Potato Fries for Beer Drinkers

Monday is back again.  How does it creep up so quickly week after week?  Friday afternoon rolls around, work ends, I blink, and it's Monday morning again.   Today I packed my lunch and ate it at my desk, but still needed to get out of the office for a bit.  With Macy's and Ross right across the street, I can do some major retail damage on "just a break from the office", but today I needed a few things at Long's, our local drug store.  That's when this unique treat caught my eye!  They're potato fries - ever heard of them?  Not I!

As the label proudly professes, they're selected specifically for a beer drinkers enjoyment.  So I grabbed a six pack and went back to work... just kidding!  

The packaging sure is fun!  Is that Big Bird chasing a detective, who's chasing a teenager, who's chasing a man in a tie wearing tennis shoes?!

They're tomato ketchup flavored, which is good with me.  Have you ever tried ketchup on your chips?  I highly recommend it.

Here they are...

Before we dive right into the description, let me tell you that I gave up french fries for Lent.  Of course, this thought didn't cross my mind until I was ready to take a bite.  My office roomie is also Catholic so I traded her a Potato Fry for her opinion on the matter.  We agreed that they are not actually "french fries" since they're dried, crunchy, and sold in a bag in the drug store, they're more like chips.  God won't be mad at me unless I break my promise of not eating potatoes that have been properly cut, fried in greasy fat, and highly salted.  

That being said, these odd little "fries" are good!  They're not hollow, as I expected them to be, but solid through.  They have a crinkle cut-like exterior, does that make sense?  The flavoring does indeed taste like ketchup in a very good way.  They're not too messy on your fingers, like Cheetos or Doritos.  

As we must do in Hawaii, I asked myself "Where in the world (literally) are Potato Fries from"?  My guess was Japan... (annoying buzzer sound) wrong!  They're from the Philippines.  After a little online research I've learned that there are other flavors: Plain Salted and Cheese Flavor.  The brand, Oishi, even has a facebook page!  None of which is in English :)

Let me know if you've heard of, or tried, these lovely little snacks, provided that you haven't given them up for Lent :)