Essentials: Grippo's Bar-B-Q Chips, Cincinnati, Ohio
More than just a snack
Ohio is home to more potato chip manufacturers than any other state except Pennsylvania. In Cincinnati, Grippo’s Bar-B-Q Chips are the chips. The packaging looks like it hasn’t changed since snack magnate Emma Grippo introduced them in 1959. The powdery seasoning—which you can buy—sticks to your fingers and coats your tongue, balancing smoky sweetness and vinegary heat. And these chips are more than just a snack. Cincinnatians use them as a versatile ingredient, crumbling them over hot dogs, layering them on sandwiches, and baking them into pans of mac ‘n’ cheese. I like them on the Bee Sting pulled pork sandwich at Bee’s Barbecue in Madisonville. —Dann Woellert
Dann Woellert is a Cincinnati food etymologist who often ponders how many hard boiled eggs should go into a pot of Cincinnati Mock Turtle Soup. He curates the blog Dann Woellert the Food Etymologist and has written four books about Cincinnati’s weird regional foods.
Kevin Necessary is a freelance illustrator and editorial cartoonist. He is currently the editorial cartoonist for The Cincinnati Enquirer. His cartoons are syndicated by GoComics, and his cartoons have been published in a variety of publications such as The Week and Politico. A Cincinnati native, Kevin will fight to the death defending Cincinnati chili. He lives with his wife, Julie, and three cats, Huckleberry, Grayson, and Bonnie.