Saturday, December 5, 2009

The Local - Chips!

Like any sector of America with the slightest hint of local pride, Alaska is home to its own local brand of chips.  Chips are usually the tip of the local-snack iceberg, so I'll be keeping an eye out for other Alaska snack opportunities (other than jerky - been there, done that). 
  Alaska Chip Company is based here in Anchorage, and proudly uses Mat-Su Valley Potatoes (of earlier, eating-local-post fame).  They come in a variety of flavors, each with a cutesy Alaska-y name.  Chilkoot Chips, pictured here, are sour cream and chive.  Grizzly is barbecue flavor, which although tasty was briefly disappointing, as I had hoped they would be bear flavored.  Tragically, not so.  But the barbecue is pretty good, even so.  They have four flavors, all of which are available at various places in the area.  They also sell popcorn, but I don't generally like bagged popcorn, so haven't tried it.  The chips themselves are kettle-style, with a good solid crunch and a nice potato flavor.  Also, the humorous origin story on the bag is something fun to read while you crunch your tasty chips.  The flavors are not crazy, like Pennsyvania' Herr's brand, which basically sells itself on its willingness to give its snack products wacky flavors like pickle or ketchup. If eating local and patronizing a quirky hometown manufacturer is something you believe in, the Alaska Chip Company will amply reward your civic vitue. 


Coming in from slightly further afield, from our suburb to the southeast (Washington State), we also have Tim's Chips.  Tim's is a bit more established and has a wider variety of product, with both Tim's and the Hawaiian Chips lines to their name. Both lines feature good thick kettle style chips with impressive crunch and good flavors that don't overpower the deep-fried potato flavor.   The Hawaiian line features slightly more exotic flavors, and different bag art, but otherwise are the same chips.  The Tim's flavor I like best so far is the Johnny's Seasoned Salt flavor.  Which reminds me I've got to track down some of that salt!

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