Potato Crisps

I have an alarming addiction to potato chips. I love the way they smell when I pull open the bag. I love the way they look when I peer into the open bag. I love the way they sound when I take the first delightful bite and it crunches. I love the way they feel against my teeth as I bite and how they rub lightly across my tongue. Mostly, I love how they taste. The salt, the flavor, the oil. I mean, why would I eat low fat chips? If I'm going to eat potato chips, after hours of literally working my butt off at the gym, they're going to be the full-fat variety so it's worth every single crunchy bite.

I'm quite particular when it comes to the brand of chips I'm eating. Lays are the best. I'll settle for Ruffles when necessary, and I've eaten Clover Club in a pinch, but Lays are really where it's at. I like a variety of flavors, but most of the time I'm happiest with the Classic Lays. I mean, why mess with a good thing? Sometimes simple is best... or at least that's what I thought until I went to England and experienced Walkers Potato Crisps. Walkers is the Lays of Great Britain. So, if it's the same company and same product, why are Walkers so much better than Lays? Because the Brits are freaking awesome!

They love the weirdest flavors: Cheese & Onion, Steak & Onion, Smoky Bacon, Roast Chicken, Prawn Cocktail, Pickled Onion, Tomato Ketchup, and Worcester Sauce . I mean, who doesn't love that? How did they come up with these flavors? I'm here to tell you that Prawn Cocktail and Pickled Onion and much better than they sound... so much better that my mouth is watering at the mere thought of them. When I was in England I bought a new crisp flavor each day so I could try them all. Luckily we walked about 10 miles a day, so the extra calories were negligible (and I lost 15 pounds).

I do wonder, when Brits come to the U.S. do they think our chip flavors are weird? I mean, maybe Sour Cream and Onion sounds as vomitous to most of them as pickled onion does to most of us. Regardless, I am left begging the question, "Why, oh WHY doesn't Lays sell those fantastic flavors in the United States?" I simply must have a bag of Worcester crisps RIGHT now!