No Dipping Permitted

In our contemporary foodie culture, many common snacks have received artisanal updating. Ice pops are infused with herbs, hard candy is making a retro-inspired reappearance, and beef jerky—once the bane of convenience-store snackers—is more popular than ever. The simple chip is the latest to shed its homely image for the gourmet spotlight, as chip makers strive to enhance its not-so-subtle flavors. Some might quarrel that this is actually "Chip 3.0," recalling the ’90s boom in more natural and/or baked versions with oddly compelling flavors like Sea Salt & Vinegar. Either way, chips are now a staple of the upper scale palette.

Mountain Sweet Berry Farm Potato Chips: Union Square Greenmarket long-timer Rick Bishop of Mountain Sweet Berry Farm has won a following of food bloggers, chefs, and dedicated shoppers who regularly demonstrate their willingness to wait in the long lines that surround his stand. At the center of such a crowd, you’re likely to find samples of the Farm’s gourmet potato chips. These chips are homemade with potatoes that are a far cry from the classic Idaho; for example, the “Crunchy Indian” variety uses Ozette Indian fingerlings for minerally tang, and La Rattes give the “Pure Pleasure” flavor a floury, nutty base. Perfect for potato chip purists, these are definitely not destined for dipping.

Simply 7 Lentil Chips: The humble lentil is typically relegated to the realm of hearty-but-boring soups and stews. But the protein-packed superfood-in-hiding has received a crunchy upgrade from all-natural snack brand Simply 7. Doing away with the standard deep-fried potato slice, the Houston-based chip-maker uses lentil flour as the base for its line of low-fat lentil chips. Free of trans-fats and artificial flavors and colors, the chips also boast the added benefit of naturally high protein and iron content. Chips are available in sea salt, bruschetta, and creamy dill varieties, and Simply 7 recommends complementary dips for each. Lovers of all things Mediterranean might also savor the brand’s hummus chips.

Deano’s Jalapeños: Noting the rise in popularity of jalapeño-flavored potato chips, restaurant owner Doehne “Deano” Duckworth decided to take the potato out of the equation. So were born Deano’s Jalapeños, non-potato chips made of thin slices of actual jalapeño, deep-fried and dusted with sea salt or ranch or cheddar flavoring (okay, it’s not exactly detox material). In a comfortingly natural touch, the relative heat varies between batches based on the distinct qualities of each new crop. Touting his product as the only true jalapeño chip in the universe, Deano recommends the chips as a crunchy topper for sandwiches and soups, or as a standalone snack—we presume with, or after, a drink or three.