I’ll be honest — when it comes to snacking, I’ve never been a sweet person. Give me something salty every time. Ideally, a big, heaping bowl of ultra-crispy Canadian potato chips.
The flavours! The crunch! The saltiness! Positively divine. And because I consider myself nothing if not an intrepid journalist (particularly when food is involved), I figured it was time to settle the debate once and for all: which Canadian chips are the best?
The Canadian chip classics had to be in the mix, obviously — ketchup chips chief among them. They’ve been around since the mid-70s, born out of a broader flavour experiment (shoutout to the cherry, grape, and orange chippies that also came out of that era), and have since become completely synonymous with Canadian snacking — though the quality varies wildly depending on the brand.
I also threw in a few homegrown Canadian chip brands worth knowing: the well-seasoned Miss Vickie’s, the irresistibly crunchy Hardbite, classic all-dressed, and the polarizing Frito-Lay creation that is Hickory Sticks. I’m no fancy-schmancy food critic, but I take my Canadian chip ranking extremely seriously — so grab a bowl, get comfortable, and let’s get to the bottom of the bag together.
Hickory Sticks
Hostess Hickory Sticks in a grocery store.
Victoria Kuglin | MTL Blog
Are they inconvenient to eat? Yes. Do they leave behind ludicrous amounts of chip shrapnel? Also yes. Does any of this stop me from eating them at every opportunity? Absolutely not.
They’re smoky, crispy, and surprisingly easy to portion out (because I have zero self-control), but I really wish someone at Frito-Lay would sort out the packaging situation — few things are more devastating than cracking open a fresh bag only to find every stick has been pulverized into fine powder.
Flavour-wise, they’re basically perfect, but until technology catches up to maintain the structural integrity of these noble little potato sticks, I’ll probably keep looking elsewhere for my salty snack fix.
Score: 3.7/5
Miss Vickie’s Spicy Ketchup
Miss Vickie’s sweet and spicy ketchup chips.
Victoria Kuglin | MTL Blog
Miss Vickie’s is the very definition of homegrown. Founded in Ontario in the late 1980s, these kettle-cooked chips are free of artificial flavours, making them a healthier (and crunchier) alternative to the wafer-thin grocery-store brands lining most shelves.
Browsing Miss Vickie’s flavour lineup, this one caught my eye immediately. Ketchup chips don’t get more Canadian, but it was the added spice element that really piqued my curiosity. Ketchup isn’t usually my go-to, but a few bites of these zesty crunchables and I found myself seriously reconsidering that position.
“Spicy” might be a stretch, but they pack noticeably more bite than the original, nailing that balance between the sweetness of ripe tomatoes and a smoky kick on the back end that kept me coming back. The only problem? My husband hijacked my bowl before I could finish — despite my repeated protests of “I need these for research!”
Score: 4.5/5
Hardbite Smokin’ BBQ
Hardbite smoky BBQ chips in a bowl.
Victoria Kuglin | MTL Blog
Next, I took my mouth on a tour out West with Hardbite, a B.C.-based brand of all-natural, handcrafted-style crisps.
Like Miss V, Hardbite takes a firm stance against artificial flavours, which means each BBQ chip actually tastes like your favourite BBQ sauce — not some mysterious powdered alternative. The crunch is absolutely unparalleled, thanks to quality potatoes grown right here in Canada. I genuinely feel more patriotic tucking into a bowl of these sweet ‘n’ smoky snacks — and the healthier approach definitely made me feel better about going back for more.
Bonus points for playing the mental game too, Hardbite (and a special shout-out to the Apple Cider Vinegar flavour, which also completely blew my mind).
Score: 4.7/5
Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle
Miss Vickie’s spicy dill pickle chips.A bowl of Hardbite smoky BBQ potato chips next to a Hardbite bag
Victoria Kuglin | MTL Blog
Let’s get straight to it — these are just really damn good. All that delicious flavouring gets trapped on the chips’ contorted, irregular surface, giving you a bigger, more intense flavour bomb with every bite.
Speaking of bite, the spicy dill pickle version is a must-try for anyone after a more tongue-tingling experience. Tangy, tart, and with a true pickle flavour you’d previously only find in Eastern European delis and specialty grocery stores.
Score: 4.8/5
Ruffles All-Dressed
A Ruffles all-dressed potato chip.
Victoria Kuglin | MTL Blog
Finally, we arrive at the pinnacle of salty snackhood. Smaller brands may have pioneered this unhinged combination of BBQ, salt & vinegar, sour cream & onion, and ketchup, but it was Ruffles that sent this “toute garnie” flavour into the stratosphere.
No matter where your taste preferences lie, these chips have something to offer. The brand’s iconic rippled shape makes them perfectly suited to this high-potency flavour, trapping salt and seasoning in every crevice and delivering deliciousness straight to your mouth.
At this point, all-dressed chips have become as Canadian-coded as maple syrup, moose, and Ryan Gosling — which feels especially fitting, given that the actor is allegedly a big fan. The appetite for them has grown so much, in fact, that brands have started offering them south of the border too.
Score: 10/5 (listen, I make the rules)
Look, there’s probably no such thing as a bad Canadian chip — but there are definitely some that rise above the rest. Whether you’re team Miss Vickie’s, a Hardbite devotee, or someone who simply cannot be stopped at the all-dressed bag, one thing is clear: we Canadians really know how to do salty snacks.
Have I missed any? Let me know!
This article was originally published on Narcity.com
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
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