Look Past All the Artisanal Cheese: France's Crisps Represent Utterly Decadent.
I recently was staying in the French countryside, which was on its best behaviour. Discreet, sparkling decorations, village market booths overflowing with beautifully vibrant produce, and enough cheeses capable of clogging the whole Eurotunnel with cholesterol. Piled platters of lustrous seafood atop ice beds seen through fogged brasserie windows. Upon seeing a long but orderly line of well-dressed citizens picking up their handmade yule logs, I mused, with some guilt, that my home town, York, which becomes a modern reimagining of a scene of decadence over the holidays featuring mince-pie flavoured vapes and ready-to-drink concoctions, might benefit from some pointers.
A Refined Veneer
But all this “art de vivre” affectation is just a polished mask – The nation succumbs just as easily to its basest appetites like any other place. Just go into any grocery store and the truth is revealed. The potato chip section constitutes a temple of indulgence, lined with the likes of Roquefort, chickpea fritter, Flemish stew and *beurre salé* tastes. Who eats butter crisps? It’s like an item typical of the notorious US state fairs where they fry solid butter in batter. An entertainer recently claimed they represent the pinnacle of snacking she has ever sampled, though she has clearly fallen victim to an instance of local propaganda – after all, her childhood was in Brittany.
International Unregulation
One must acknowledge the crisp flavouring industry worldwide is just as anarchic as Silicon Valley. There is a refusal to allow the humble spud to shine on its own, embellished as it should be by a modest application of seasoning. The UK boasts a dark history regarding chip varieties on British soil, notably around Christmas. Not long ago, it should be remembered, gave us Christmas-cake flavoured crisps and limited-edition Beef Wellington Walkers. Let us also recall the instance where a well-known shop thought “prosecco and winter berry” constituted a desirable taste for a savoury snack? But I thought better from the nation of culinary masters.
Where does it end? *Pâté*-flavoured snacks? Profiterole? Cigarette-tasting crisps? I must cease, lest I provide inspiration.
