The Popular Potato Chips That Are Burnt On Purpose

Some people like to go out of their way to pick out the potato chips in the bag that are on the darker side. Chip brands know this, so some of them have even released their own product lines, usually diplomatically labeled "dark" or "dark russets," probably to avoid the negative connotation of "nearly scorched." This is not my thing, but you absolutely do you.

There's something about that mild bitterness that compels people to enjoy them, and you can get dark russets from lots of popular chip manufacturers, such as Utz ( ) and Cape Cod, whose Original Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips tops s. Trader Joe's has had its own version of dark russets in the past as well. The dark trend doesn't just lean towards potato chips; even Cheez-Its has its "Extra Toasty" line of crackers that have a darker hue for those who're looking for the same style of flavor, but in a savory cheese cracker format.



Some people simply prefer the flavor of nearly blackened food Fans swear by that nearly blackened taste, because it's created by the Maillard reaction, in which sugars and amino acids in your food react after being exposed to heat and produce rich, slightly bitter, but enticing flavors, aromas, and darker colors. In the case of these unusually specific potato chips, they're basically fried longer so that the sugars in the potato develop a darker color and deeper flavor. Given that there's an entire style of cooking dedicated to celebrating blackened dishes, the singed appeal is wide enough to warrant potato chip companies making singular products of that nature.

That's because people are sure to buy them. And even if you went too far and burned the food, this doesn't always have to be a bad thing. You can use burnt ingredients for to take advantage of the char.

But in the case of the dark russet potato chips, the company's walked that tightrope for you without accidentally turning them black. Recommended.