Ketchup chips are a regional variety of

potato chip Potato chips (North American English and Australian English; often just chip) or crisp (British English and Hiberno-English) are thin slices of potato (or a thin deposit of potato paste) that has been deep frying, deep fried, baking, baked, ...

that were created in the 1970s. Their creation is typically attributed to

Hostess Potato Chips Hostess, also known as Munchies from 2024, is the name of a potato chip brand that was the leading brand in Canada for many years after its creation in 1935. During its heyday, they fended off any attempt to displace them from their commanding p ...

but they may have been invented during the same timeframe in the United States. Ketchup chips are strongly associated with

Canadian identity Canadian identity refers to the unique culture, characteristics and condition of being Canadian, as well as the many symbols and expressions that set Canada and Canadians apart from other peoples and cultures of the world. Changes in demographics, ...

due to their widespread availability in the country. The snack is recognized in

popular culture Popular culture (also called pop culture or mass culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of cultural practice, practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as popular art

f. pop art F is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet. F may also refer to: Science and technology Mathematics * F or f, the number 15 (number), 15 in hexadecimal and higher positional systems * ''p'F'q'', the hypergeometric function * F-distributi ...

or mass art, sometimes contraste ...

. Ketchup chips are also sold in the United Kingdom and the United States.

History

The invention of ketchup chips is typically attributed to Hostess Potato Chips, which began experimenting with producing new potato chip varieties in the early 1970s. Ketchup chips were the only one that proved profitable as other flavours like orange and grape were discontinued.

Herr's Snacks Herr's is an American brand of potato chips and other snack foods produced and marketed by eponymous private American company Herr Foods Inc. based in Nottingham, Pennsylvania. Their products are sold primarily throughout the Eastern United States ...

, an American company, sold ketchup chips by the 1980s. These chips may have been sold even earlier; if so, they would have been invented at the same time as Hostess. Herr's sold their chips in the United States, while Hostess only sold theirs in Canada. The flavour is popular in Canada, where it is considered

Canadiana Canadiana is a term used to describe things (e.g., books, historical documents, works of art, music and artifacts), ideas, or activities that concern or are distinctive of Canada, its peoples, and/or its culture, especially works of literature ...

, though to a lesser degree than

poutine Poutine () is a dish of french fries and cheese curds topped with a hot brown gravy. It emerged in Quebec in the late 1950s in the Centre-du-Québec region, though its exact origins are uncertain, and there are several competing claims regar ...

maple syrup Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...

. Millions of bags are produced each year by

Frito-Lay Frito-Lay, Inc. (; ) is an American food company that manufactures, markets, and sells snack foods. It began in the early 1930s as two companies, Fritos, the Frito Company and Lay's, H.W. Lay & Company, that merged in 1961. Frito-Lay itself merg ...

, the

parent company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

of Hostess. They are also sold by smaller companies like

Covered Bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

. Ketchup chips are available in almost every Canadian grocery store and are strongly associated with Canadian identity. They are especially popular in the province of

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

Flavour

The chip variety has been described as a "sweeter barbecue". According to a writer for '' The Takeout'', ketchup chips do not truly taste like

ketchup Ketchup or catsup is a table condiment with a sweet and sour flavor. "Ketchup" now typically refers to tomato ketchup, although early recipes for different varieties contained mushrooms, oysters, mussels, egg whites, grapes, or walnuts, amon ...

but instead comprise flavours reminiscent of it, like cooked tomatoes and sugar. A writer for ''

Thrillist ''Thrillist'' is an online media website covering travel. ''Thrillist'' was founded in 2004 by Ben Lerer and Adam Rich. In October 2016, Thrillist merged with internet brands ''The Dodo'', NowThis News, and Seeker to form the digital media ...

'' described them as tasting "like a bottle of ketchup was blown apart" and that this flavour was "dusted upon the chip in equal parts". ''

The Daily Meal The Daily Meal is a food and drinks website. Launched in October 2010, it was the first site launched by Spanfeller Media Group, founded by former Forbes.com CEO Jim Spanfeller. In 2016, The Daily Meal, along with Spanfeller Media Group, was ac ...

'' described ketchup chips as being "inspired" by ketchup rather than flavoured like it, comparing the product with Cool Ranch Doritos. One American journalist described them as tasting like if tomatoes "had been sprinkled with vinegar". Another journalist described ketchup chips as a combination between tomatoes and beet soup. Ketchup chips are not marketed with healthier variants, as diminished salt content and natural flavouring changes the taste of them significantly and therefore limits product innovation.

International markets

While Americans pair french fries with ketchup, flavours popular in Canada such as ketchup chips are more vinegar-based in comparison to the United States. American chip varieties tend to be creamier. These flavour preferences are likely influenced by differing immigration trends and Canada's connection to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. For example, Canadians are more likely to pair

white vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

with fries, a combination that is commonplace in Britain but unusual in the United States. There is limited production of ketchup chips in the United States in contrast to their much wider availability in Canada. Online retailers will sell ketchup chips to Americans for a significant markup. A 1984 newspaper article described ketchup chips as a failed business venture, with the exception of its popularity in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Old Dutch In linguistics, Old Dutch ( Modern Dutch: ') or Old Low Franconian (Modern Dutch: ') is the set of dialects that evolved from Frankish spoken in the Low Countries during the Early Middle Ages, from around the 6th Page 55: "''Uit de zesde eeu ...

used to sell ketchup chips in both Canada and the United States but discontinued production in the American market after it failed to be profitable. Frito-Lay also does not sell its ketchup chips in the United States. Ketchup chips are instead produced by smaller companies like Herr's Snacks. The company initially used its own ketchup flavouring before switching to a

Heinz The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz (), is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. ...

partnership in the 1980s.

Tudor Crisps Tudor Crisps was a brand of potato crisps produced by Tudor Food Products. The business was started in Sunderland during 1947, and it supplied crisps to the North East of England and Scotland regions, claiming two thirds of the market in these ...

sold a tomato ketchup chip flavour in the United Kingdom. Walkers later launched their own brand of ketchup chips in 2001, partnering with Heinz to produce the product. In 2024, the company also released a limited edition sausage and ketchup flavour.

Reception and popular culture

Debates about whether ketchup chips are an appealing snack often take place on the Internet. In 2019, eight American journalists tried ketchup chips and ranked 13 brands, the top three of which were

Doritos Doritos () is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips produced by Frito-Lay, a wholly owned subsidiary of PepsiCo. The concept for Doritos originated at Disneyland at a restaurant managed by Frito-Lay. In 1966, Doritos became the first ...

Great Value Walmart, Walmart, Inc., like many large retail and grocery chain stores, uses a brand strategy that offers private brands (private label, store brand) and generic brand merchandise. Apparel brands Major brands In March 2018, to better compet ...

, and Old Dutch. In April 2024, ''

Chatelaine Chatelaine may refer to: *Chatelaine (chain), a set of short chains on a belt worn by women and men for carrying keys, thimble and/or sewing kit, etc. * Chatelaine (horse), a racehorse * ''Chatelaine'' (magazine), an English-language Canadian wom ...

'' magazine ranked 11 ketchup chip brands in Canada. Their first two choices were Compliments flavours, while the third was Ruffles. During an interview covering the food preferences of actors

Florence Pugh Florence Pugh ( ; born 3 January 1996) is an English actress. Her accolades include a British Independent Film Award, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards. After making her acting debut in the drama film ' ...

and

Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. After his breakout role in '' Boy A'' (2007), he came to international attention with the supporting role of Eduardo Saverin in the drama ''The Social Network'' ...

, the two disagreed with each other about ketchup chips. Pugh believed the flavour had a similar taste to prawn cocktail chips, while Garfield disagreed with the accuracy of that comparison and described ketchup chips as weird and "kind of a sin". In 2023, the

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...

reported that two Americans travelled from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Niagara Falls, Ontario Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada, adjacent to, and named after, Niagara Falls. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, the city had a population of 94,415. The city is located on the Niagara Peninsula along the western bank of the ...

, to purchase forty bags of ketchup chips, which went

viral The word ''Viral'' means "relating to viruses" (small infectious agents). It may also refer to: Viral behavior, or virality Memetic behavior likened that of a virus, for example: * Viral marketing, the use of existing social networks to spre ...

. A Canadian grocery store then shipped them nine cases of potato chips.

References

Sources