sliced flat and baked in the same way it's been done since 1931.  A pinch of salt is added at the end. We notice a soft crunch and a vegetable flavor that turns into a bitter sensation after a few seconds. For some it might be an unpleasant feeling similar to eating a rancid product. However such a bitterness might also be due to the presence of polyphenols in the olive oil. It can also be due to the above-the-average-content of olive oil in weight (38%) in the product.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.5 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.18 mm
Crunchiness:	80 dB
Other features:	Medium to big size potato slices, partly peeled and baked in abundant olive oil.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Navarre
We got them from	A local shop in Munich promoting Spanish specialties.
Price / gram	1.99 € / 150 g
On-line:	papasvidal.es/en/

Inside a bag of Patatas Fritas en Aceite de Oliva, Sabores Mediterraneo by Vicente Vidal

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

Marinas Sal de Formentera - Vicente Vidal

The chips, from the potato type Agria, are of average size and cut flat. Then, they are fried in abundant olive oil (38%) and very correctly salted (0.8%). 

When opening the bag we felt a slight rancid smell that immediately disappeared leaving a deep authentic flavour and aroma. 

The chips have many bents, like the hilly roads to Cadaqués where we tested these chips. Loud crunches prevent us listening the swaying sound of waves at the Roses gulf, by the Mediterranean sea. 

The salt used is extracted in a traditional way from the natural parc Ses Salines in Formentera. It is hard to know if the salt origin makes some difference to the final product but we dare to guess a nuance in the right direction, be it the precise salt quantity and/or quality.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.0 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.08 mm
Crunchiness:	92 dB
Other features:	Good crunch and taste.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Navarra
We got them from	a seaside beach bar in Roses, Costa Brava.
Price / gram	1.59 € / 150 g
On-line:	www.patatasmarinas.com

Inside a bag of Marinas Sal de Formentera by Vicente Vidal

Creïlles fregides amb oli d'oliva - Consum

Big and very well peeled potatoes with many bubbles. Cooked in a mixture of pure olive oil and olive-pomace oil that amounts to a 32% olive oil. Olive pomace oil is olive oil extracted from olive pulp after the first press with the help of solvents. 

Product with character collecting the essentials of nature and providing a unique spirit to the art of chips cooking.

Creïlles is the name given by the Valencians to the potatoes. Some say the word comes from the Spanish term "criadilla" because the potato plant was a fast growing plant. Some others consider the word origine being "creole", Europanamerican descendants. If any of our readers has a better clue, please share!

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	8.2 cm long
and has a thickness of	mm
Crunchiness:	92 dB
Other features:	Many bubbles, a bit salty.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Valencia
We got them from	a Consum supermarket
Price / gram	1.15 € / 130 g
On-line:	www.consum.es

Inside a bag of Consum's creïlles fregides

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

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

La Tentación - Ugarsa, S.L.

Carefully selected potatoes planted and harvested in a micro-climate at a heigth of 1000 m above the sea level and fried with authentic olive oil. 

Very correctly baked and salted, the taste is as good as expected. The semi-transparent packaging allows checking what you are purchasing and is so well sealed that we can't find any broken chip!

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	8.3 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.1 mm
Crunchiness:	91 dB
Other features:	Olive oil, flat cut, bent-overs
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Castilla y León
We got them from	a lovely Crisps&Critics fan sent them from Soria, Spain.
Price / gram	1 € / 150 g
On-line:	http://www.artefritas.com/contacto.htm

Eldorada La Tradizionale - Amica chips

"Eldorada La Tradizionale" from Italy's Amica chips, is presented in a long narrow packaging. On a matt brown background, an olive drips oil over a cone bursting with mouth-watering chips. Really appealing.

First the Italian potatoes are peeled and cut flat. Then cooked in a mixture of olive oil with another (unspecified) vegetable oil. This strengthens the potato taste with a very soft oil scent. The chips are all uniformly baked, are slightly salted and have an even yellow colour. 

We struggle to introduce our whole forearm in the elongated bag in order to grasp the last chips at the bottom... but what a reward eating them all!

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.8 cm long
and has a thickness of	1,11 mm
Crunchiness:	92 dB
Other features:	Uniform yellow colour, soft oil scent
Origin:
Country, region	Lombardy, Italy
We got them from	a Crisps&Critics fan sent them from Sardignia, (Italy)
Price / gram	1,49 € / 130 g
On-line:	http://www.amicachips.it

Inside a bag of "Eldorada"

Le Contadine Sapore Fatte a Mano - Ica Crik Crok

"Le Contadine" packaging looks very authentic. Crisps&Critics wanted to test these chips because they are allegedly hand-cooked with extravirgine olive oil. 

Soon after tasting the first crisps we realize the labeling indicates something else: these chips are not hand cooked, are just "hand cooked flavour". Are we facing another deceptive marketing technique?

The potato chips in our bag are unfortunately so salty that it is hardly impossible to distinguish any potato flavour, let alone the olive oil aroma. The impression left after eating a bunch of these chips is like when an ocean wave sends you rolling and you swallow sea water. Way too salty.

Other than that, "Le Contadine" chips offers thick flat cut potatoes with partly unpeeled borders and a normal crunch. These chips are probably a good match to bland meals.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.8 cm long
and has a thickness of	0.97 mm
Crunchiness:	92 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, partially unpeeled potatoes, very salty.
Origin:
Country, region	Italy, Lazio
We got them from	Bennet supermarket in Lecco.
Price / gram	1.85 € / 130 g
On-line:	http://www.icafoods.it/prodotti/le-contadine-sapore-fatte-a-mano/

Inside a bag of "Le Contadine Sapore Fatte a Mano"

Da Vinci Chips - Pata Patatine

Named after the universal genius Leonardo Da Vinci these potato chips come in a package with his self-portrait. Leonardo Da Vinci was capable of creatively interconnect completely unrelated elements. Allegedly a vegetarian, we wonder if he would have liked to interconnect and taste sliced potatoes of South American origin, baked in Mediterranian olive oil and spiced with salt from Himalaya...

First, Pata Patatine cuts Italian potatoes to later fry them on a mix of olive oil (6%) and sunflower oil (17%). Finally the chips are salted with pink himalayan salt (1%). Himalayan salt is a type of rock salt, halite, from Pakistan. It has a a reddish or pink tone with some crystals having an off-white to transparent colour.

Many chips have bubbles and all of them have a hard crust. In our mouth, the crunch feeling multiplies beyond the measurement. Every small bit crunches again and again: No matter how small the bit is, it keeps its hardness and keeps crunching. The flavour is good, with a very soft olive oil scent.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	5.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.08 mm
Crunchiness:	94 dB
Other features:	Hard crust, pink salt, partially unpeeled potatoes.
Origin:
Country, region	Italy, Lombardy
We got them from	Bennet supermarket in Como.
Price / gram	2.45 € / 140 g
On-line:	http://www.pata.it

Inside a bag of "Da Vinci"