Kartoffel Chips Salz - Bravo

Bravo chips took our attention from the supermarket shelf: a matt bag with "SALT" glossy letters simulating lightbulbs, the packaging additionally reading "30% less fat". 

These chips allegedly contain less fat than regular potato chips (sunflower oil is 22% of total weight). Such low fat may feature at the expense of a faded potato taste. For us the chips felt dry, less juicy than other chips. On top of that the chips felt very salty (we calculated a 2% salt in weight). 

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.01 mm
Crunchiness:	85 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, peeled, light yellow colour.
Origin:
Country, region	Germany, Schleswig-Holstein
We got them from	a Penny market in Hamburg.
Price / gram	0.99 € /150 g
On-line:	http://www.wilkbonbon.de/

Inside a bag of Bravo Kartoffelchips Salz

Tsakiris Chips - Τσακίρης πατατάκια με αλάτι

Welcome to the first Greek review at Crisps&Critics: Tsakiris Chips.

George Tsakiris was the first to elaborate potato chips in Greece. It was back in 1954, and the delivery van was a very nice Ford truck.

Nowadays, the potatoes are processed in modern facilities: The chips are washed, its skin perfectly removed, cut flat, fried in palm oil and salted. This process results in a uniform and intense yellow colour. The chips are medium size, taste fresh and have a regular crunch. The amount of salt is normal.

Tsakiris potato chips with salt are presented in a flashy orange packaging.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.5 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.11 mm
Crunchiness:	86 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, intense yellow colour.
Origin:
Country, region	Greece, Phthiotis
We got them from	a kiosk in Athens.
Price / gram	0.78 € /72 g
On-line:	http://www.tsakirischips.gr/

Inside a bag of Tsakiris salt chips.

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

Lightly sea salted crisps - Tyrrells

According to Tyrrell's elegant explanation on the packaging, the potatoes are cut flat "leaving the jacket on" (unpeeled), and then hand-cooked in sunflower oil in small batches.  

It's crunch is noble, allegedly achieved through a sophisticated spun in the baking process. The chips are thick and feel hard, have a pale yellow colour and are really very slightly salted (0.5% salt), what lets Crisps&Critics appreciate the flavour of the finest Herefordshire potatoes. Some potato skin traces are scattered over the chips, leaving a rustic impression to the customer. 

All in all, a royal celebration to the humble potato.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.0 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.34 mm
Crunchiness:	87 dB
Other features:	Unpeeled, pale yellow colour.
Origin:
Country, region	England, Herefordshire (UK)
We got them from	a Hit supermarket in Germany
Price / gram	2,19 € /150 g
On-line:	https://www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk

Inside a bag of Tyrrells lightly sea salted crisps

Chipsy salt - ملح شيبسى

The Chipsy salted (Chipsy mihl) are produced with medium size fresh potatoes from Egypt. Since 1961, Egypt's irrigated potato production from the Nile delta has been increasing until Egypt became Africa's number 1 potato producer in 2007.

Chipsy in Egypt, as for Walkers in the UK, belongs to Lay's, a PepsiCo owned company since 1965.

Very well peeled - no skin traces - the potatoes are sliced flat and thin. Then each chip is baked in (unspecified) vegetable oil and generously salted.

An intense flavour arises from the interior of the bag at opening. The potato chips are of a light yellow uniform colour, almost translucent, and have a subtle crunch, as expected due to its fineness.

A splendid choice to enjoy on any of the fantastic Egyptian spots on both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.6 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.10 mm
Crunchiness:	90 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, light yellow colour.
Origin:
Country, region	Egypt, Cairo
We got them from	A lovely family from Cairo and Alexandria.
Price / gram	? £ /93-103 g
On-line:	http://chipsyegypt.sarmady.net/

Inside a bag of Chipsy salt

Gourmet - Lay's

Who was first? The Lay's Gourmet potato chips packaging you see in this post looks very similar to Hacendado's Extracrujientes (to compare click on this link). And its taste does not differ that much. 

The Lay's Gourmet uses potatoes that once peeled are cut flat and thick. Then they have been unbelievably bent and slowly baked with sunflower oil.

The flavour is great, gentle and authentic, never too strong. Once in our mouth, crunching the impossible bents of each Lay's Gourmet chips gives and indescribable feel to our palate.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.1 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.12 mm
Crunchiness:	104 dB
Other features:	Flat cut, many bent chips.
Origin:
Country, region	Spain, Barcelona
We got them from	El Corte Inglés supermarket
Price / gram	1,99 € /180 g
On-line:	http://www.lays.es/productos/lays-gourmet

Inside a bag of Lay's Gourmet

SÓS chips salted - Tesco

Simply salted Hungarian potato chips are difficult to find.

The next reviewed bag of chips comes from Tesco, a British retailer that opened its first store in Central Europe back in 1995 and manages 200 stores in Hungary today.

In a light blue bag from Tesco's own brand, we find 77g of flat cut medium sized potato chips that have been peeled and baked in abundant sunflower oil (36.5%). 

Taste and feel is quite basic. A soft sweet corn scent is left in our mouth at each bite. Definitely a good pick to share with friends during a bicycle ride along the Hungarian Danube shores.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.4 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.09 mm
Crunchiness:	90 dB
Other features:	Flat thin cut. Light yellow colour.
Origin:
Country, region	Budapest, Hungary
We got them from	a Tesco store in Budapest
Price / gram	199 HUF / 77 g
On-line:	www.tesco.hu

Inside a bag of Tesco chips salted sós

Kartoffelchips Meersalz - Alnatura

Alnatura's potato chips are presented in a blue elongated plastic bag, with a BIO7initiative stamp on it. Such stamp refers to the 7 principles and values for organic and sustainable farming of the product.

Unpeeled, the bio-potatoes are cut flat and then cooked in sunflower oil (29%). Instead of being pan-fried, it seems that the chips have been oven baked, since they have a smooth, matt and dry surface. On top, they are very decently seasoned with marine salt (2%).

The colour is very light, straw yellow. Be it the baking method or the potatoes "bio" origin, these chips taste earthy and feel healthy.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.9 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.16 mm
Crunchiness:	81 dB
Other features:	elongated bag full of pale yellow chips
Origin:
Country, region	The Netherlands
We got them from	an Alnatura shop in Germany
Price / gram	1.85 € / 125g
On-line:	http://www.alnatura.de

Inside a bag of Alnatura Kartoffelchips Meersalz

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

Salz Chips - Crusti Croc

The potatoes used for Crusti Croc's Salz Chips originate from Germany. The "kartoffeln made-in-Germany" are very well peeled before being cut thin and flat. Baked in high-oleic sunflower oil (34%), the chips are finally seasoned with table salt: a bit too much for many of our critics. The final product results in chips that have a very light yellow colour, almost white.

The first feeling when opening the bag of Crusti Croc chips is a good aroma: some consider it a wood or forest aroma, while others smell an earth/soil scent. In any case a smell that brings our minds back to nature, to the roots.

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	7.1 cm long
and has a thickness of	1.04 mm
Crunchiness:	90 dB
Other features:	Flat cut. Light yellow colour with diverse shapes and curls.
Origin:
Country, region	Germany
We got them from	a Lidl supermarket in Germany.
Price / gram	0.99 € / 200 g
On-line:	http://www.lidl.de/de/crusti-croc-salz-chips/p189414

Inside a bag of Crusti Croc Salz.

北海道 ようていポテトチップス うすしお味 - Fukagawa Yushi Kabushikigaisha

"Hokkaido Mt Youtei Potato Chips soft salt" are named after the Youtei volcano. The mascot of Kutchan city, a skiing potato, presents these chips in a greenish bag with a background photo of the volcano. Kutchan is known for its proximity to the world famous snow region of Niseko and for its production of quality potatoes, hence its mascot.

The potatoes chosen for this delicacy are of the Danshaku type. The chips are flat cut, partly unpeeled and, once baked in a mix of palm and rice oils, get a pale yellow colour. The crunch is thud, short and slightly muffled, probably due to the reduced quantity of oil used in the baking. This provides an intense potato flavour maybe at the expense of a mouth dry feeling.

On the bag rear, there's plenty of information about the mountain region with national parks, museums, trekking routes, etc... an interesting use of a potato chips bag as a leaflet to promote touristic spots in the Hokkaido area. 

Features:
The biggest potato crisps is	6.2 cm long
and has a thickness of	N/A
Crunchiness:	86 dB
Other features:	Pale yellow, mix of palm and rice oil.
Origin:
Country, region	Japan, Hokkaido
We got them from	a YoursLIVI supermarket in Hiroshima, Japan.
Price / gram	151 ¥ / 75 g
On-line:	http://kumachan.co.jp/shop

Inside a bag of Hokkaido Mt Youtei Potato Chips soft salt.