Your favourite crisps –more than just a snack

For most people, crisps are a snack that you bring to barbeques in the park, or eat in front of a film on a Friday evening. But for Larssons, a family-run farm and crisp brand located in Skåne in southern Sweden, crisps are so much more. “We want to create crisps that you can take from the snack bowl to the dinner table,” says the farm owner Bertil Larsson.

By Hanna Andersson | Photos: Fredrik Rege

A passion for potatoes and quality is what makes this niche business so successful, and it starts from the moment the spuds are put in the ground, through the harvest, and continues into the final production. The farm cultivates hundreds of potatoes, and only the very best will become crisps.

Larssons crisps can be found in delicatessen boutiques, online and in shops that focus on high-quality local produce.

The production of Larssons crisps differs from that of other companies as the flavouring is made entirely from whole ingredients, rather than seasoned powder. Additionally, they cook them on a lower heat, avoiding trans fats, and leave the starch in the product, which results in a satisfying crunch and an authentic potato-flavour that you will come back for time and time again.

“This is why it takes longer for us to develop new flavours – we use pure ingredients. Our asparagus crisps are made from ground asparagus, without any additional powders or fabricated flavours, and no toxic substances,” explains Larsson. The farm has been a family business for centuries, and they’ve brought this into the crisp business, too. “The boy featured on the crisp packets is my dad, and the picture was taken in 1938. Many of our international customers, especially in Germany, think he looks like Emil in Lönneberga,” Larsson says with a smile.

Tastebuddies

Larssons crisps are currently available in eight different flavours: Peppers and Chi- li, Green Asparagus, Liquorice, Dill, Chive and Sour Cream, Apple Cider Vinegar, Root Vegetables, Potato of the Season, and Wild Potatoes. These can be enjoyed on their own, or you can match them with their perfect ‘tastebuddy’.

“We have provided a few suggestions that work particularly well with each crisp. For example, our Liquorice crisps work very well with sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Cava, whilst the Pepper and Chili combination can be enhanced with grilled meats, apple cider and pickled vegetables,” explains Ann-Marie Nilsson, who also works on the farm.

She continues: “Our goal is to offer quality crisps that work as snacks as well as a complement to your beloved recipes. A nearby restaurant has created a starter where they combine crisps with löjrom –Swedish whitefish roe, and smetana. And a vineyard restaurant here in Skåne uses our crisps as a topping on their steak tartare.”

The crisps’ individual characters and overall quality is the perfect way to make an evening a little more exciting. All you have to do is find your favourite combination. “Oh, you should also try coating your fish in some crushed crisps before frying it!” Nilsson adds enthusiastically.

Creating new flavours

2023 will be a busy year for Larssons, with three new flavours in the pipeline. “We have been working on new flavours for a while now. We don’t want to give too much away, but we can reveal that they will see Skåne meet the north of Sweden. Additionally, we have a new crisp that tastes like Swedish summer. We have decided to stick with classic Swedish flavours and cherish the produce we have here in our country,” says Larsson. Nilsson adds: “We have been approached by a few musicians and other figures to create personal collections of crisps. It’s very exciting, but takes some time, as we want it to be perfect.”

A treat for both humans and animals

Larssons farm is home to many animals, including pigs, miniature cows and horses. And they are all part of the farm’s life cycle. “Our animals help us dig up the soil where we grow our potatoes. They provide us with manure, and we thank them by feeding them with the crisps we can’t use in our products. And they love it! It’s a real delicacy for them. To be honest, we’ve spoilt them, and now they get grumpy when they don’t get their spuddy treat,” Larsson and Nilsson say, laughing. Larssons quality crisps are loved by animals and successful musicians alike, and if that’s not the greatest proof of quality, we don’t know what is. www.larssonsiviken.se

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