No actual hedgehogs were harmed in the production of these chips.
It was just a tongue-in-cheek marketing thing, really. They did package and promote them as being hedgehog flavour, but if memory serves it was just a generic meaty/chickeny kind of taste. I can’t imagine that they had too many complaints along the lines of “hey, these taste nothing like hedgehog!”
At any given time, I have about six different varieties of cereal in my cupboard, just because, on any given morning, I might decide on something different.
Once you realize that Kettle Chips are the shizzle, the rest just become gaily-colored wrappings to surround the Kettle goodness.
Nucular perculator.
The only truly needed potato chip is Lays’ Salt and Pepper. The rest are not needed.
Not yet. 
99% of Americans have likely never heard of Marmite (it can be very difficult to find here). I like it, but I was introduced to it by my Irish friends.
I’m curious–what do you mean by this question exactly? I.e., what thoughts are going through your head that prompt you to ask it? What does it mean for “us” to “really need” something or not?
I am not really sure. Something just seemed out of kilter. I know there is no direct connection between the two, but I thought “Wow!. There may be poverty, disease, unemployment, and high crime rates in the country, but at least I have 110 potato chips to chose from.”
You speak the truth.
Then there’s the whole Barry Schwartz thing.
We don’t NEED snack chips or things like cookies or sodas at all. People could be perfectly healthy, if not happy, on a diet of Purina Human Chow, or something along those lines. There’d be no choice and no variety, but it would be nutritionally complete.
Like others have said, that variety is on the shelves because that’s what sells, or what the manufacturers hope will sell. It’s why most grocery stores in my neck of the woods have many varieties of tortillas, while ones in say… Oxford, England may not have tortillas at all, or if they do, they have one variety. Conversely, they have several varieties of Camembert, while my local store has one.
Think about all of the food scientists, research labs, flavor experts, custom manufacturing equipment all driven by the need to create these chips.
The packaging industries and graphic artists needed for the wide variety of labeling. The sales of spices, texturing agents, binders, oils, etc.
Some of this would be needed for plain old potato chips but not at the level going on to create all the varieties sold now.
Now, call Frito-Lay and tell them you want some tangerine zucchini chips and create some new jobs!
All the nucular perculators are upstairs - you’ll need to take the esculator.
Remember, folks: Maggie Thatcher started out creating reasonable facsimiles of ice cream, and darn near ended up running the world.
Hell, you think 110 flavors of chips is impressive, there are probably close to two dozen varities of Cheez-Its.
Not two dozen random cheese crackers, but within just one brand is 24 kinds of crackers…several of which are essentially the same! They have BIG Cheez-Its, and Cheez-Its that are shaped, and Reduced Fat, etc…On top of that are White Cheddar, Cheddar jack, Colby, Party Mix, Chili-Cheese, Hot and Spicy, Swiss, and the list goes on.
…fuck, now I’m going to have to get some Cheez-Its tonight…but what flavor!? I’ll be driven mad by the fact that the cracker isle is essentially half Cheez-Its!
I wonder if any of those endless varieties are actually the same except for packaging? Both 2 flavors of the same brand and how many different brands made at the same factory.
Do you sort them by fibre content?
If “up here” includes Scotland, there were both roast chicken and teriyaki chicken available from the vending machines at work.
I was furious to discover that the recently marketed “Cajun Squirrel” flavor contained no squirrel at all. I felt so cheated. Also, it wasn’t very “cajun”.
Walker’s Max Paprika flavor for me (“paprika” is the UK version of BBQ chips, more or less). And I pretty much eat an entire bag of Dorito’s Hint of Lime chips in one sitting, as they are very more-ish.
From the Onion:
Consumer-Product Diversity Now Exceeds Biodiversity