Some nice articles from the Beacon Journal this week regarding Ohio's importance to the snack food industry...

 

http://www.ohio.com/news/18034124.html?page=all&c=y

 

Ohio chipper about chips

Ohio is loaded with plants big and small frying up potato chips of many styles, flavors

 

By Rick Armon

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Published on Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008

They're salty. Crunchy. Fried and kettle-cooked. They come in various flavors and shapes. And Americans love them.  Since invented in 1853 by accident, potato chips have become a snack food staple — one with deep and growing roots in Ohio. When family-owned Shearer's Foods announced a major expansion a few weeks ago in Stark County, it further cemented Ohio's — and the region's — already powerful reputation as one of the largest potato chip producers in the nation.

CHOPPED

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/18034484.html?page=all&c=y

 

We dig our potatoes: A whole lot of slicing and frying going on

Big companies gobble up homegrown brands

 

By Lisa Abraham

Beacon Journal food writer

 

 

Published on Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008

 

The next time you open a bag of potato chips, before you start crunching and munching, consider that you are holding a piece of Ohio's culinary and economic history in the palm of your hand.  We didn't invent the potato chip here, but we embraced it with gusto, and today Ohio ranks as the second-largest chip-producing state in the country.  The Snack Food Association in Alexandria, Va., the trade group for the U.S. snack food industry, traces its roots to a group of potato chip makers from Ohio.

 

CHOPPED

Finally, an Ohio potato chip taste test...  This article is a running conversation between 2 reporters.. Because UrbanOHio dropped the italics originally in the article, I've replaced the italics with ### since I couldn't bold..

 

http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/18034494.html?page=all&c=y

 

When taste-testing Ohio's finest, you can't have just one, two . . .10

Our testers can agree on favorites, little else

 

Published on Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008

 

 

It's been several months since Beacon Journal beer writer Rick Armon and I decided to join forces to take a look at Ohio's booming potato chip industry.  As a beer fan, Rick's interest in chips is understand-able. My interest was fueled by Northeast Ohio's unique place in the history of potato chips, a truly homegrown delight.

CHOPPED

that was fun -- great articles thx.

 

i certainly dont agree with the egghead below, he must not be originally an ohioan. the regional chips are at least as well know throughout ohio as the regional ice cream is:

 

''It's kind of an unknown secret,'' said Matthew Kleinhenz, an associate professor at the Ohio State University Extension in Wooster. ''The density of chip plants here is pretty high.''

 

If you're heading out to Amish Country, i.e. Sugarcreek and Berlin, the Shearer's factory store in Brewster isn't too far away.  There are some phenomenal deals and very unique products.  I've been totally fixated on these "extra dark" burnt pretzels that they sell there.

I've never found a better, more true/simple potato chip than Jones'.  It's potatoes, oil and salt.  Unfortunately they can't compete in the big stores so I can only find them at Convenient Food Marts, more of which are disappearing each year.  when I go to westlake for my allergy shot once a month I usually go by the Convenient on Lorain near Clague, they usually have them.

I bet you can't eat just one - I got the feva for the flava of a pringles!  he he he :-D