Potato chips used to be so simple. There were Doritos, there were Lay’s, and then, if you wanted to be really fancy, there were Kettle Chips — which felt like they cost an arm and a leg and you only ate twice a month in college if you really felt like splurging. But now? Even potato chips have become gourmet comestibles to be revered and savored rather than popped until you can’t stop. Case in point: These $56 potato chips by St. Eriks that have already sold out.
What makes these chips so special? Well, besides the fact that they only come five to a pack, they’re made with special potatoes and all sorts of other naturally occurring ingredients that you probably won’t find even in the “super premium” mass-fried potato slices that your local convenience store or health food co-op sells.
Swedish beer company St. Eriks developed the crisps using select almond potatoes harvested by hand from the potato hillside in Ammarnäs seasoned with a variety of rare ingredients: Matsutake mushrooms from forests in northern Sweden, Crown Dill from the Bjäre Peninsula, truffle seaweed from the Faroe Islands, Leksand onion and India Pale Ale Wort.
And they’re handmade. Handmade potato chips! Someone lovingly crafted these, then put them into a package, then advertised them as having a patently “Scandinavian taste” which is apparently something people will pay for. Can you imagine the people eating these? Do you just have a party and sit around eating the chips while commenting on how much they remind you of the time you read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo or what? Can you imagine how angry someone out there has to be because they were saving these for a special occasion and then their roommate — probably drunk on non-craft beers unsuitable for pairing with these beautiful golden crisps — just shoveled all five down his throat during a fit of blackout-induced hunger?
According to Food Beast — which reports that the chips were created to be the world’s most exclusive potato snack and to be a perfect complement to St. Erik’s beers — there are plenty of people who would willingly pay for the novelty of a VIP snack experience. The first run of 100 boxes has already sold out, which means that a) people will absolutely buy more of these if they’re made, and that b) the world really was hungering for a glamorous potato snacking experience and c) there are still people with money out there. Who knew?
One thing we’ve got to admit: The chips are beautiful. It feels a little weird calling exorbitantly priced snack foods works of art. But just look at them! They wouldn’t be out of place under a beautiful glass display, right?
(Via Food Beast)
