Some of us appreciate the seasonal tastes of the season, like your pumpkin beers and cinnamon-steeped fruit bakes. But as the end-of-year holidays approach, the ambition of these seasonally-specific snacks increases significantly. Case in point: The British-based Iceland grocery chain has just released these holiday-themed crisps (which we know as potato chips): “Luxury Christmas Tree Flavour Salted Hand-Cooked Crisps.”
The Daily Mail reports: “Part of a range that also includes ‘pigs in blankets’ and ‘lobster cocktail’, the most avant-garde of the range—the tree—hasn’t gone down particularly well on social media.” The crisps use the oil from real pine needles to help get that unique Christmas tree flavor. Some point out that pine nuts are a popular add to salads and soups and dishes like pesto—but how far does that piney love go? Enough to look at a Christmas tree and think, “delicious”? Maybe if these crisps had been released in November or something, but on October 8, they’re a little difficult to fathom.
Still, while these snacks are undoubtedly an unusual taste sensation, it appears that fun, festive crisps are a U.K. holiday hallmark: