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Potato Fraud
Earlier today, my co-worker Mareesa Nicosia posted on her blog about two new brands of potato chips, both claiming to be the "original" Saratoga chip.
One brand is produced by the Saratoga Salsa and Spice Company, the other is being market by the Saratoga Specialties Company, and are being called Moon Brand Original Saratoga Chips. Both are being sold in area stores. The Salsa and Spice Company's chips are just being called Saratoga Potato Chips.
We received a sample of the Moon Brand chips today, and I think we were all a little excited to discover what was inside the fancy packaging -- a cardboard box with an old-timey image on the cover. Upon sampling, however, we discovered that the "Saratoga Chips" were indistinguishable from any other store-bought potato chips. The packaging also revealed that the chips are made not in Saratoga, but in Pennsylvania.
To the best of my knowledge (and the consensus of the Newsroom), what distinguishes a Saratoga chip from any other potato chip is that it is thicker and it is spiced, at least, that is how they are served in area restaurants. The Moon Brand chips were both thin and spice-free (save a healthy dose of salt). So, I'm not sure how those chips qualify as "Original Saratoga Chips." Must be the box.
Ordinarily, I would eat free potato chips, throw away the garbage and be done with it, but Moon Brand purveyor Danny Jameson called the newsroom twice to complain that he hadn't received his own post on Mareesa's blog.
Maybe he ment to call advertising?
We haven't sampled the Spice Company's chips yet, but unless they've got a healthy dose of aromatic spices, I'm prepared to strip the mantle of "original" from both of these products.
George Crum is turning in his grave.
One brand is produced by the Saratoga Salsa and Spice Company, the other is being market by the Saratoga Specialties Company, and are being called Moon Brand Original Saratoga Chips. Both are being sold in area stores. The Salsa and Spice Company's chips are just being called Saratoga Potato Chips.
We received a sample of the Moon Brand chips today, and I think we were all a little excited to discover what was inside the fancy packaging -- a cardboard box with an old-timey image on the cover. Upon sampling, however, we discovered that the "Saratoga Chips" were indistinguishable from any other store-bought potato chips. The packaging also revealed that the chips are made not in Saratoga, but in Pennsylvania.
To the best of my knowledge (and the consensus of the Newsroom), what distinguishes a Saratoga chip from any other potato chip is that it is thicker and it is spiced, at least, that is how they are served in area restaurants. The Moon Brand chips were both thin and spice-free (save a healthy dose of salt). So, I'm not sure how those chips qualify as "Original Saratoga Chips." Must be the box.
Ordinarily, I would eat free potato chips, throw away the garbage and be done with it, but Moon Brand purveyor Danny Jameson called the newsroom twice to complain that he hadn't received his own post on Mareesa's blog.
Maybe he ment to call advertising?
We haven't sampled the Spice Company's chips yet, but unless they've got a healthy dose of aromatic spices, I'm prepared to strip the mantle of "original" from both of these products.
George Crum is turning in his grave.
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
5:18 PM
2 Comments:
There's a huge difference with store brand chips. THE COST. What a rip-off. I received some of the Saratoga Salsa chips as part of a Christmas present and they were ok. Nothing I would spend extra for. The Stadium (and West Side Stadium) have the real Saratoga Chips served hot. Other places in town have them also, but my family has only had the Stadium version. I'm pretty sure old man Whitney didn't have them cold and in a box.
It amazes me that area restaurants are selling "Saratoga Chips" at all. They are a frozen sliced potato available from Sysco and/or US Foods that cost about 30 cents a portion and are sold for $8 and up.
There is no "real" Saratoga Chip manufacturer. As far as I have ever been able to tell, there is also no set creator, and no time or date of this creation taking place, unlike the "Buffalo Wing" which can be traced back to its creation.
Shame on restaurants for selling a potato for $8 in this or any economy. If I saw that on a menu, I would simply stand up and leave.
The best potato chips, hands down, are Archer Farms, available at Target. $2.50 per bag.
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