Chips and dip

Chips and dip – crab dip and potato chips
A bowl of chile con queso served with tortilla chips as an appetizer in a Tex-Mex restaurant

Chips and dip are a food of chips or crisps served with dips. Chips used include potato chips, tortilla chips,[1] corn chips, bean chips, vegetable chips, pita chips,[2] plantain chips[3] and others. Crackers are also sometimes used.[4] The dish gained significant popularity in the United States in the 1950s. National Chip and Dip Day occurs annually in the U.S. on March 23.

History

United States

The popularity of chips and dip significantly increased in the United States during the 1950s, beginning circa 1954, due to changes in styles of entertaining in the suburbs and also due to a Lipton advertising campaign based upon using Lipton's instant dehydrated onion soup mix to prepare dip.[1][4] The advertising campaign occurred on television and in supermarket display advertising, and promoted mixing the soup mix with sour cream or cream cheese to create a dip, to be served with potato chips or crudités.[1] This dip began to be called California Dip.[4] The advertising campaign realized significant success, and new, similar dip products were quickly developed thereafter.[1] During this time, unique platters designed for chips and dip service were created that allowed for the containment of several types of chips, and service variations were devised that included serving the dip in hollowed-out bread or fruit.[4]

Chips and dip are a popular food during the annual Super Bowl game in the United States.[5] Eighty-five percent of Americans eat potato chips.[6][7]

With corn-based chips

Chips and salsa, typically served using tortilla or corn chips, is a common type of chips and dip that gained significant popularity in the United States in the late 1980s.[1] Chips and guacamole, also typically served with corn-based chips is another type, as well as chips and bean dip.[5] Seven-layer dip and tortilla chips is another corn-based chip combination,[2] as is chile con queso, an appetizer or side dish of melted cheese and chili pepper typically served in Tex-Mex restaurants as a sauce for nachos.

Double-dipping

Eating chips and dip

The behavior of double-dipping involves consuming chips and dip, taking a bite of the chip, and then re-dipping it into a dip.[8] In March 2013, Tostitos, a U.S. brand of tortilla chips and dips, hired Ketchum communications agency to perform a survey concerning double dipping that polled over 1,000 Americans.[8] The survey found that 46% of male participants double-dip at a party, compared to 32% of females.[8] 54% stated that they would not consume dip after seeing another person double-dip, and 22% stated that they did not care.[8] 25% stated that they would verbally object to a person caught double-dipping.[8]

A study performed by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Clemson University found that three to six instances of double-dipping "would transfer about 10,000 bacteria from the eater’s mouth to the remaining dip," which corresponds with "about 50-100 bacteria from one mouth to another, in every bite."[9] The study concluded with the recommendation that double-dipping should be curtailed, along with tips to prevent it from occurring.[9]

Double-dipping in popular culture

Double-dipping was used as a plot point in the Seinfeld episode The Implant.[10] One of the main characters, George, argues at a funeral reception with his girlfriend's brother when he is accused of double-dipping a chip. This episode inspired a segment on MythBusters, where the hosts tested how much bacteria, if any, is transferred during the process, finding that there is a transfer but the normal pre-existing bacteria level in the dip dwarfs the impact.

National Chip and Dip Day

National Chip and Dip Day occurs in the United States annually on March 23.[11][6][12] Tostitos-brand tortilla chips, a major U.S. brand, observed the day in 2015 by providing coupons for free dip for interested customers named "Chip".[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McWilliams, M. (2012). The Story Behind the Dish: Classic American Foods. Greenwood. pp. 188–189. ISBN 978-0-313-38509-4.
  2. 1 2 Tal, R. & Houston, J. (2012). Fresh: New Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes from the Award-winning Fresh Restaurants. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-118-05690-5.
  3. ↑ Neil, Denise (February 12, 2015). "Review: Taste and See offers Wichita a global change of pace". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Adamson, M.W.; Segan, F., eds. (2008). Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 303. ISBN 978-0-313-08689-2.
  5. 1 2 "Tips on picking the right chips and dip". KOMO-TV. September 27, 2010. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Esbenshade, Claudia (March 24, 2015). "Hey Chip! Monday was National Chip and Dip day". LNP. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Grocery Store Traffic Booms for Super Bowl Sunday". KOLR. February 1, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Harris, Jenn (March 21, 2013). "A lesson in double-dipping for National Chip and Dip day". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  9. 1 2 Jarvie, Michelle (February 3, 2014). "Double dipping dangers". Michigan State University Extension. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ Dickson, Brian (October 28, 2002). "Seinfeld Scripts - The Implant". Seinfeld Scripts. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  11. ↑ Wierks, Kylee (March 23, 2015). "Tostitos celebrates National Chip and Dip Day by giving away free dip, sort of". WXIN. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
  12. ↑ Deschenes, S. (2014). Eat the Year: 366 Fun and Fabulous Food Holidays to Celebrate Every Day. Running Press Book Publishers. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-7624-5094-7.
  13. ↑ "Tostitos Gives Free Dip to Everyone Named Chip". Atlanta Leader. March 24, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.

Further reading

External links

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