By Patrick F. Cannon

In my modest way, I have always tried to inject a note of optimism in these articles. As you may recall, last week I pointed out that the economy was actually fairly strong. Interestingly, recent polls have shown many folks think just the opposite. It turns out most of them are Republicans. Of course, if a Republican were in the White House, Democrats would be the ones crying gloom and doom.

We should all agree, however, that we are in the Golden Age of snacks. Let me begin by admitting I’m addicted to potato chips. When I was a young lad, there were few choices. In the Pittsburgh area, I recall that Wise was the main brand. In Chicago, it was Jays. Shipping potato chips is expensive – they weigh almost nothing – so local brands tended to dominate until national brands like Lays began to be widely available. And for most of their history, the recipe (the first one appeared in 1817) was basically thinly-sliced potatoes fried in oil, then salted.

By the time I started gobbling them up, the only variation was the ridged chip used for scooping up French onion dip. Both standard and ridged were then quite fragile, and many a partial ridged chip remained lodged in the dip, requiring a delicate and furtive touch to rescue.

Now of course we have the far sturdier “kettle” chip. Basically, these have been sliced a bit thicker, and the makers claim they are fried in smaller batches. I do prefer them – they hold up better and provide a more satisfying crunch. And the ridged versions rarely get stuck in the goo. Frankly, I would be quite happy if the classic chip – sliced potato, fried and salted – were the only ones available. But, as we know, Americans are restless snackers, so flavored chips proliferate.

Have a hankering for barbecue? Versions from mild to fiery are available. You no longer have to dip your chip in sour cream and onion dip – the combo is already there! In homage to the UK, you can have your chips pre-flavored with vinegar. Are you a ranch dressing aficionado? Why eat a salad when you can munch a chip? Are you a cheese fancier? How about yellow or white cheddar? The ubiquitous jalapeno pepper gets its due in various combinations, and the Canadians – ever weird – are partial to flavors like poutine, maple bacon, Jamaican jerk chicken, wasabi, Greek feta and olive, and even ballpark hot dog.

Although by no means exhaustive, a Chicago-area snack aisle will have potato chip brands like Lays, Kettle, Cape Cod, Ruffles, Jays, Vitners and Utz. I recently bought a bag of Great Lakes brand chips from Traverse City, Michigan (which state, by the way, produces more potatoes for chips than any other). I have bought chips from all of them, but currently favor Utz and Cape Cod. Cape Cod, by the way, makes a cracked pepper and sea salt chip, my only venture into flavored chips. Cape Cod also provides a map to its factory on Cape Cod should you care to visit (it’s on my bucket list).

I also have a weakness for cashews. Of course, there’s a separate aisle for nuts, and large sections devoted to pretzels, corn chips and other munchies. “Healthy” snacks have a somewhat smaller footprint, as befits that contradiction in terms.

Finally, remember that the noble potato is a healthy food. It’s rich in Vitamin C and Potassium, among other nutrients. And chips are now fried in vegetable oils containing no trans fats. Although I avoid them, you can even get chips with low or (horrors!) no salt. To add to our joy, some restaurants offer their own house-made chips!

By golly, it’s great to be an American!

Copyright 2024, Patrick F. Cannon