Chumpies 'n' Homegirls on Chips, Oh My!

[MarketStEl]

One of our fellow PhillieGulleteers had sought to start a discussion about locally produced potato chips by referencing three brands that you can find in many convenience stores in certain parts of Philadelphia: "Homegirls," "Chumpies" and "Rap Stars."

The first two brands feature packaging that depicts young African-American girls (on Homegirls) and boys (on Chumpies) in current street fashions. On the back of the bags are printed messages aimed at promoting responsible behavior and positive attitudes.

I don't know what's on the back of the Rap Stars bags, as I've never seen them up close and personal.

The poster also stated that s/he liked Herr's and Snyder's of Hanover chips as well.

In response to the initial call for discussion, I had posted the following:

"My recollection about the varieties you display here is that they're as much about marketing as they are about flavor.

"Chumpies and Homegirls have been around for some time now. I have this vague recollection that the Inquirer's Business section ran a feature on the fellow who came up with these lines back when they were first launched, and that one of the things he wanted to do with these brands was send positive messages to inner-city African-American youth. (And sure enough, I see you had highlighted the positive messages on the back of the Homegirls bag.)

"Though, to be fair, they do produce some really distinctive flavors, and have from the git-go. Those "Hot Honey BBQ" Chumpies chips are an example. I believe that Chumpies also had a jalapeno chip before jalapeno became all the rage as a chip flavor.

"But I don't think that the guy who owns the company that produces these lines makes the chips directly. I think he contracts with an established chip maker.

"As for Herr's, I refer you to the aside I put in my second foodblog about how the overwhelming local preference for Herr's mystifies me when Utz chips are also made right around here (Hanover is close enough, folks; that's where Snyder's is from, after all).

"There are some other, smaller regional brands (as the #4 selling brand in the country, I don't think we can call Utz "small" any more) that I recall make kickin' chips. Maybe mrbigjas can help jog my memory."

So now I'm throwing this back to you all to chew over, perhaps with some onion dip.

Edited to fix style.

Edited November 30, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[mrbigjas]

i read somewhere that something like 1/3 of all potato chips are made in this state, including that the big companies like frito-lay have plants here. where did i read this? the inquirer? anyone got a subscription that lets them search old articles? sounds like a rick nichols column to me.

[herbacidal]

i read somewhere that something like 1/3 of all potato chips are made in this state, including that the big companies like frito-lay have plants here.  where did i read this?  the inquirer?  anyone got a subscription that lets them search old articles?  sounds like a rick nichols column to me.

←

As mentioned, Utz and Snyder's are from Hanover, but that's farther from Philly than NYC, if not in distance and travel time, than definitely in mindset.

Are you sure that people in the area prefer Herr's to Utz?

I think it's just that Utz doesn't have the distribution here that Herr's has.

But the Hanover area is home to a lot of potato chip and pretzel producers who do not distribute in Philly. If I had to guess, I'd sa the farthest east they probably come is Oxford, PA.

[Greg Ling]

Anyone ever have the Georgie Woods chili cheese flavored chips?

Those were the sure shot.

[mrbigjas]

i read somewhere that something like 1/3 of all potato chips are made in this state, including that the big companies like frito-lay have plants here.  where did i read this?  the inquirer?  anyone got a subscription that lets them search old articles?  sounds like a rick nichols column to me.

←

ok i found a rick nichols column on good's potato chips from adamstown, 6/27/04.

that might have been the one. here's a quote from the 'atlas of popular culture in the northeastern US' at http://www.geography.ccsu.edu/harmonj/atlas/potchips.htm :

Not all potatoes are suitable for chipping, however.  [What makes a good chipping potato?} The premier chipping potato state is Pennsylvania  Although the state ranks only 13th in total potato output, 70 % of the acres in potatoes are in chipping potatoes and these potatoes go into $ 57 million worth of potato chips a year, highest in the nation (Penn State 1998).

so yeah, if you can find that 1998 penn state study, that must be what i read about.

so wait, what's the point here? chumpies? homegirls? or are we trying to come up with a catalogue of pennsylvania chips to look out for?

i love me some chips, oh yes i do.

[GlorifiedRice]

But the Hanover area is home to a lot of potato chip and pretzel producers who do not distribute in Philly.  If I had to guess, I'd sa the farthest east they probably come is Oxford, PA.

←

The Snyders lines are in every supermarket IVE been to and I live right outside of Philly. I dont see the specialty chips in 7-11 any longer though..

I must mention the Chocolate Covered Potato Chips from the oldest Chocolate Factory in the country. Ashers Chocolates in Souderton, Pa (1892)

They are delicious.

[mod*betty]

IBeing "from away" I was very impressed with the variety of "indie" chips in this area. At home in MA I did tend to seek out the same ilk (Granite State, Boyds, State Line, Humpty Dumpty....) so when I moved to DE/PA I felt like I hit pay dirt. I do recall when I worked in Boston there was a little corner market (spa, we'd call them) near my shop, which was just on the edge of a questionable part of town, and they had some chips that I had never seen anywhere else- little 25 cent bags of Soul Food flavored chips etc. I am going back there in a few weeks I will see what I can dig up!

Sinc the move I have always preferred Utz's over Herrs- they are just the perfect combo of salty and greasy, and I mean that in the best of ways. I tend to gravitate towards the Classic Kettle chip, am good pals with Grandma Utz, and absolutely devour the sweet potato chips they made/ still make? I try to limit my snacking so I rarely buy the large bags in the grocery store (lest I consume the entire thing) but I can tell you what convenience stores carry the snack sized bags of Utz (Royal Farms, 7-11) and which do not (Wawa). I also tend to pick up the little bags at the grocery store, at 25 cents a pop, I call that an affordable indulgence.

Speaking of which, while in the market this week I spied Good's chips in the handy snack size so I picked up a bag. Pretty tasty, and, you guessed it, they were fried in that dirty secret of an ingredient, lard....insert Homer Simpson sound effects here!

[lancastermike]

Potato chip selection is one of the few things in the culinary world that Lancaster has an edge over Philadelphia. In my local grocery store, just a plain old place not some gourmet market, I can get all the Utz and Herr’s varieties. But also, Good's, both the red and the blue bag kinds. Also one of my all time favorite lard chips, Diffenbachs. Another great lard chip is Stehman's which the favorite brand of my dad. Growing up I had not yet learned the magic of the lard chip and often told him I really did not like them. Now I know. Also such items as Kay and Rays which makes a wonderful dark chip. There are others that right now I am drawing a blank on. My local market also stocks Lay's and I just can't imagine how they sell any, but I know they do.

[I_call_the_duck]

i read somewhere that something like 1/3 of all potato chips are made in this state, including that the big companies like frito-lay have plants here.  where did i read this?  the inquirer?  anyone got a subscription that lets them search old articles?  sounds like a rick nichols column to me.

←

I dug up this article from the Inquirer from 1999. It's an interesting article, even if it is seven years old. It's about what the smaller companies must do to compete with Frito-Lay, which includes frying the chips in lard, creating new flavors, etc. But it also has some chip facts.

Pennsylvania has six regional potato-chip companies - a veritable embarrassment of potato chip riches, including Herr's, Utz, Martin's, Bon Ton, Bickel's and Snyder's of Hanover. They are clustered in the state's Potato Chip Belt, an area in the southeast quadrant of the state with quick access to the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

About 20 smaller companies in Pennsylvania also make chips, largely for local markets.

"You have more entrepreneurs in potato chips than other states," said Arvin Budge, a statistician and potato expert at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Lest anyone wonder, federal potato-market watchers won't say exactly what share of potato chip production occurs in Pennsylvania, or in any other state. But they will say Pennsylvania ranks first, followed by Texas (home to Frito-Lay) and California.

…

Pennsylvania chip-makers must play to their strengths to survive and maintain Pennsylvania's potato chip dominance in the Northeast.

It's only a short haul to Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York and Washington, all major markets. Companies can fry their chips and have them on store shelves within hours, allowing them to market their chips as fresher and premium quality without necessarily charging higher prices.

Frying chips in lard? Mmmm...porky goodness...

[MarketStEl]

My local market also stocks Lay's and I just can't imagine how they sell any, but I know they do.

←

Some peoples just ain't got no taste, Mike.

[rockhopper]

I love plain Utz. I can pass up Lay's or Herr's etc. (pringles are a crime against humanity) but put a bag of Utz near me and I'll show you an empty bag. I'm having extensive dental work being done right now and haven't had any for 6 weeks. I'm down 20lbs so Potato chips might have a down side

When I work in Central PA I come home with whatever lardy chips I can find. My wife like Gibble's a lot. I haven't seen any of the central pa chips around philly. Anyone know a local source? I'd like to try those Diffenbachs...

[mrbigjas]

Frying chips in lard?  Mmmm...porky goodness...

←

you don't know about this? it's pennsylvania tradition, yo. hie thee to a wawa and pick up a little bag of grandma utz's. they aren't the best lard-fried chips, but they'll give you the idea. next time i go upstate i'll score you some gibble's and maybe some red-bag good's, which are my families' favorites.

[mod*betty]

Frying chips in lard?  Mmmm...porky goodness...

←

you don't know about this? it's pennsylvania tradition, yo. hie thee to a wawa and pick up a little bag of grandma utz's. they aren't the best lard-fried chips, but they'll give you the idea. next time i go upstate i'll score you some gibble's and maybe some red-bag good's, which are my families' favorites.

←

Save your trip to wawa, as that is nothing but Herrs territory, you ain't gonna find an Utz at all...

[mrbigjas]

you don't know about this?  it's pennsylvania tradition, yo.  hie thee to a wawa and pick up a little bag of grandma utz's.

Save your trip to wawa, as that is nothing but Herrs territory, you ain't gonna find an Utz at all...

←

really? i had no idea. it all blends together when your brain is addled by pork-fried potatoes.

ok then, hie thee to a 7-11 or any gas station with a minimart and pick up a grandma utz's. or score a bag of herr's old fashioned at wawa. also lard cooked, also not the best.

or you know where you can get the red-bag good's? at reading terminal. the folks at hatfield farms and glick's salads sell good's re-bagged into baggies for like a dollar.

Edited December 1, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[philadining]

I've always felt that it was a major failing of Wawas to not carry Utz. But I forget it too, and occasionally pop in and stare blankly at the wall of Herrs and Frito Lay products, then slink away despondently.

I think I've whined about this before, but I've been undergoing a personal crisis lately, as the yellow-bag Utz waffle chips are increasingly hard to find. Utz says they still make them, but I think they're getting elbowed-off the shelves by some of the new weird flavor chips. I haven't been able to find them in a while, and it's negatively impacting my chip habits, and therefore, my general view of the world. Sorry, the blue-bag thin rippley ones don't do it for me...

I've been resorting to Martin's waffle chips, and they're pretty good, but it's not the same.

[mrbigjas]

  Sorry, the blue-bag thin rippley ones don't do it for me...

you know what utz makes in a blue bag that rocks? 'carolina bbq' flavor. one of my favorite flavored chips.

i love utz. they're my favorite (non lard) chips.

[I_call_the_duck]

Frying chips in lard?  Mmmm...porky goodness...

←

you don't know about this? it's pennsylvania tradition, yo. hie thee to a wawa and pick up a little bag of grandma utz's. they aren't the best lard-fried chips, but they'll give you the idea. next time i go upstate i'll score you some gibble's and maybe some red-bag good's, which are my families' favorites.

←

Save your trip to wawa, as that is nothing but Herrs territory, you ain't gonna find an Utz at all...

←

Gee, so much to learn about this here state. I may have to do a chip comparison somewhere in the distant future.

I've occasionally seen Utz at the Dollar Stores, specifically, the one on 16th and Chestnut.

[cdh]

I have to add another thumbs up for the Grandma Utz... Tasty good stuff. Good that we Pennsylvanians, with our absurd blessing of crispy potato options, are taking notice and appreciating what we've got.

[rockhopper]

  Sorry, the blue-bag thin rippley ones don't do it for me...

you know what utz makes in a blue bag that rocks? 'carolina bbq' flavor. one of my favorite flavored chips.

i love utz. they're my favorite (non lard) chips.

←

Yes. When I don't get the plain Utz the flavored one I'd get is the carolina bbq. I don't like "regular" bbq chips but these are different.

[lancastermike]

I have to add another thumbs up for the Grandma Utz...  Tasty good stuff.  Good that we Pennsylvanians, with our absurd blessing of crispy potato options, are taking notice and appreciating what we've got.

←

Grandma Utz are good chips and are widely available. But the combination of potatoes, lard, and salt is best explored with some of the smaller brands. My wife likes Gibbles. As stated above, those Dieffenbachs are my artery clogging chip of choice.

I believe PA to be the center of the lard chip universe. And for that I am grateful.

[mod*betty]

I have to add another thumbs up for the Grandma Utz...  Tasty good stuff.  Good that we Pennsylvanians, with our absurd blessing of crispy potato options, are taking notice and appreciating what we've got.

←

Grandma Utz are good chips and are widely available. But the combination of potatoes, lard, and salt is best explored with some of the smaller brands. My wife likes Gibbles. As stated above, those Dieffenbachs are my artery clogging chip of choice.

I believe PA to be the center of the lard chip universe. And for that I am grateful.

←

"Pennsylvania, center of the lard chip universe"

I sense a marketing opportunity here... I know my husband for one would wear a tee shirt on stage with that saying on it!

[MarketStEl]

I've always felt that it was a major failing of Wawas to not carry Utz. But I forget it too, and occasionally pop in and stare blankly at the wall of Herrs and Frito Lay products, then slink away despondently.

I think I've whined about this before, but I've been undergoing a personal crisis lately, as the yellow-bag Utz waffle chips are increasingly hard to find.  Utz says they still make them, but I think they're getting elbowed-off the shelves by some of the new weird flavor chips.  I haven't been able to find them in a while, and it's negatively impacting my chip habits, and therefore, my general view of the world.  Sorry, the blue-bag thin rippley ones don't do it for me...

I've been resorting to Martin's waffle chips, and they're pretty good, but it's not the same.

←

Hmmmm. Now that you mention this:

I wonder whether the "overwhelming preference for Herr's" I mentioned in my foodblog might not be because they have a hammerlock on the convenience-store distribution channels in this area?

I'm fortunate enough to live just down the block from a convenience store that does carry Utz. Certainly when there's a special on Utz chips at either of the supermarkets I shop, they can't keep 'em on the shelves.

  Sorry, the blue-bag thin rippley ones don't do it for me...

you know what utz makes in a blue bag that rocks? 'carolina bbq' flavor. one of my favorite flavored chips.

i love utz. they're my favorite (non lard) chips.

←

Second your overall opinion of Utz, James, and of the Carolina Bar-B-Q chips with their vinegary kick.

A bonus for those watching their sodium intake: Utz regular chips are pretty low in sodium -- 95 mg per one-ounce serving, the same as for Herr's "Lightly Salted" and lower than any other major brand's regular chips. (No need to reprise the bit of false modesty that is the statement on the back of the bag explaining why their chips are so low in sodium.)

[KatieLoeb]

The Kay and Ray's Dark Potato Chips (far right, third bag down) are hands down the tastiest chips I've ever had. Really potato-ey, and made even tastier by the extra cooking. Lardy chips at their finest. Not too salty to my taste, although I confess I'm too busy stuffing them in my mouth by the fist full to read the nutritional info on the side of the bag. Does anyone read the label info on the side of the bag on snack foods??

Worth the occasional hour and change drive out toward Lancaster to find them. I always bring several bags home that last shamefully too short a time in the pantry.

[JanMcBaker]

I'm nuts for Utz--- especially Grandma Utz's lard fried chips. Which is why I only buy them in the 25 cent bags-- otherwise a single portion for me would be one of those larger bags!

[lancastermike]

The Kay and Ray's Dark Potato Chips (far right, third bag down) are hands down the tastiest chips I've ever had.  Really potato-ey, and made even tastier by the extra cooking.  Lardy chips at their finest.  Not too salty to my taste, although I confess I'm too busy stuffing them in my mouth by the fist full to read the nutritional info on the side of the bag.  Does anyone read the label info on the side of the bag on snack foods?? 

Worth the occasional hour and change drive out toward Lancaster to find them.  I always bring several bags home that last shamefully too short a time in the pantry.

←

Just yesterday I was at the market and walked the chip aisle. I saw Kay and Rays amongst others. It does seem that Dieffenbachs is expanding their sales area. Used to be there was one and one place only in Lancaster that had them. I saw them in the Stauffers store yesterday. Perhaps they will head your way next.

Maybe we can work something out were I would send you guys all sorts of chips and you can send me stuff that Lancaster does not have. like cheese from DiBruno Brothers