Potato Crisps

Slowly, slowly, the tide began to shift.

In the beginning was the Crisp (or the Chip). And salt (in small amounts or great) was sprinkled upon the face of the Tuber Slice (whatever you call it), and it was good.

Then the Brits said, let there be Vinegar, and there was vinegar in the soggy stuff that came with the fish. And also, the virtue of sodium ethanoate as a salt that came with vinegar. And so came the Salt & Vinegar flavoured crisp.

And on the third instance came two flavours from the sacred cow, and one was of the meat and called Beef & Onion, and the other was of the milk and called Sour Cream & Onion. And the Americans said, let us take this one step further, and made Barbecue-flavoured crisps.

And apart from the terrible schism that precipitated the Prawn Cocktail flavour (which was neither prawn nor cocktail), there was peace in the lands for many years, apart from minor outbreaks of Honey Dijon and Black Pepper.

Then came the Creative Thinking Programmes, and the crisp-makers who used to tell their junior staff not to taste of the fruit thereof were all retired, and no-one remained to stop the abominations. And so came the Cheese & Onion, which became Roquefort Cheese & Red Onion; and also the Dill & Mint, and the Roast Lamb & Mint, and the Sweet Red Chili & Sour Cream, and the Jalapeño, and the Seafood, and the Tomato Salsa, and the Wildspice (for there were now few real flavours and imaginary ones had to be made).

And this year I have seen the splendour of the Buffalo Hot Wings, and the Guacamole, and the Full 12-Course Chinese Dinner Laden With MSG. And maybe, I am going to switch to some other source of vegetable fibre in my snacks.