World's most expensive potato chips are offered by a Swedish Brewery

Starting from the premise that an exclusive beer requires an exclusive snack, the Swedish brewery St. Eriks prepared a beautifully designed box containing 5 hand-made potato chips (of course from potatoes planted and harvested by hand as well).

October 26, 2016

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St Eriks Brewery

An exclusive beer requires an exclusive snack - that was the thought of the the Swedish brewery St. Eriks:

"Ever since the birth of our India Pale Ale we have had a troubling feeling that something was missing. And as time has passed by, we’ve slowly come to realize that the feeling has been justified. "

" Because doesn’t a first class beer – like ours – deserve a world-class snack to match it?"

"Well, of course it does."

"So, together with the Swedish National Culinary Team, we decided to do something about it."

"These are not just any potato chips. These are the most exclusive potato chips in the world – or a snack worthy of our India Pale Ale, if you prefer."

Just have a look at the ingredients. The potatoes in particular of course...

Matsutake

Matsutake mushrooms

With a taste similar to that of mature cheese, matsutake is one of the world’s most sought-after species of mushrooms.

The matsutake in the chips comes from pine forests in the northern region of Sweden and was picked by hand using cotton gloves in order to preserve their quality.

Truffle Seaweed

Ascophyllum nodosum

As the name suggests, truffle seaweed has a flavor reminiscent of truffles. The seaweed grows in the form of small tufts on the brown alga known as Ascophyllum nodosum, which is only found in cold tidal waters.

The seaweed used in the world’s most expensive chips comes from the waters around the Faroe Islands.

Crown Dill

To achieve the distinctive dill flavor, the creators of the chips investigated varieties of Swedish crown dill.

The crown dill used was hand-picked on the Bjäre Peninsula in southern Sweden and selected for its fresh, yet powerful flavor.

Leksand Onion

For a balanced onion flavor, we used the much sought-after Leksand onion, a specific variety of the onion family that grows just outside the small Swedish town Leksand.

One reason for its excellent flavor may be the fact that the onions are always planted on the eighteenth of May and harvested on the tenth of August, whatever the weather.

India Pale Ale Wort

During the process of brewing beer, the barley malt is converted into a sweet aromatic liquid known as wort.

To add a hint of sweetness to the chips, freeze-dried wort was added, of the kind normally used to brew St. Eriks India Pale Ale.

Ammarnäs Potatoes

'The Potato Hill' in Ammarnäs, just outside the polar circle. The only reason potatoes can be grown this far North is because the slope faces South and and is mostly built up out of rocks, that trap the heat.

The potato in the chips comes from the potato hillside in Ammarnäs, a steep, stony slope in a south-facing location where almond potatoes are cultivated in very limited numbers.

The slope is difficult for modern agricultural machines to access, which means that all potatoes are planted and harvested by hand.

St Eriks Chips close-up

The chips were created in collaboration with the prominent Swedish chef Pi Le.

Chef Pi Le:

“All of the chips have been made by hand.”

“It took a delicate touch, a finely honed sense of taste and time to ensure that each chip would achieve a perfect balance between the various ingredients.”

“The taste is a very Scandinavian one. … Most people recognize potatoes and onions, but what stands out is the quality. All of the ingredients are of a stature that not many will have tried before.”

“These chips are an excellent accompaniment to craft beer, or simply enjoyed on their own.”

The 100 boxes available - each containing just five handmade chips - were sold out in no time even though they were priced at 'just' 499 Krones (56 USD).

Unclear is if they will produce another batch...