Look Past The World of Artisanal Fromage: French Crisps Are Absolutely Sinful.
This past Christmas, I was staying in the French countryside, a place that seemed displaying impeccable manners. Elegant, shimmering illuminations, market stalls stacked with beautifully vibrant fruit and vegetables, and a vast array of cheeses to coat the whole Eurotunnel with dairy fat. Piled platters of glistening shellfish atop ice beds visible behind fogged brasserie windows. While observing a long but orderly procession of elegant residents retrieving their artisanal *Bûche de Noël*, I mused, with some guilt, that my home town, York, which turns into a contemporary interpretation of a scene of decadence during the festive season with e-cigarettes tasting of mincemeat and ready-to-drink concoctions, would do well to absorb several tips.
A Refined Veneer
However every bit of “art de vivre” stuff is just an elegant facade – France succumbs just as easily to its basest appetites like any other place. Merely enter any grocery store to witness it. The snack food corridor stands as a monument to decadence, crammed with flavours including *bleu d'Auvergne*, chickpea fritter, beer-braised beef and *beurre salé* tastes. What kind of person consumes a fried potato snack flavoured like dairy spread? It’s like an item typical of the notorious US state fairs where they submerge butter patties in hot oil. One popular comic stated online they represent the pinnacle of snacking she has ever sampled, though she has clearly fallen victim to some kind of regional conditioning – she grew up in *Bretagne*.
Worldwide Anarchy
It is widely understood the snack flavour business across the globe operates with as few rules as big tech. No one will allow the humble spud to shine on its own, adorned only rightly with just a dignified dusting of salt. The UK boasts a dark history with crisp flavours across Britain, especially at this time of year. Not long ago, let us not forget, introduced gingerbread Doritos and limited-edition Beef Wellington Walkers. Furthermore, who can erase the memory of the instance where a famous high-street chain thought “prosecco and winter berry” constituted a desirable taste on a potato chip? I expected more of the land of Escoffier.
What next? *Pâté*-flavoured snacks? Choux pastry flavour? Cigarette-tasting crisps? I should stop, before I accidentally suggest the next big thing.
