Miss Vickie’s – Sour Cream & Caramelized Onion
I’ve been on a bit of a kettle chip kick, and I’ve been getting reacquainted with the old flame that is Miss Vickie’s. Admittedly I have a thing for older women, and they don’t get older than her. But some things, like wine get better with age. Although just be clear, I am referring more to the brands pedigree, rather than the chips. Not enough money can make me want to voluntarily eat a bag of chips from the 80’s for free.
If you are a bit of a cynic when it comes to snack names, you’ll likely look at the bag and think, “sour cream and caramelized onion? Who do they think they’re fooling?” Companies know the important of image and marketing. If something sounds fancy, you might be more inclined to think it’s fancier too. If you are the type of person who looks past that and is a bit of a reductionist, you’d say that this is basically sour cream and onion, one of the most basic flavours that we have here in the west. You would be right to think that, especially given that Miss Vickie’s isn’t exactly a premium potato chip.
The smell is the distinct combination of the signature Miss Vickie’s fried potato and the tangy smell of onions and sour cream. I can’t say there’s anything that leads me to believe that this isn’t just a fancier named sour cream and onion. But in all honesty, I’m fine with that. Sour cream and onion is a popular flavour for a reason, and I’m part of that group that enjoys them.
The flavour is definitely sour cream and onion, but with a slight twist. Whereas typical sour cream and onion is the combination of tangy sour cream and green onions, this is actually more like sour cream and caramelized onions – the onions have a distinct sweetness to their flavour, and lean in more to the sweetness rather than the distinct onion flavour. That’s not to say it doesn’t taste like onion, just that it tastes more like actual caramelized onions, which is kind of surprising to me. I was expecting it to just be marketing hocus pocus. While some brands might have better texture for those who enjoy a firm, thicker chip, these tend to have more of a potato flavour. If you enjoy the flavour of a nice, deep fried potato or french fry, these are the closest you’ll get among the kettle style chips that are common on store shelves. At least out of the standard priced, non-premium ones.
As far as kettle chips go, these have a decent texture, not too soft or too hard. While I prefer a harder crunch, these are a good middle of the road. The chips themselves are thinner, so that may be a good or bad thing depending on preference. They still prove substantial enough that you’ll feel satisfied with a typical serving size, when compared to the classic thin cut Lay’s style.
One unshakeable thought I get whenever eating these, is that Miss Vickie’s in general is the kind of chip I can totally imagine being served alongside a burger or sandwich in place of fries. Usually at a really old fashioned diner or a hipster one that refuses to go with the normal french fries. I for one have come to terms with my accidental hipsterness, so I would welcome these if I ordered a sandwich and got chips as a side.
