When I travel to other countries, I’m always intrigued by the variety of potato chip flavours available in local grocery stores.
One of the things that’s so interesting about potato chip flavours is that the chip manufacturers often create flavours that draw inspiration from local ingredients and cuisine in that country. These flavours are often unique and not found outside their home country.
For instance, Miang Kum chips in Thailand were created to taste like the sour and spicy Thai dish, after which it was named, which tastes like toasted coconut, peanuts, shallots, ginger, and lime.
If you’re not familiar with French culture, it may surprise you to learn that potato chips are extremely popular in France. It’s even become part of the traditional French apéro culture, often served alongside olives and peanuts.
According to Market research, people in France purchased about 522 Million Euros (600 Million USD) worth of chips in 2018, which has increased by about 6 percent each year.
To meet the demand of France’s new obsession with chips, manufacturers in France are continuously introducing new and unconventional “French chips” and flavours that cater to French taste buds.
Let’s explore some of these unique French chip flavours.
French Potato chip flavours you can find in France
Download my printable French potato chips poster which you can print out at home, or blow it up to poster size. Just click on the image below.
How to say potato chips in French
- Chips are simply called “Chips” /Sheeps/ in French.
- Potato chips are called “Chips de pommes de Terre” /Sheeps duh pum duh tear/.
In addition to listing French chip flavours, I’ve categorized them by the manufacturers that produce them. Most are French companies, but a few are not.
Brets:
SLOGAN: Le Chipsier Français (The French chip maker)
Brets is a French chip company founded in 1991 in Brittany, which accounts for one-third of France’s chip market. They produce over 20 tonnes of potato chips annually with clever flavours tailored to the French market.
Here are a few.
Camembert potato chips
Of all the French chips found in France,
Marine-flavoured chips (oyster and the sea)
If you don’t like tasting the sea or hate
“C’est pas la mer à boire… MANGEZ-lA!” (It’s not the sea to drink…EAT IT.) Idiomatically, this French expression means: It’s not that big a deal; eat them.
I love this expression because when someone complains about an impossible task, telling them “c’est pas la mer à boire” is a cocky way to let someone know that whatever the difficult task is, it’s not as difficult as drinking all the sea.
Onion confit chips
Confit d’oignon chips taste amazing. If you love salt and vinegar chips, you’ll love these, too.
If you’re unfamiliar with “Confit d’oignon,” it’s basically a savoury-sweet onion marmalade made by slowly caramelizing onions and then simmering them with vinegar, sugar, and sometimes wine or herbs. The result is a spreadable onion marmalade that pairs well with cheese.
It’s often served as a condiment at parties and end-of-year celebrations as part of l’apèro alongside
Caramelized Onion confit (Chutney). Sweet and savory condiment to serve with cheese, bread or your cheese board.
Aioli chips
Before mayonnaise, there was Aïoli, a sauce made with salt, olive oil and generous amounts of garlic. Aioli is extremely popular in France, where it’s sometimes referred to as “beurre de Provence” (butter of Provence).
And yes, these do taste like garlicky aioli.
Andalouse sauce potato chips
Despite the name, Andalouse sauce is a Belgian specialty, NOT Andalusia. It’s typically made with mayonnaise, tomatoes or tomato paste, and peppers (capsicums). Belgians and French usually serve it with fries, but you can put it on anything. If you’re ever in France, ask for Andalouse sauce on your Kebab.
Porcini potato chips
These aren’t the most popular chips, but If you love mushrooms, especially porcini mushrooms, you’ll love these cèpes (porcini) chips. They definitely have that umami quality.
Tapenade potato chips
These French chips are meant to taste like Tapenade, an extremely popular condiment in the south of France, where most people will offer it in a small bowl or on slices of baguettes during the apèro.
It’s made of finely chopped olives, capers, anchovies, olive oil and sometimes a dash of lemon juice.
French fry sauce chips (or crisp sauce if you’re British)
In addition to plain mayonnaise, sauce Pommes Frites is another condiment often served alongside french fries in France. You can find bottles of it at the supermarket, and McDonald’s in France offers it as a choice when you order fries. Recipes vary but usually consist of mayonnaise, mustard and
Braised chicken chips
Chicken-flavoured chips are some of the most well-known French chips in France because it seems every chip maker has their own version.
These are supposed to taste like braised chicken. It may have something to do with the herbs they add to the
Grilled pepper chorizo chips
Whenever I see chorizo, I have to remind myself that chorizo in France is Spanish chorizo and not Mexican. While they’re both delicious, they’re pretty different. Either way, these chips have that smokey chorizo sausage appeal.
Gouda and cumin
Grilled rib roast or prime rib chips
It’s a mystery. How do they get chips to taste like beef? The package only lists “extrait de bœuf en poudre” beef powder extract.
Organic Thyme Rosemary chips
Thym and rosemary are very popular herbs used in French cuisine, and these French chips are very herby-tasting.
Vico: Popular Chip
ORIGINAL SLOGAN: Le roi de la pomme de terre (The potato king)
NEW SLOGAN: Le roi de l’apèro (The king of apèro)
Vico is the King of potatoes, or at least that’s what their company slogan used to be until they changed it to “King of apèro.”
Vico was founded in 1955 in Picardie, one of the largest potato-producing areas of France. They originally sold potatoes and potato-based products, including dehydrated potatoes, in other words (instant potatoes). In 1982, they entered the potato chip market and made a variety of “apero” snacks.
Curly peanut butter
These curly things are similar to Cheetos without the cheese. They’re made of puffed corn and then dusted with peanuts and
Mustard and vinegar chips
You’ve probably tried honey mustard chips or salt and vinegar chips. Well, these mustard and vinegar chips taste nothing like those.
Grilled chicken chips
Yet another grilled chicken-flavoured chips. I can’t tell the difference between most of them.
Lentil chips with mozzarella, basil and tomato
These lentil chips are flavoured like tomato, mozzarella, and basil, a popular combination in France, especially on pizzas and salads.
Bacon bits and onion chips
This bag of chips is called “petits lardons et oignons,” literally little bacon bits and onions.” Lardon is a common French ingredient found in supermarkets and French homes. It’s similar to bacon bits but slightly fattier and thicker than traditional bacon.
Emmental chips
Grilled Merguez chips
Merguez is spicy mutton or beef sausage in Maghrebi cuisine; however, it’s become quite popular in France since the late twentieth century.
Hot goat cheese and herb-flavoured chips
“Chèvre chaud & herbes” literally means “hot
Buckwheat goat cheese chips
“La chips de Sarrasin au chèvre” are
One of the draws to buckwheat chips is that they are naturally gluten-free, high in plant-based protein, and a good source of dietary fibre.
French Lay’s: 2 Unique chips.
Although Lay’s isn’t technically a French brand, their chips have been a hit in France since 2003.
40 percent of all potato chips sold in France are Lay’s chips.
In addition to the ever-popular sour cream and onion potato chips, Lay’s has created some interesting chips for the French palette and marketplace. Here are just two.
Parisian Sandwich chips (Sandwich Parisien).
Sandwich Parisien was a limited-edition chip flavour that came out around 2015. It was inspired by the butter and ham sandwich it was named after.
Basque pepper (Piment Basque)
French Lay’s came out with another special edition flavour called “piment basque” (basque pepper), essentially Espellette pepper.
Espelette is a mildly spicy pepper with a sweet and smoky flavour, named after the Basque region located in the western Pyrenees that straddles the border between France and Spain on the coast of the Bay of Biscay.
Pringles
Pringles needs no introduction here. Like Lay’s chips, Pringles is everywhere in France and comes in various flavours you’re familiar with, like sour cream and onions and pizza flavour. They also come out with some unique French potato chip flavours. Here are two of them.
Roast Beef and mustard chips
Like chicken-flavoured chips, beef flavour is a popular chip flavour in France. Pringles also has its own version of chicken chips.
Mushroom & cream chips
I think these are supposed to taste like cream of mushroom soup.
La Belle Truffe
La Belle Truffe, located in France’s Provence region, specializes in all sorts of
Summer truffle potato chips
Chips à la truffe d’éte
These artisanal chips are made with summer truffles and cracked black pepper. They are sold by a company called “Truffle Orchards of Rabasse” (Truffières de Rabasse), which specializes in truffles and other
Belsia: Upscale Chips
Belsia is a relatively new potato chip maker from France, which started up around 2016. French Chips from Belsia are what you would call artisanal chips.
They’re made from Létourville farm potatoes in the heart of Beauce. They’re hand-sorted, sliced, and cooked in small quantities in a cauldron, then lightly salted with Ile de Ré salt and seasoned. They’re gluten-free, preservative-free, artificial flavour-free, and palm oil-free.
Champagne vinegar Chips from Ardenne (with salt from Ile de Ré)
Vinaigre de champagne-Ardenne & sel de lîle de Ré.
Belsi really elevates the everyday chips with their upscale champagne vinegar and salt from the Île de Ré island, which is off the west coast of France and is known for its salt marshes and beaches. Unfortunately, these chips are a little hard to come by and usually show up at the outdoor market.
Wrapping up chips in France
The next time you take a trip to France, take a stroll down the chip Aisle and feast your eyes on all the unique and popular French chips available to locals. You don’t have to try them all, but try one just for the fun of it.
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