Chip Shot†

Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2007 — Is there any food more perfect than the potato chip? A single thin slice contains the three primary food groups: salt, fat and crunchiness. Its very simplicity makes it irresistible. Since its humble origins in 1853, the potato chip has exploded in popularity, becoming America's favorite salty snack, with more than $6 billion in annual sales and 40% of the market. But not content to leave well-enough alone, America's snack mavens have broken out their spice racks, unsheathed their vegetable peelers, and fired up their deep-fryers in a desperate race to increase sales and be the last chip standing.