Ketchup chip

Ketchup chipsare a regional variety ofpotato chipthat were created in the 1970s. Their creation is typically attributed toHostess Potato Chipsbut they may have beeninvented during the same timeframein the United States. Ketchup chips are strongly associated withCanadian identitydue to their widespread availability in the country. They have limited production in the United States and the United Kingdom. The snack is recognized inpopular culture.
The invention of ketchup chips is typically attributed to Hostess Potato Chips,which began experimenting with producing new potato chip varieties in the early 1970s. Ketchup chips were the only one that proved profitable as other flavours like orange and grape were discontinued.Herr's Snacks, an American company, sold ketchup chips by the 1980s.These chips may have been sold even earlier; if so, they would have been invented at the same time as Hostess. Herr's sold their chips in the United States, while Hostess only sold theirs in Canada.The flavour is popular in Canada, where it is consideredCanadiana, though to a lesser degree thanpoutineormaple syrup. Millions of bags are produced each year byFrito-Lay, theparent companyof Hostess.They are also sold by smaller companies like Covered Bridge.Ketchup chips are available in almost every Canadian grocery storeand are strongly associated with Canadian identity.They are especially popular in the province ofManitoba.
The chip variety has been described as a "sweeter barbecue".According to a writer forThe Takeout, ketchup chips do not truly taste likeketchupbut instead comprise flavours reminiscent of it, like cooked tomatoes and sugar.A writer forThrillistdescribed them as tasting "like a bottle of ketchup was blown apart" and that this flavour was "dusted upon the chip in equal parts".The Daily Mealdescribed ketchup chips as being "inspired" by ketchup rather than flavoured like it, comparing the product withCool Ranch Doritos.One American journalist described them as tasting like if tomatoes "had been sprinkled with vinegar".Another journalist described ketchup chips as a combination between tomatoes and beet soup.Ketchup chips are not marketed with healthier variants, as diminished salt content and natural flavouring changes the taste of them significantly and therefore limits product innovation.
While Americans pair french fries with ketchup,flavours popular in Canada such as ketchup chips are more vinegar-based in comparison to the United States. American chip varieties tend to be creamier. These flavour preferences are likely influenced by differing immigration trends and Canada's connection to theUnited Kingdom.For example, Canadians are more likely to pairwhite vinegarwith fries, a combination that is commonplace in Britain but unusual in the United States.
There is limited production of ketchup chips in the United States in contrast to their much wider availability in Canada.Online retailers will sell ketchup chips to Americans for a significant markup.A 1984 newspaper article described ketchup chips as a failed business venture, with the exception of its popularity inChicago.Old Dutchused to sell ketchup chips in both Canada and the United States but discontinued production in the American market after it failed to be profitable.Frito-Lay also does not sell its ketchup chips in the United States.Ketchup chips are instead produced by smaller companies like Herr's Snacks.The company initially used its own ketchup flavouring before switching to aHeinzpartnership in the 1980s.
Walkers, a British food manufacturer, launched ketchup chips in 2001, partnering with Heinz to produce the product.Sausage and ketchup chips were released as a limited edition flavour in 2024.
Debates about whether ketchup chips are an appealing snack often take place on the Internet.In 2019, eight American journalists tried ketchup chips and ranked 13 brands, the top three of which wereDoritos,Great Value, and Old Dutch.In April 2024,Chatelainemagazine ranked 11 ketchup chip brands in Canada. Their first two choices wereComplimentsflavours, while the third wasRuffles.
During an interview covering the food preferences of actorsFlorence PughandAndrew Garfield, the two disagreed with each other about ketchup chips. Pugh believed the flavour had a similar taste to prawn cocktail chips, while Garfield disagreed with the accuracy of that comparison and described ketchup chips as weird and "kind of a sin".
In 2023, theCanadian Broadcasting Corporationreported that two Americans travelled fromVirginiatoNiagara Falls, Ontario, to purchase forty bags of ketchup chips,which wentviral.A Canadian grocery store then shipped them nine cases of potato chips.