Potato Chip Shortage
THE GREEN LINE
ORIGINAL STORY
2022 Potato Chip
Shortage
Can't find your favourite chips with the shortage? Check out these brands
ALEXANDROS VAROUTAS
Scarborough mans and former chef. Big advocate of pantry diversification. Using wasabi-flavoured peanuts to heal the world.
May 3, 2022
The chips are down.
Both potato chips and microchips are suffering worldwide shortages. Supply chain issues — caused in part by a lack of semiconductors — has hindered the manufacturing of toys, vehicles, electronics and refrigerators. All this while pandemic shutdowns have increased the demand for electronic goods, including microchips.
Shelves have been similarly bare for potato chips. After Frito Lay increased their prices, Loblaws refused to pay the higher fees. So Frito Lay refused to ship their chips, and suddenly we're living in a chip-less city.
"I am a potato connoisseur and don't eat any alternative chips."
ALEXANDROS VAROUTAS
SCARBOROUGH MANS AND FORMER CHEF
Earlier this February, Frito Lay and Loblaws raised their prices up without warning. Potato chip connoisseurs started to worry about their chip regimen.
So what can you do if your favourite chip is out of stock? Try some of these international chips from local Toronto markets.
Cucamber-falvoured Lays
This flavour is from Frito Lay but is a part of the marketing campaign for the Lunar New Year!
While the flavour is common in China (like ketchup chips here, it is brand new in Canada.
In fact, you may have an essential crisis about how good they are.
They taste like sour cream and onion chips but had a unique scent of fresh cucumber.
It's a bit expensive, but you should try it next to a pool with some wines.
HaiTai honey
butter chips
These are always a treat at the party.
A company in Korea makes this with the collaboration of Calbee, which was released to the Japanese market in 2015.
When selling them in Korea, people were crazy about these chips and reselling them at three times the price.
Smoki
Smoki is a Serbian snack that can act as your Cheeto replacement.
It's peanut-flavoured and popular with kids. What's more, according to studies in Israel, kids who eat peanut-flavoured snacks showed they are much lower allergic rates than other kids who don't eat peanut snacks.
Takis
Takis is from Mexico and these are your Dorito replacement because they are tortilla based. Instead of flat tortillas, they roll them all.
They're very crunchy, and the spice is dialed up high with dehydrated lime powder.
When the lime seasoning touches up your tongue and gets rehydrated with your saliva, it tastes both spicy and sour.
Make sure you are not trying this for the first time when driving or operating a heavy machine.
Samyang ZZaldduk snack
Although it's more obscure, I'm a huge fanboy of Samyang.
These are Korean-style noodles which means you can boil and then toss them. The sauce is the primary key because they are super spicy and flavorful.
They look like spicy pasta which was also glazed for a bit, and makes is somehow sweet and spicy at the same time.
Brace yourself with Samyang!
Boybowang corn snack
It's a corn snack from the Philippines. (Bawang means garlic in Tagalog.)
If you want something like an intense crunch, this is the snack for you.
They start with corn that has been left to soak for a long time. Once the corn is ready, they deep fry the corn, which then becomes very crunchy and crispy and then seasoned dope Filipino Philippines flavours.
Definitely try these if you are a big crunch person.
Plantain Chips
These are huge Caribean snacks in Toronto, especially in Scarborough: people love them during parties.
When you make the chips you just need to slice your starchy vegetable like a potato or cassava and deep fry it. You can sub in anything you want.
Don't miss out on this crunchy and thick texture!
Piattos
Piattos are another chip also from Philippines. If you like crispy, hexagon-shaped goodies then you should definitely try this one out!
These are made from dehydrated potato starch, which are then fried and seasoned.
They come in different flavours, including cheese, barbecue, and spicy.
I personally love them beacuse they are nice and thick which lets you get a satisfying crunch in with each one.
Regardless of whether or not the potato chip shortage persists, these chips are definitely worth a try. Be sure to check them out!
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ALEXANDROS VAROUTAS
FOR THE GREEN LINE
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