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French cuisine still rules the world. Its influence on just about every aspect of modern dining is indelible, but one thing French culture could stand to improve upon is its potato chips.
France has a pretty impeccable snack game, but the products with the widest fandom tend to be the sweet treats. Petit Beurre biscuits, made by French manufacturer LU, are ubiquitous in France, and they succeed because they’re so damn buttery and simple. Bonne Maman, famous here in America for its jams and spreads, is owned by the company Andros, which makes its home in Biars-sur-Cère in Southwestern France. (More commonly in France, you can find Bonne Maman’s beloved raspberry tart cookies.) France boasts dozens of sweet biscuits, cookies, and tarts at every grocery shop, but compared to American brands, there’s a dearth of salty processed snacks.
Part of the reason for this is that savory snacks in the French diet often involve cheese, peanuts, sausage, and the like. There are relatively few potato chips in France, but there are indeed a few. Belin is a company that features savory snacks with an American slant, from cheese curls to baked cheese crisps, and even something that looks like a tortilla chip but is in fact a cracker. Per Belin’s (translated) copy, “Enjoy it alongside your favourite beverage, or as an accompaniment to your meals. Whether you’re planning a get-together with friends, packing a picnic, or simply indulging in some alone time, this selection is sure to bring a touch of French indulgence to your day.”
Belin also famously makes a line of potato chips called Chipster, which you can purchase on Amazon. I found a box at my local French café, Loupiotte. This outstanding French restaurant in LA serves awesome breakfast and lunch, but it also shines a nostalgic light on French snacks with a whole cupboard full of biscuits, cereals, sweets, and the aforementioned Belin Chipsters, whose website copy promises, “These perfectly golden potato chips are a masterpiece of taste and texture, delivering a satisfyingly crispy bite with each mouthful.”
On my last visit to the restaurant, I grabbed a box to find out how France’s chips stack up to our own.