Barbeque chips are so last year. Now, we just want to tuck
into bags of fish chips, fish-flavored chips and fish-shaped snacks.
As snacks get more and more unique and sophisticated, we are
always looking for the next fun thing. Lay’s has been experimenting with flavors
like everything bagel, dill pickle and even hot wings. In Asia, fish flavored
snacks are a big part of the culture, from shrimp chips to little dried fish in
snack mixes. Now the fish trend is making its way through Europe and to America,
where fish and chips are pure comfort and protein-filled snacks are a priority. Meet these seafood-themed and flavored snacks
that really float our boats.
First up is this blend of flash dried whitefish and potato
chips from Viking Icelandic. Touted as a complete meal, the mix of protein
and carbohydrates is perfect for noshing on the go, especially outdoorsy
calorie-burning treks like hikes, on mountain bikes and especially at sea. The
salt and vinegar (or salt and pepper)-flavored snacks are wrapped in a
newspaper-printed bag, reminiscent of the local fish and chip shop. The fish
chunks themselves are pretty strongly flavored and chewy, so it’s a bit of an
acquired taste, but fits the bill if beef jerky isn’t cutting it anymore.
For something a little more subtle, Walkers has fish and
chip flavored potato chips (or crisps as they’re called across the pond). Inspired
by dishes from actual British restaurants and part of a Local Taste Icon series,
fish and chips joins other flavors like madras curry, Thai green curry and chicken
burrito. Like you would find at a fish and chip shop, the crisps have a
delicate vinegar flavor. They are not overly fishy and more of a nod to the favorite
late-night snack.
For some, the crispy, crackling skin on a salmon filet is the
grand prize of a fish dinner (while for others, it can’t be discarded fast
enough). Packed with high concentrates of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids, it’s
actually a nutritious treat you shouldn’t toss. You can go right to the source
with Good Fish Crispy Salmon Skins which uses upcycled wild-caught salmon skin
for crispy flavorful chips. The zesty wasabi ginger flavor has tons of protein,
zero carbs (hello, keto), and marine collagen. It’s a healthier choice than bacon, but still gives that satisfying umami flavor with a crumbly crunch.
Also hailing from across the pond is Burton's Biscuit Co.’s fish
and chips biscuits. Like the British version of goldfish crackers, these fish-shaped
biscuits have a salt and vinegar flavor. They’re not the healthful protein snacks
like some of the other fish snacks, but more of a comfort food flavor, like mac
n’ cheese flavors are to Americans. Grab them by the handful, tuck some in your bag for later or enjoy as a bard snack with a pint.
These snacks are amazing, but also has made us want the original -- a nice plate of fish and chips -- even more. It shows that there's no replacement for the real thing. But if a craving for something salty, sour and a bit fishy strikes at midnight, at least there are some tasty options at hand.