Back in the good old Dark Ages, when I was a kid, if you felt like having a packet of chips, things were very simple. You either got the plain salted wafers, or you got the corrugated ones with masala. I never liked the latter, so for me good old Uncle Chips was just perfect.
Then came the wonderful era of privatisation and globalisation and what-not. Frito-Lays came in and squashed Uncle Chips right out of the market (I think they bought it and then squashed it, but I may be wrong on this one). And quite frankly, the initial offerings of Frito-Lays were nothing to write home about. Really.
Then came their American Onion and Cream flavour (or something of that sort; I can never remember the exact name) which I developed quite a fondness for, and is the flavour I always choose to have even today. They've introduced several other flavours since then, most of which I don't like. And they only came out with those corrugated-style chips, which are never nearly as nice as wafers.
Yesterday, we developed a craving for simple potato wafers. Not asking for much you would think. I headed to the market, but what do you know? Not one shop keeps ordinary wafers. You have onion and cream, tomato, masala, mint, even paneer tikka and chicken barbeque for crying out loud. But ordinary potato wafers are just about impossible to find in the market. Sheesh.
Then came the wonderful era of privatisation and globalisation and what-not. Frito-Lays came in and squashed Uncle Chips right out of the market (I think they bought it and then squashed it, but I may be wrong on this one). And quite frankly, the initial offerings of Frito-Lays were nothing to write home about. Really.
Then came their American Onion and Cream flavour (or something of that sort; I can never remember the exact name) which I developed quite a fondness for, and is the flavour I always choose to have even today. They've introduced several other flavours since then, most of which I don't like. And they only came out with those corrugated-style chips, which are never nearly as nice as wafers.
Yesterday, we developed a craving for simple potato wafers. Not asking for much you would think. I headed to the market, but what do you know? Not one shop keeps ordinary wafers. You have onion and cream, tomato, masala, mint, even paneer tikka and chicken barbeque for crying out loud. But ordinary potato wafers are just about impossible to find in the market. Sheesh.
2 comments:
I haf somesing to say
*ahem*
1. It was/is Uncle Chipps with TWO p's and I like them lots and more than the masala one which is by
2. Frito Lay (not plural) who manufactures my other favourite flavour that you mentioned - just call it cream and onion, will you?
3. I do like the ads for Bingo (the first ones) and I like their variety too. Also they pack a lot more in a packet unlike Frito Lay without an 's' that has 50% air and 50% chip
4. I was fortunate enough to come across those cheap plain potato ones... last at around Diwali. They were flavoured with garlic and kali mirch. Yummy... but something was wrong. They stuck in my throat for some reason and a couple of days later, I developed an incurable sore throat - the result of an allergy that had been dormant for some 12 years.
I only like salt and vinegar ones... there'd be lots and lots to choose from if I was into those exotic flavours, but for some strange reason it's only fancy brands that sell mine these days... in environmentally friendly paper bags (literally), great emphasis on how they're healthy and made of home-grown potatoes and at about twice the price of the cheap, 'exotic' ones. Kind of pointless.. if I wanted something healthy, I wouldn;t buy crisps.
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