Ron Zappe, founder of the "Little Chippery in Gramercy," died Tuesday while undergoing treatment for throat cancer. He was 67. In my opinion, his company belongs up there with Tabasco and Hubig's Pies as a food immediately recognizable with Southeast Louisiana.They cut the potatos thicker... they don't wash the chips after cutting... it's the peanut oil they use... the kettle fryer retains more heat which makes for a crunchier chip.... For nearly a quarter century, scholars have debated the reasons why Zapp's are so damn good - usually while eating roast beef po-boys and drinking Barq's out of the bottle. Perhaps, the answer was laid right before them all along, as nothing pairs better with a po-boy than a bag of Cajun Crawtators.
Long before Bud Light started selling black and gold beer cans, Zapp's "Who Dat?" chips were the ultimate sign of fandamonium at a Saints party. I remember a near riot outside the Dome over a Zapp's post-game giveaway during the Ironhead Craig Hayward era. Over a decade before Maker's Mark used commemorative purple and gold wax, you weren't a true LSU fan unless you served Tiger Tators at your tailgate. No other company embraced Louisiana football more than Zapp's, and the fans thanked them for it tenfold.
On July 1st, Zapp's will celebrate it's silver anniversary, albeit without its founding father. We should all remember to rip open a bag of Zapp's in his honor and be thankful for an oil man gone bust who took a chance and created one hell of a potato chip.
Now, if I could only find a big bag of Caribbean Crunch...
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