For the aspiring snob

For centuries now the connoisseur of fine wines has been worshiped as the pinnacle of both class and snobbery, perhaps because of the high price tag of learning to be a connoisseur. All of this, however, is about to change. New research commissioned by the Potato Council for National Chip Week is showing that perhaps being a snob is not out of your reach. As it turns out, the smell of chips (or french fries as they are commonly known in the US) is rather complex, and the different variables of what type of potato and what cooking method are chosen can create a wide variety of aromas. Rather than try to rephrase his ideas we'll quote Dr. Graham Clayton here:

Whether oven-cooked or fried, the humble chip doesn't smell of just chips - the aroma is much more complex and probably explains why chips are everyone's favourite.

One might not expect to find butterscotch or cocoa aromas in chips, but it has to be remembered that these are one part of the overall aroma.

Perhaps these findings will see chips treated like wine in the future - with chip fans turning into buffs as they impress their friends with eloquent descriptions of their favourite fries.

At the GNU Public Dictatorship we would like to invite all of our supporters to submit their best eloquent description of their favorite fries. Please submit them here or to your local GPD office by February 20, 2009. Remember to include your name, where you are from, and where you got the fries you are describing. If any special aging or other techniques were used, please mention them as well. All participants will receive a 50% off coupon good at the GNU Public Theme Park in Corpus Christi, TX, and the lucky winner will receive a GPD mug and mousepad. The winners will be announced on February 27.