# I've decided I'm not fond of Grandma Utz's potato chips **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956 "2009-01-19T06:17:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/1 "2009-01-19T06:17:47Z")
I’ve finally broken down and tried Grandma Utz’s potato chips; they’re notable for being cooked in lard rather than some sort of vegetable oil. I love the _idea_ of chips fried in lard, and I have fond memories of Mcdonald’s fries cooked in tallow, but in practice I have to confess that I’m not real thrilled with these chips. The “meaty” flavor is just a little too intense and tends to hide the potato flavor, and if you eat too many (like I just did) the mouthfeel is kind of weird. I suspect they’d be better if they were warmed in the oven, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/2 "2009-01-19T17:54:10Z")
I love Utz sourcream and onion chips. Best out there. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/3 "2009-01-19T18:38:23Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > I love Utz sourcream and onion chips. Best out there. I have enjoyed those too, but the OP is talking about a special lard-fried line, which AFAICT is available only in plain and barbecue flavors. OP: check out – [http://www.potatoroll.com/pages/snacks.asp](http://www.potatoroll.com/pages/snacks.asp) ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/4 "2009-01-19T18:41:22Z")
Question: Is this something you decided, or something that was just… obvious to you when you ate them? ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/5 "2009-01-19T20:44:13Z")
I also found these a tremendous disappointment. They may be the only bag of potato chips I’ve left unfinished in my life. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/6 "2009-01-19T20:48:11Z")
Blasphemers. You are forbidden from entering Pennsylvania! (Note: Per [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utz_Quality_Foods,_Inc.#Products), their chips are fried in either cottonseed or peanut oil. Can we get a cite on that lard?) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/7 "2009-01-19T20:56:07Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > Can we get a cite on that lard?) [Cite on that lard!](http://www.utzsnacks.com/products/grandmachips.html) ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/8 "2009-01-19T22:52:32Z")
Nice! Thanks. (Yum. Lard.) ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/9 "2009-01-19T23:38:26Z")
I like Utz chips (as well as their other tasty snacks). Never tried the lard-taste kind, though. Doesn’t really sound like something I would really go for, as I’m a much bigger fan of peanut oil for potato chips. I wouldn’t be a good Ohioan if I didn’t plug [Mumford’s](http://www.anchorsfoodfinds.com/cookers/mumfordpotatochips.html) and, to a lesser extent, [Shearer’s](http://www.shearers.com/home_noflash.phtml). Bonus points for topping your chips with [Cooper’s](http://www.coopersmill.net/) chutney, relish, or hot pepper butter. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/10 "2009-01-20T05:23:56Z")
Update: I put some in the oven for a few minutes to warm up. The results were actually kind of interesting–the “meaty” flavor was intensified, which resulted in a qualitatively different reaction to the chips; they seemed to move from the “snack food” category to the “side dish” category. On the whole, though, I still can’t say that I’m a real fan of these things. I do enjoy the regular Utz chips, though. > [@Todderbob](#): > > Question: Is this something you decided, or something that was just… obvious to you when you ate them? A little of both. It’s one of those situations where you’re exposed to a new flavor profile and you can’t quite decide whether you actually like it or not, so you need to mull it over for a bit. The meaty flavor is really up-front at first, but after a few chips you get desensitized to it, but if you wait a few minutes it becomes more obvious again. So I needed to decide whether it was just a bit too much for me or if I genuinely didn’t like it. I’ve decided that it’s the latter. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/11 "2009-01-20T07:34:22Z")
I don’t like Grandma Utz’s either, but the regular Utz chips are the snack food of the gods. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/12 "2009-01-20T07:50:37Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > OP: check out – [http://www.potatoroll.com/pages/snacks.asp](http://www.potatoroll.com/pages/snacks.asp) Whoops, missed this post before…I occasionally had the “Nibble with Gibble’s” chips as a callow yoot, but never really became a fan of them. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/13 "2009-01-20T07:54:30Z")
I can definitely imagine them tasting better out of the oven. Almost every potato chip tastes amazingly better when warm, preferably having just been fried. If deep-frying weren’t such a PITA, I’d make my own potato chips all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-decided-im-not-fond-of-grandma-utzs-potato-chips/481956/14 "2009-01-20T15:15:44Z")
Dern you all. Now, I’m jonesing for some Utz chips.