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The Best Chips For Tailgating Dips
By Kathleen Squires
Football season is in full swing, and any proper game day spread wouldn't be complete without the sport's official food mascots -- chips and dip. And although the average Joe can wax prolific on why he would never dunk a pita chip into onion dip or -- horrors -- smear a Pringle with guac, we've seen enough broken chips in our dip bowl to know that there's a science behind finding the perfect chip for every dip. So who better than a real food scientist to guide us in our search? As director of culinary technology for New York's French Culinary Institute (FCI), Dave Arnold develops, researches and teaches the latest trends in food technology and techniques, so we thought he'd be up to the task.
Arnold and his team of food science experts experimented with eight dips and eight chips, rating each combination on the essentials of a satisfying chips-n-dip experience: dip retention (read: the dip staying on the chip), chip breakage factor, crunch stability, and, last but not least, flavor. Their findings -- touchdowns and fumbles alike - follow.
Football season is in full swing, and any proper game day spread wouldn't be complete without the sport's official food mascots -- chips and dip. And although the average Joe can wax prolific on why he would never dunk a pita chip into onion dip or -- horrors -- smear a Pringle with guac, we've seen enough broken chips in our dip bowl to know that there's a science behind finding the perfect chip for every dip. So who better than a real food scientist to guide us in our search? As director of culinary technology for New York's French Culinary Institute (FCI), Dave Arnold develops, researches and teaches the latest trends in food technology and techniques, so we thought he'd be up to the task.
Arnold and his team of food science experts experimented with eight dips and eight chips, rating each combination on the essentials of a satisfying chips-n-dip experience: dip retention (read: the dip staying on the chip), chip breakage factor, crunch stability, and, last but not least, flavor. Their findings -- touchdowns and fumbles alike - follow.
Bill Brady for AOL
The Best Chips For Tailgating Dips
By Kathleen Squires
Football season is in full swing, and any proper game day spread wouldn't be complete without the sport's official food mascots -- chips and dip. And although the average Joe can wax prolific on why he would never dunk a pita chip into onion dip or -- horrors -- smear a Pringle with guac, we've seen enough broken chips in our dip bowl to know that there's a science behind finding the perfect chip for every dip. So who better than a real food scientist to guide us in our search? As director of culinary technology for New York's French Culinary Institute (FCI), Dave Arnold develops, researches and teaches the latest trends in food technology and techniques, so we thought he'd be up to the task.
Arnold and his team of food science experts experimented with eight dips and eight chips, rating each combination on the essentials of a satisfying chips-n-dip experience: dip retention (read: the dip staying on the chip), chip breakage factor, crunch stability, and, last but not least, flavor. Their findings -- touchdowns and fumbles alike - follow.
Bill Brady for AOL
Salsa
WINNER: No surprises here -- triangular tortillas are the perfect platform for salsa, primarily due to the chip's geometrical surface area. Plus, "corn and salsa is a classic flavor combination, period," says Arnold.
LOSER: Potato without ridges, both for low dip retention and high breakage factor -- not to mention that any guest would likely turn their nose up to this mismatched pair.
DIP TIPS: No matter what type of tortilla chip you chose, "thick salsa works best overall because of its viscosity," according to our panel. Though scoop-style tortillas scored highest on dip retention, Arnold points out that, "They can be like a ladle, and a watery salsa can make the scoop mealy in your mouth." Yuck!
Bill Brady for AOL
Onion Dip
WINNERS: We've got an upset! This classic dip -- usually whipped up from a pack of dried onion soup mix and sour cream -- is most often associated with salty potato chips, but our testing panel called out bagel and pita chips as the winners. Bagel chips scored high marks for dip retention, little breakage and great crunch factor. Pita chips stood out because "the wheatiness cuts the sweetness of the onion," Arnold says. Who knew?
LOSER: Despite their long-time standings as onion dip sidekicks, both regular and potato with ridges fell short due to a general lack of sturdiness (read: lots of broken chips).
DIP TIPS: Onion dip's flavor nuances were tricky to pair. Scoop tortillas, which crumbled easily, took last place.
Bill Brady for AOL
Hummus
WINNER: Pita chips, which stood up valiantly to the density of this thick chickpea dip. "It's a match made in the Middle East," Arnold says.
LOSER: Potato, without ridges. Here, the dip's density caused too much breakage.
DIP TIPS: Bagel chips came in a close second, and while many of us pair corn chips with hummus, Arnold observed that all tortillas produced a "chemical" flavor within the combination.
Bill Brady for AOL
Guacamole
WINNER: When it comes to guacamole, if the chip ain't broke, don't fix it. And that chip is the triangular tortilla, which received a near perfect score in all categories.
LOSER: Potato chips -- which have no doubt made their way into a bowl of guacamole by the end of countless parties -- don't mix well with this avocado-based dip. According to Arnold and his panel, the chemical reaction was off. "Guacamole can be high in acid," Arnold says. "Combine it with the oil in potato chips and the result tastes like poison." Yikes!
DIP TIPS: Guacamole had high retention rates on all chips, except potato. A pairing with a bagel chip was deemed "ashy."
Bill Brady for AOL
Bean
WINNERS: Pita and bagel, both of which weathered this dense dip admirably.
LOSER: Plantain, which left behind a "tea-like" residual taste, according to Arnold.
DIP TIPS: "Do not be afraid to adjust the texture of a dip like bean. Adding water can not only loosen a too-stiff dip, it improves dip retainability," Arnold determined. "Plus, a stiff bean dip is just not sexy."
Bill Brady for AOL
Cheese
WINNERS: Round tortilla, pita and bagel. Pita and bagel scored high for their durability, while the cheese virtually stuck to the round tortilla like a magnet.
LOSER: Potato with ridges lost points for brittleness.
DIP TIPS: Don't go too gourmet with cheese dip. "If you're going lowbrow, go all the way," Arnold suggests. "You get a great consistency with simply Velveeta, jalapeno and tomato."
Bill Brady for AOL
Spinach Artichoke
WINNER: Potato without ridges. This hearty dip's consistency was the surprise perfect match for what is widely considered the most popular chip.
LOSER: Pita, which the panel unanimously agreed, "added nothing" to the flavor of the dip.
DIP TIPS: As if you ever had any doubt, when it comes to dipping, not all potato chips are created equal. While its smooth counterpart took first place, the grooves in ridgy potato chips proved to be a soggy trap for this dip's high moisture content, resulting in a mealy mess.
Bill Brady for AOL
Cucumber Yogurt
WINNER: The particles of the cucumber yogurt combo clung nicely to the round tortilla.
LOSER: Plantain. "It just doesn't go well with anything, and it loses for strength, crunch and retainability," says Arnold. "This one was the worst of the bunch." Ouch!
DIP TIPS: One surprise finding: "Pita plus cucumber creates a powdery aftertaste," said a panel member.
OTHER FASCINATING FINDINGS:
•The deeper the bowl, the better for dipping
•Plantain chips -- which ranked lowest for any dip -- should be used only as a last resort
•Baked chips should be paired with fattier dips, like guacamole.
•Pita chips have a porous side and a flat side. Use the porous side for optimal dip retention.
•Bagel chips are a great "neutral canvas" for most dips.
•Salty chips can compensate for bland dips.
Bill Brady for AOL
