What is it? Chip-On-a-Stick
Okay, but whas IS it? Seattle friends, do you remember the short-lived but insanely delicious pornado, a spiralized deep fried potato on a stick sold by a single shop in the University District which sadly went out of business nary two weeks after opening?
Well. It's. Back.
And just as Lord Voldemort had to stay in hiding whilst regaining his strength to fight Harry Potter, so too has the "pornado" apparently begun to rebuild itself in quiet, unassuming Cape Town.
For my non-Seattle friends, Chip-On-a-Stick (or should I say pornado?! Yeah, I'm on to you buddy) is a big long wooden dowel with a thickly-cut, spiral-sliced, deep-fried, potato wrapped around it. It is, essentially, home made potato chips... on a stick (because doesn't everything good in life come on a stick?) After frying it before your very eyes, the lovely staff offers you a variety of seasoning salts to choose from - everything from chutney, to barbecue, to peri-peri, which is a spicy Southern African pepper. After asking for some recommendations, I settled on the US favorite of salt and vinegar.Yummm.
What circumstances led to heaven on a stick? My mom and I spent the afternoon at the aquarium in Cape Town listening to the emperor penguins cackle raucously, laughing at the dangerously bold yellow fins, and trying desperately to get a good photo of the camera-shy turtles. Though we planned on getting lunch after our visit, a sudden downturn in the weather led us to this quick (but delicious) snack to tide us over until things got better and we could get a decent meal. Paired with a gray sea-salted caramel, which my mother brought me from Seattle as a lovely belated Easter surprise, it was quite the lunch.
Where can I get some? From the sidewalk in The V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa.
How much did it cost? $1.50USD, though I suspect it would be far cheaper in a less touristy area. Either way, I think the joy on my face in the above photo attests to the fact that $1.50USD was totally worth it.
Holy crap, I never tried it when we lived right next to it - but at least it still exists!!
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