Food Paper Feedback and Reflection

The prospect of doing a paper based on taste tests done in class seemed really interesting initially. It took a little more preparation to begin this paper than I thought it would. Aside from the actual taste-testing, it was also necessary to look up information such as background, history, statistics, and nutrition facts about potato chips, especially for use in my introduction. I was interested to see where the subject and my research would take me. However, I did have trouble finding a good way to start my paper, as well as how to organize it. I found it to be quite frustrating. Once I did get into it, I found that I enjoyed being able to use a lot of personal voice and casual humor in expressing my opinion on the potato chips, particularly in the paragraph where I discussed the Baked! chip. I found it was really evident in my conclusion as I sort of slid my verdict into a discussion of a preference for pretzels over potato chips. That's something that I found I still liked when I reread my draft. I liked my descriptions and distinctions between the different chips besides the personal voice, although I could definitely have more detail. I tried to use various techniques for my introduction such as questions and background information. I also found that my transitions could be improved upon. I ended up adding the second smaller paragraph of my introduction that discussed the Frito-Lays company in an attempt to make it smoother. My partner, Eric, gave me advice that really helped me reevaluate and revise my draft, namely my introduction. He pointed out that I didn't really promise anything or outline my goal of writing, nor did I have a solid thesis. I used that information to reevaluate my introduction, as shown in my other post. Overall, I believe this was a positive experience in improving my ability to reflect and revise my work.

All That and a Bag of Chips

                How often do you think about your favorite potato chip? Not just the flavor, but the brand. Can you tell the difference? Come to think of it, how different would your life be if there wasn't such a variety of chips in modern society? Okay, maybe not that different. There might be one less aisle in the store. Unless you work in the potato chip industry, perhaps in a factory. Potato chip companies and their variety of products are a testament to how much potato chips have changed in the past 157 years of their existence. I doubt that George Crum thought that his accidental creation for that one unsatisfied customer in Saratoga Spring's Moon Lake Lodge  all those years ago would become such a phenomenon.

               

                Companies like Frito-Lay make a variety of potato chip products. They offer different flavors, such as sour cream and onion or BBQ, and dips as well. In addition, they make the classic potato chip with different ingredients and different methods. Every product comes with a bucket full of claims and guarantees. Well, how do you figure out which is really the best? You try them of course!

               

                In my journey for the truth about one of the world's most popular munchie foods, I tried four different types of plain potato chips, all with the Frito-Lay brand name: Classic, Baked!, Natural, and Light. Lay's Classic potato chip is just what its name states, the sort of chip anyone who doesn't live under a rock has tried. You can taste the overwhelming saltiness the moment you bite into one. It cracks into little flaky shards that get stuck in my teeth. They have a grainy texture and leave grease and clinging grains of salt all over my fingers. After I'm done digging the remnants out of my teeth, I move onto the Lay's Light Original. The bag boasts about being "all the taste, half the calories." It's true, it seems just like the Classic. I notice it's a little less grainy and greasy, but just as salty.  A little disappointed, I move onto the Lay's Baked! Original. Obviously, they're supposedly baked. I take a bite and am taken by surprise. It somehow seems a lot lighter than the other two and not as greasy or grainy or salty. It has a loud, appetizing "crunch" to it. However, without the salt, it seems that it doesn't have much flavor. The anticipation has built for the final kind, Natural. It's similar to Baked! in that it's different from Classic and Light. However, it seems as though it tastes more potato-ey, making it less plain than the Baked! Its a bit thicker and a little chewy. With all my observations made, it was time to make a decision.

                Now, here's the kicker. I'm not really a fan of potato chips. It's not that I can't tolerate them, they just aren't what I gravitate towards at the snack table. I'm more of a pretzel person. So why did I do this ludicrous evaluation? I don't want to get into it. But I did it and a choice had to be made. The final verdict? Lay's Natural. I enjoyed the potato-ey taste and the thick, chewiness. I don't like a lot of grease or salt or being stabbed in the gums with tiny potato chip shards. So there it is. Lay's Natural is officially all that and a bag of chips, or at least by a pretzel person's standards.