As Reyner Banham refers in his essay “The Crisp at the Crossroads”, crisps are among the triumphs of progressive technology. When George Crum in 1853 invented them for a customer of his that kept sending his crisps back because they were soft and not crunchy enough; he never imagined that crisps would become an everyday habit of people around the world.
Later on when airtight bags were invented, crisps started being mass produced by factories and were sent for consuming around the world. They started off by Crum in 1853 being thin slices of potatoes that were fried and served with salt as their topping and are now two centuries later served with – only God knows how many flavors and toppings exist.
Nowadays the crisp companies of each country produce their own special flavors that have to do with the countries region and popularity of a certain flavor or ingredient. For example in Cyprus and Greece oregano is a very popular ingredient that is being used a lot and so crisps were made in Cyprus and Greece with oregano flavor and in Italy with pizza flavor. Flavors keep on expanding dramatically and there doesn’t seem to be a stop in this whole process because it is profitable.
The last few years advertising means helped a lot to their promoting and got crisps into our houses literary. The fact that they have an attractive packaging, there are so many flavors, come in “light” packages and are probably the cheapest snack in the market that can be served for any occasion helped to their promotion.
The sense that a small synthetic appetizer, side dish or snack can really be bad for our health never crosses our minds until we give it a good thinking. Even if it does cross our minds crisps can also be found in “light” packages with less fat, energy, proteins and so on. But for a potato to become a crisp means that it goes through a non-natural process which is frying in oil. Each packet of crisps contains at least one to one and a half table spoons cooking oil which is bad for our health if we consume it in large quantities every day and most of the times more than once per day.
Crisps can become a bad habit for ones health and especially in the times that we live now. Many people spend most of their time sitting on a couch basically doing nothing special, just watching TV and eating junk food because they can’t be bothered to get up and make a decent meal to eat. Crisps have made things even worse for “couch potatoes” health. They can be found in either small convenient packages or big family packs and are easy to carry around with you and that the reason why people eat them as a part of their daily fast food meals.
Crisps are “synthetic” potatoes, which can be a bad habit for ones health if they are consumed on a daily basis; but on the other hand they are a convenient snack, side dish or appetizer that can be served for many occasions. Next time we are all faced with a packet of crisps in a supermarket we should think twice before buying them.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteEvantia, I like the fact that you have started your essay by mentioning one phrase from the essay we have studied and you analyze this quote in different ways. Is also very interesting the plan that you have used to write your response essay. You started by mentioning the historical background of chips and how chips are view today. What I have never thought about it is that chips are made based on our cultural and in our countries region which is a good idea of researching this issue more in your essay because this mean that chips are successful because are created by our diet preference that the majority has. Another interesting point that you make is to force us to think about what we are buying twice because even though chips are delicious are unhealthy.
ReplyDeleteHowever I believe that your essay it would be more attractive if you have included why George Cram invented chips and not something else and why people even though they know that are unhealthy they still buying them. Is it because of the commercials and the way chips are promoted, or because we don't have time for thinking all the bad things about chips?
Evanthia, what I liked the most in your introductory paragraph is that you mention how the idea of crisps firstly came up. That captured my interest and made me want to keep reading your essay. You did not fail my expectations because in the next paragraphs you give a nice description of how the crisp industry evolved with the invention of airtight bags and the constant addition of new flavours in each country individually. Interestingly, in your essay you are not limited only in providing information about how crisps came out to be the way we know them today, but you also mention the risks of crisps’ overconsumption. You also refer to advertising methods used to promote crisps and that advertisements can be misleading by labeling some crisps as “light”. I also liked the connection you make in the penultimate paragraph with crisps and peoples’ modern way of living, by referring to fast food and “couch potatoes”. However, I would also prefer if you mention in that paragraph that even people who avoid living the modern way of life sometimes tempt themselves in consuming crisps. People who follow a healthy diet, when watching a single movie for example, are carried away in consuming crisps affected by their desire for a quick snack. In the last paragraph, you revise both the pros and cons of crisps by making it clear at the end that people are not benefited in their health by consuming crisps.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra, I do mention why George Crum invented crisps right at the beginning of my essay but not very much in detail.
ReplyDeleteIt is because George worked as a chef at a restaurant where a customer kept returning his crisps back because they were soft and not crunchy enough for him. So George in order to please him got a potato cut it in thin slices and fried them so they would become crunchy.
But thank you anyway I will have your comment in mind when I revize my essay.
Evanthia,I liked what you mentioned in your introductory paragragh.You had some research for the historical background of crisps.It was interesting for us to know how crisps are invented. Then, you mentioned again that " when airtight bags were invented, crisps started being mass produced by factories and were sent for consuming around the world," sometning we didn't know. Interestingly,you mentioned how crisps were invented, but also to consider the risks if we had a package of crisps in front of us. For instance, you said that crisps become a bad habit in health especially today, and that "couch potatoes" become an easy snack for our fast food meals. Also, you mentioned to the advertising of crisps as "light" packages with many flavours,that is the bast promotion helped for those who produced them.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I would prefer if you mentioned in one paragraph more sbout the reasons of having crisps in our life.Even if they are a bad habit, why are they still being used nowdays? All in all, it was nice the way you ended your last paragaraph.You said that crisps are "synthetic potatoes"that at the one hand are unhealthy, and on the other hand is a convenient snack that can be served any time. This is the only truth,so we should think more if we had plenty flavours of crisps in front of us to eat.
Hi Evanthia;
ReplyDeleteIndustrial world has brought with itself, variety and comfort. It is developing and people have to accept and adopt themselves to it .One of the things that has been become industrialised is food .for instance, crisps are one of them. As you mentioned in the assay, because more than one century people are using crisps, we face with these three subject changing the form of use , misuse, and unhealthy .
For beginning in introduction there is useful information about process of crisps from potato to crunchy which has formed in many shapes. In addition there are variety flavours and ingredients that you said in second paragraph.
Furthermore, it holds too much profit. Many factories prepared chips in different taste to encourage people to taste. In addition they use advertisements to attract children to buy them. Also the form of package is attractive enough to force them to buy.AS they are attractive and ready to use it cause people to be lazy.
Finally, you have mentioned it is harmful for health. Crisps are prepared in too much oil. 100 grams of boiled potatoes has 100 calories but when it fries it becomes 500 calories .Further more synthetic taste that are added to crisp cause gastric dieses .
I believe, your assay shows well some problems that we face with them today.
Dear Evanthia,
ReplyDeleteFirstly, you started you are introductory paragraph with the authors view and some historical information that provide to the readers further knowledge about crisps. Also, you raise up when were invented and how are came up. Furthermore, I like that you mention also advertisement which is the reason that expand all over the world. You achieved to elaborate the topic well and you arrange the points clearly and comprehensibly that crisps are unhealthy. In conclusion, I like the fact that you give to the readers’ advice that they should be think before they will buy a pack of crisps. It would be better if you add some linking words. Despite all, you have a good structure and good thoughts.
Dear Evanthia,
ReplyDeleteyou started your indrtotction by giving us historical informations about crips and you force the readers to keep reading it as it's interesting for the readers to know how crips are invented. The main body of your essay you elaborate it very well as you make us think before we buy crips. I have to mention that it wasn't easy topic to response on it and you achieved. In conclusion you characterized crips as "sunthetic" potatoes and it's memorable for the readers.
At the end you revise very well the pros and cons of crips and you gave advise to the readers for a second thought. In revising your essay it will be perfect enough so to be in the newspaper of the university.
Well done.
Evanthia I liked your essay and I found it very interesting. First of all I liked the fact that in your introduction you did mentioned how and why crisps were invented. This draw my attention as a reader because although I “interact” with crisps a lot, I didn't know the history of them. Secondly I would also like to mentioned that I liked the way you compared the development of crisps back in previous years with the development of crisps in the present ( in previous years they had only one flavor and now there are too many flavors). Also I think that your essay was well structured since you have put both positives ( cheapest snack food, attractive package etc) and negatives things of crisps (unhealthy, oily etc). Another positive thing in your essay, is that you suggested things like: avoiding crisps or think twice before buying them. Furthermore I liked the term “coach potatoes” that you used, it made your essay even more pleasant to read because the particular phrase on itself its funny. The only suggestion that I have to make on your essay is that it might be easier for the reader if you write smaller sentences in order to help the him or her to follow and develop a coherence between the sentences of your essay.
ReplyDelete