What is it about the change of taste you get when you shrink down a larger food into a smaller one? I can see how baby peas or other foods can taste different, because they are different, but something like the new Pringles Minis, why do they taste different than the ordinary Pringles when they are just smaller versions of the original?

OK, so they don't taste that different. But they don't taste exactly the same either. Even if you put enough smaller ones in your mouth to equal a whole Pringles large chip, there's still something slightly different about the taste. I was never very good at science in school.

These are pretty good though. They come in Original, Sour Cream and Onion, and Cheddar Cheese flavors. I don't think I'd buy them over the regular Pringle's, but they do retain their shape in the little bags. I thought they'd be Pringles Dust because they're not protected and stacked like the bigger chips, but the two bags I've had were fine. (Pringles also has some new Pringles Selects, but I haven't tried them yet.)

Crisp-addiction isn't limited to kids, though. As a whole, the nation consumes "a tonne of crisps every three minutes, enough to fill an Olympic size swimming pool every 14 hours." Using the number provided by the BHF, which says that the average 1.2-oz packet of chips has 2.5-tsp of oil, there are about 950-gallons of cooking oil consumed for every tonne (2,204 lbs) of crisps, a massive amount over any length of time.

There's no doubt that a lot of people love Kettle Chips (the brand), with their thick cut, crunchy texture and interesting flavors. I am one of those people. However, I have always been a fan of the simpler flavors - salt and pepper, salt and vinegar, and plain.

Recently, I tried the Spicy Thai flavor as an accompaniment to an Asian-flavored burger, which was strange for me because I am not a huge fan of typical Thai flavorings and ingredients (lemongrass, cilantro). The chips were slightly sour, but were also sweet. I didn't mind the tangy-ness, but it was the sweetness that turned me off. Don't get me wrong, I have a huge sweet tooth, but I like my sweets as candies, pastries, and desserts, not potato chips.

Kettle Foods, the company that is famous for its natural, thick-sliced, hand-cooked potato chips, is holding a contest to select its next flavored chip. The new chip flavors are inspired by a "happy hour" theme and include Spicy Mary, Dirty Martini, Buffalo Bleu Cheese, Tuscan Three Cheese and Creamy Caesar. The chips are being sold, not in stores, but on the Kettle website in a party pack for $9.95, which includes a 5-ounce bag of each flavor, a tasting guide and step-by-step instructions for hosting your own happy hour. No doubt that the happy hour instruction guide recommends serving Kettle Chips. The Dirty Martini and the Creamy Ceasar sound the least appealing, but only the taste will truly tell which chip is the best. Voting can be done online or by the ballot included in each party pack.

 Kettle Chips newest release is 'Just Potatoes Undressed' with the tag line of 'Liberated Potatoes'. Undressed because they promise to be all natural with no added nasties. The Liberated part refers to the lower salt content following the UK's government low salt campaign.

Then there are Walkers Heads. The new addition here is Cheese Head with no artificial colours, flavours or perservaties. They also claim to be 70 per cent less in saturated fats than their competitors.

Staying in the snack arena I thought I would mention a new addition to the Nobby's range. For those who havent seen the TV advert the range is Nobby's Nuts with a humorous play on which packet the guys reach for... now there is Nobby's Cuts a meaty, beef-jerky snack aimed at 'blokes looking to satisfy their man-sized appetities'. Classy.

Golden Wonder are famous for introducing flavoured crisps in 1962 but even retro branding, ranging such as the delightfully named Nik-Naks, Wheat Crunchies, Ringos and others have not stemmed the companys losses; they have closed the company. The crisp market is notoriously competitive with constant innovation and development. Market leader Walkers (with over 50 per cent market share) have followed trends with the introduction of up-market brands such as Doritos and Sensations.

Mind you if all they, Golden Wonder, could come up with was Tomato Ketchup flavour and Sausage and Tomato in the face of such sophistication as Lamb and Mint or Mozzarella and Oregano you have to wonder.  

After reading Andrew Barrow's earlier post about Apple Chips, I couldn't get Roast Chicken chips out of my mind.

It was two days before Christmas, and I was driving my babysitter home. She asked to stop to buy a special bottle of beer for a friend. I'd been shopping all day, and was starving. At Belmont Station, not only do they have beer imported from all over Europe, but also a neat collection of British food.

And chips. Roast Chicken chips.

Once in the car, I opened the bag and the smell of roast chicken, with lots of oil, filled the car. Yum. And I bit into them. Sure enough, they tasted like darkly roasted chicken. It's like a meal in a bag. Why is this not a popular flavor in the states? I'm totally addicted to chicken chips. Lay's, Kettle Chips, you've been put on notice. Get us some Roast Chicken chips, stat.