Proper Crisps Marlborough Sea Salt

Tasting Notes from the Curator

The delicious chip is deceptively simple. What it boils down to is simply shallow fried potato slices with salt - a simple snack. But what makes this truly different are the ingredients used and the care put into each pack. The potatoes are Agria potatoes, collected from a potato farmer in the Town of Temuka, on New Zealand’s South Island. These potatoes are fresh and grown with care. The flavor of this variant is Marlborough sea salt. Marlborough is a region towards the north of South Island. The salt gathered in this area is thought to be some of the purest in the world, and the process in which the salt is extracted from the water is unique to Marlborough. This is flaky and attaches itself to food easily. Due to the purity of the salt, it is not overbearingly salty and is quite pleasant to consume.

Pairing

This simple snack actually can pair very well with certain wines. Usually, one could pair a sparkling wine or champagne with these crisps quite easily, but in line with keeping it in-country, one could also consider pairing these chips with a bottle of Sileni Estates ‘The Straits’ Sauvignon Blanc. The sweetness and fruitiness of the wine will complement the saltiness of the chip quite well. It is intense and will not be overpowered. More importantly, this wine is from the Marlborough region of New Zealand (the same place as the salt) and will share characteristics with the salt.

Oil from the Sun

A point of pride for Proper Crisps is that all their potato slices are cooked in sunflower oil. This is a point of non-negotiation for Proper Crisps as they believe that not only does sunflower oil enhance the flavor of their chips, but it is also much better for consumers than palm or canola oils.

Storage Instructions

The best way to keep chips fresh is to store them in a cool, dry place. If you can remove them from their original packaging and place them in an airtight resealable bag, that is the best option. Otherwise, you can purchase bag clips to help seal the chips in the original packaging. If storing in the same bag, remove excess air and make sure there are no rips or tears on the bag that will allow outside air in. Roll tightly to seal. Clip if necessary to keep air from coming in. The longer the chips remain open and exposed, the more that they are subjected to the surrounding air. It is that air that will cause the chips to become stale and will strip them of that fresh crunch and flavor that you want to maintain.