Are Pringles Potato Chips?
Many consumers would classify Pringles as potato chips, but are they really? The makers of Pringles, Proctor & Gamble, say no, but the UK Supreme Court say yes.
I think for us to really make an informed decision on this critical categorical food debate, let’s go beyond the fact that each chip only contains about 40% potato and go over the crazy process of how Pringles are made.
First, a slurry of rice, wheat and corn is made. Then, it’s rolled out into a very thin sheet and cut out into perfect ovals. Next, it’s pressed into molds (that’s how they get that weird stackable shape). And lastly, it’s blown dried, sprayed with flavors, and stacked into cans. The process itself, parallels the world of Sci-Fi, and is far more intense than producing conventional potato chips.
Pringles, I would say is a close cousin of the potato chip, but devoid of the humble and organic nature of the original potato chip, it has definitely come into a category of its own.
[via i09.com]