Move Beyond All the Gourmet Cheese: French Potato Chips Represent Utterly Decadent.

This past Christmas, I found myself in France, an area that appeared exuding refined charm. Discreet, sparkling decorations, village market booths piled high with beautifully vibrant fruit and vegetables, and a vast array of cheeses to coat the entire Channel Tunnel with dairy fat. Piled platters of glistening shellfish resting on ice seen through steamy café panes. While observing a long but orderly procession of stylish locals retrieving their craft Christmas cakes, I mused, with some guilt, that my place of origin, York, which turns into a modern reimagining of a scene of decadence at this time of year with e-cigarettes tasting of mincemeat and pre-mixed cocktails, could learn several tips.

The Elegant Facade

Yet all this “art de vivre” affectation proves to be a refined front – The nation is as prey to its basest appetites like any other place. Merely enter a supermarket to witness it. The potato chip section stands as a monument to decadence, crammed with such varieties as *bleu d'Auvergne*, spiced bean patty, *carbonade flamande* and savory dairy fat tastes. Who eats chips that taste of butter? It is reminiscent of an item typical of those infamous US state fairs where they submerge butter patties in hot oil. A certain comedian stated online they are the ultimate chip she has ever sampled, but she’s obviously succumbed to a form of local propaganda – after all, her childhood was in that very region.

International Unregulation

I know the world of potato chip seasoning worldwide is just as anarchic as Silicon Valley. There is a refusal to permit the tuber to taste of itself, embellished as it should be with just a dignified dusting of salt. We have a dark history when it comes to snack tastes in the UK, especially at this time of year. The year 2025, it should be remembered, bestowed upon us Christmas-cake flavoured crisps and exclusive steak-and-pâté flavoured chips. And who could forget the occasion when a famous high-street chain thought “festive fizz and berries” made for a good idea for a savoury snack? I expected more of the land of Escoffier.

What is the logical conclusion? *Pâté*-flavoured snacks? Choux pastry flavour? Tobacco-flavoured chips? It's best I halt, before I accidentally suggest the next big thing.