Author
Howard Gensler is a veteran journalist who’s worked at the Philadelphia Daily News, TV Guide and the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a founding editor of bettorsinsider.com.
Pennsylvania’s Top Potato Chip Flavors
The potato chip was not invented in Pennsylvania (Chef George Crum gets the credit for creating the snack in 1853 in Saratoga Springs), but it wouldn’t be unreasonable to say that Pennsylvania perfected it and brought it to the masses.
Today, Utz Snacks is now the largest independent, privately held snack company in the United States, but it got its start in a home kitchen in Hanover, Pa., in 1921, when William and Salie Utz started making their chips and selling them to local markets.
But that’s just the chip of the iceberg in Pennsylvania. Hanover is also home to Snyder’s; Nottingham houses the headquarters for Herr’s. Middleburg is home to Middleswarth; Womelsdorf is where Dieffenbach’s creates its chips; Bickel’s comes out of York; Martin’s, also known for their potato rolls, is in Thomasville, and Berwick is home to Wise. You would think Pennsylvania would have potato farms from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh with all those chips.
Pennsylvania loves producing chips, and since March 14 is National Potato Chip Day, PennStakes.com took a break from Pennsylvania sports betting to see where the state ranked in its love of chips and which flavors of chips state residents crave most.
To do so, PennStakes.com, your go-to site for info on online PA casinos, used Google Trends to see which states were most interested in potato chips. Then, we narrowed down which flavors locals love the most, according to search interest scores between Feb. 27- March 5.
States Most Interested in Potato Chips
Pennsylvania residents sure do love their potato chips as they finished fifth in the nation with a score of 88. Here are Pennsylvania’s favorite potato chip flavors:
Pennsylvania’s Favorite Potato Chip Flavor
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What Pennsylvanians Like in Potato Chips
Overall, Pennsylvania ranked in fifth place with a search interest score of 88, trailing Ohio (100), Wyoming (95) and Wisconsin and North Dakota (both 89).
In first place is sour cream and onion, which has the flavor of taking a regular chip and adding onion dip, but without the mess. In second place, is salt and vinegar, a little less sweet and with a bit more tang.
Tied for No. 3 is Cool Ranch and Barbecue. Cool Ranch is essentially Ranch, but cooler. It’s a different flavor profile than the top two, a bit more herbal. Frying in at a tie for third is BBQ, an old staple, for people who like a little more punch than plain salt and don’t mind orange fingers.
Waving the banner at No. 5 is Sea Salt and Black Pepper, for a more sophisticated palate, and fans of a salty kick. Heading into the second five, we have Cheddar at No. 6. Nothing against cheddar cheese where it belongs, but that’s not on a potato chip. Perhaps a Cheese Doodle. Sorry.
Baked Classic and Flamin’ Hot chips come in tied at No. 7. There is nothing classic about a baked chip. They’re supposed to be fried. Yes, the baked chip is healthier, and so is a baked potato. Eat that. It’s also delicious with a bit of butter, but it’s not a chip. Flamin’ Hot chips are also tied at No. 7 because every food now must come in a hot, taste bud-destroying, Tik Tok challenge version, and every review must have a fire emoji.
No. 9 is the Classic chip, salty and greasy, crunchier than french fries, perfect with a burger, a beer or both. A thinly cut potato fried in sizzling oil is not only a slice of potato, but heaven. George Crum was a genius.
And last on the chip parade is Nacho, which is salty, cheesy and basically a Dorito, not a potato chip. If you want nachos, order nachos. The potato chip stands on its own.
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