Over here, chips are crisps and over there, chips are fries. We all know that. But do we all know how culturally different our chip/crisp choices are, even though the best selling brand in both the US and the UK are made by the same company – Pepsi? Here they are:
The similarities are obvious. I haven’t tasted them side by side because the little dog that sniffs my bag at Philly airport might not like me bringing Walkers crisps home with me but I imagine they taste fairly alike. Where the big difference comes though is in the flavours that sell.
Over the past couple of years Pepsi have held ‘Do us a flavour’ competitions to find new flavour offerings and it seems to me that the suggestions provide a fascinating insight into our different cultural tastebuds and immigrant influences.
In the UK in 2009, the final suggested flavours were:
Onion Bhaji
Fish & Chips (a bit obvious)
Crispy Duck and Hoisin
Cajun Squirrel (seriously?)
and Chilli and Chocolate (frankly wrong)
BUT the winner was Builder’s Breakfast – with the flavour of eggs and beans. Nice.
Whereas in the US this year, the finalist flavors were:
Sriracha (a thai hot sauce, I have learned)
Chicken and waffles (heart attack on a plate)
and the winner, Cheesy Garlic Bread.
But the exciting news, is that in Canada, you are able to vote RIGHT NOW for one of these:
Just in case the image is not too clear, the choice is between Creamy Garlic Caesar, Grilled Cheese and Ketchup, Maple Moose (barf) and Perogy Platter, the last surely proving that alliteration is not always a good thing. Which one will win? My money is on the salad. They do love their soup and salad up there.
The Transatlantic Translator 
Belated update:
The winner of Lay’s Canada ‘Do Us a Flavor” contest was Maple Moose.
“named one of the wildest chip flavors ever by The Daily Meal, Maple Moose doesn’t just taste like maple syrup, which would be a little weird in itself, but it actually has meat flavor as well, so it literally tastes like a combination of maple syrup and moose. How weird is that ?
The winner, Tyler LeFrense (who came up with the idea) won $50,000 CAN, plus 1 percent of all profits. The flavor will be re-released in the Great White North at the end of November (2013) We don’t think we’ll be trekking north of the border for a sample.”
Needless to say the cash prize was larger than the profits in this food healthy country.