Tayto cheese and onion crisps are a favorite Irish snack. These highly seasoned potato chips boast a very distinctive flavor, and are perfect with a pint of beer.
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Cheese and Onion Flavor
A sharp cheddar taste explosion with overpowering onion strains, combines with deep fried potato slivers, creating a taste of Ireland I absolutely adore.
No American chip tantalizes my taste buds like a good old Irish Tayto crisp. No fancy bistro or pub crisps for me, thank you very much. I'll stick to Mr. Tayto's favorite crisp.
Crisp Sandwiches
Please God I'll never have to choose a last meal, because if I did, I would order a Tayto cheese and onion sandwich, made with fresh white sliced pan, slathered in Kerrygold butter. And of course I'd wash it all down with a nice cup of tea. Or maybe for my last meal, I'd get a pint of beer too.
When I arrive back to Ireland my first meal is usually a Tayto sandwich with a lovely cuppa. I relish every bite.
Irish Crisps in Irish American Pubs
Mercifully I can satiate my Tayto longings in Kentucky. The Celtic shop near Louisville's favorite Irish pub, Molly Malone's, stocks these cheese and onion delights. My husband usually picks up a bag or two when he goes to watch soccer or GAA matches at the pub.
I'm such an addict I've even munched through a bag of Tayto while sipping a glass of wine.
Not exactly a gourmet's delight. But let's face it! Cheese and wine are considered a complimentary pairing, so I just take my gastronomic experience to a whole new level of unapproved decadence.
Now any Irish people reading this blog post will fully understand the flavor question I am about to pose:
Tayto vs King ???
Which bag wins? This is an age old debate amongst Irish crisp lovers. Originally created by two separate companies with slightly different recipes for this beloved Irish flavor combination, both brands have dedicated and loyal customers.
Tayto are cheesy. King are more oniony. Or maybe it's the other way around. My memory fades.
This taste off is no competition in my book. King crisps are just a tad highly seasoned for my palate, so for me, Tayto crisps win every time. There are many who totally disagree with me.
But I confess, in a pinch, when I can't lay my hands on a bag of Tayto, I'll succumb and munch my way through a bag of King crisps, or maybe even two bags.
And recently I discovered the same company now makes both types of crisps. Hopefully they are preserving rival flavorings from days gone by.
And here's my Valentine's Day warning! If your beau takes you to a pub, don't touch a Tayto crisp if you intend to keep your breath fresh. These crisps are flooding with flavor just waiting to overpower your whole mouth.
My husband is more of a salt and vinegar kind of guy, and Tayto have the perfectly seasoned packet to suit his taste buds. But me, I stick to cheese and onion, a true taste of Ireland in my book.
Tayto Crisps - A Taste of Ireland
A mere whiff of an open bag and I'm in crisp lover heaven.
I don't care if health gurus claim this type of snack is nutritiously vacuous. I don't even look at the ingredient list for fear I would discover some ingredient that might end up being a deal breaker for me and my bag of Taytos. I don't indulge very often so I overlook a little preservative or flavor enhancer every now and then.
Whenever I can lay my hands on a pack of cheese and onion Tayto crisps I relish every last morsel. I've even inhaled the last irresistible, piquant aromas from an empty bag.
And so, if you venture to Ireland this summer why not try a bag of Irish crisps. But be warned! The flavor will be very strange for American trained taste buds. These crisps whack a true taste wallop with a smacking, savory zing.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip down my snack memory lane, and that you too enjoy Tayto crisps, a scrumptious, full-flavored taste of Ireland.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
P.S. This is not a sponsored post. The makers of Tayto/King crisps and Kerrygold butter have never heard of me. I wrote this post purely to introduce my favorite Irish snack to readers.
Purchasing Tayto Crisps Online In America:
Over the past few months I've received many e-mails from readers requesting information on where to purchase Irish food items in the United States.
And so for anyone in America interested in purchasing Tayto crisps, check out the Food Ireland website.
Food Ireland has a wonderful selection of Irish goodies which can be shipped throughout the United States.
Here are some Irish recipes you might enjoy...
Irish Soups And Stews
- How To Make Irish Style Cream of Celery Soup
- Beef and Ale Stew
- Spicy Red Lentil and Carrot Soup
- Quick Easy White Bean and Tuscan Kale Soup
Irish Appetizers And Party Food
- Comfort Food: Nostalgic Savory Pie or Tart Recipes
- Prawn Cocktail Irish Style
- Fifteen Exquisite Goat Cheese Appetizers
- Salmon and Cucumber Bites
Patricia
Mairead , back in the late 70s, I spend 4 weeks in Ireland as an exchange student. I stayed with a family in Templeogue. I remember having Tayto Crisps! Had a lovely evening with my host family's mom one night, eating crisps and drinking Baby Cham. Most likely we had it after a dinner of beans and fish fingers. I saw your link about toast and beans at the bottom of this post and it brought back many fond memories.
Irish American Mom
Patricia - Tayto crisps and Baby Cham - now that's a flavor combination I think I might just love. I laughed when I read how you drank Baby Cham with your host family's mom. Baby Cham reminds me of my college days. It was a favorite drink back then.
I'm so glad my post on beans brought back good memories for you. I loved fish fingers and beans, especially on a Friday when Mom would cook mackerel or some other fish my young taste buds were not ready to accept. Nowadays I have broadened my fish menu beyond the good old fish finger. It took me years to start calling them fish sticks in America.
All the best,
Mairéad
Patricia
Well, I was 19 and she was 25 years old with 3 kids already! Her husband went out to the local and brought the drinks back for her and I. We drank them when the kids went to bed! So, yes, it was kind of a college age thing to do. 🙂
Had to laugh about the fish fingers. We Americans do call them fish sticks, but I have heard of chicken fingers here!
Irish American Mom
Patricia - I can just picture two young girls sipping their Baby Chams and munching on their crisps. It's amazing to think your hostess already had three children at 25, but that was the way back then. I'd say she more than earned a few hours to relax and enjoy a Baby Cham.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Lury
This is a cruel joke to play teasing our taste bud that way! And here I thought you where a nice lady! I want a bag of those crisps now! Thanks for the trip and the memories.
Irish American Mom
Hi Lury - Sorry for being so cruel. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about a bag of crisps. Glad this post brought back good crisp memories for you, even if it did whet your appetite for just one more bag of cheese and onion crisps.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Gail Stetson
I've never had Tayto Crisps, but from your description am already hooked!
Irish American Mom
Gail - When I've introduced Tayto cheese and onion crisps to American friends their taste buds have been a little shocked by their flavor punch. Trust me - a lot of Irish people love cheese and onion crisps, especially the Tayto brand.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Aimee
We love Taytos!! We did have our first batch of Kings a couple of weeks ago, and since I don't have them often, I can't say I noticed a difference! But now that there's question as to which is the best, I'll be sure to pick up a bag of each next time to compare. 🙂 These are the only 'chips' I allow my kids, so they're thrilled when we pick some up! From someone who chooses to be a bit of a health guru- cheddar and onion crisps are awesome, and have a much better ingredient list than anything you can get from an American chip! Eat on, I say. 🙂
Conor
You remember the Tayto musical jingle...a classic
Oh Mr. Tayto, Mr Tayto
The spud that put the craic back in the Snack!!
Patricia
Now, I understand what craic means, but it still sounds funny if you say it out loud! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Patricia - It's a term used all the time in Ireland. "How's the craic?" is a way of asking someone how are they doing. Not the best term for widespread use on this side of the Atlantic.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
You're bringing back memories, Conor. Was there another song where Mr. Tayto is the leader of the pack? Or maybe that's another line in the song you mentioned. We all loved Mr. Tayto, the spud in the red jacket. He gives the term jacket potatoes a whole new meaning.
All the best,
Mairéad
brian@irelandfavorites
Mairead the only problem with Taytos (or perhaps it's saving grace) is the size of the bag, many times one just won't do, here's hoping folks link onto your Irish food link and get some taytos for themselves,
Cheers,
Brian.
Irish American Mom
Brian - one is never enough for me. I have no will power when we sometimes order a big box for Christmas. I munch my way through them like they're going out of fashion, and now my kids love them too. A bag of Tayto is perfect with a left over turkey sandwich, with cold sage and onion stuffing in the sandwich too. Tayto are my favorite night time snack, so I really have to limit how often we buy them.
All the best, and I hope you're surviving all the snow in your neck of the woods.
Mairéad
Cheryl Barker
I've never tried either of these chips, but now I want to! 🙂
Irish American Mom
Cheryl - It's funny how our favorite tastes from our childhood remain with us forever. Who knows, one of my kids may be in Ireland dreaming of spicy American chips when he or she is my age.
All the best,
Mairéad
Mairead
Thank you for this great homage to Taytos Mairéad. When we lived in Atlanta, I could get N.I. ones in an Indian store (that carried British goods) but since the shop was filled with incense smells, the Tayto tasted kindof funny. I didn't think it was worth going back for more.
Have you been to Tayto Park yet?
Irish American Mom
Mairead - We had a great day out in Tayto Park about three years ago. My kids were a little young to fully appreciate it, so I need to take them back. I've heard they're building a large roller coaster there.
Incense infused Tayto must have tasted funny alright. We're lucky to be able to get them in Louisville, but they're pretty expensive.
All the best,
Mairéad
Ashling gilligan
Tayto & a bar of cadburys milk chocolate eaten together it's delicious I would eat this all the time as a child so yummy
Irish American Mom
Hi Ashling -My taste buds are tingling just thinking about the Tayto and Cadbury's taste combo. Delicious! Thanks for stopping by.
Mairead
Paraic
Tayto is an iconic brand in Ireland much like coke in America. So much so that the word tayto is used for all crisps. For example if I was in America I'd say I'm eating a pack of lays taytos etc. Tayto are the company who invented flavoured crisps. So we owe them a lot! 😀
Irish American Mom
So true, Paraic - we owe Tayto a lot. I think there are very few Irish people around the world who do not long for a bag of Tayto every now and then. For me, it really is a taste of home. When I was growing up in Dublin, the Tayto factory was in Coolock. We loved the savory smell in the air whenever we drove past.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by,
Mairéad
Lorna C
This post popped up on Facebook so had a read.
I adore King and Tayto. Would be my last meal too. They are also v tasty on a ham and cheese sandwich.
I haven't read all the comments on this article so it might have been mentioned already. Did you know that there is an amusement park in Meath now called Tayto Park beside the factory. As part of the entry fee you can see the crisps being made.
Anyway, belated Paddy's Day greetings from Dublin!
Ps Looking forward to your post on Longford as I have cousins in America to educate!
Irish American Mom
Greetings to you too Lorna. Thanks for letting us know about Tayto park. My kids are dying to go there to try the Cu Chulainn roller coaster.
Thanks so much for stopping by and checking out my blog. I'll have to get my County Limerick post up soon, so we can move on to County Longford.
All the best,
Mairéad
Haley
While in Ireland last year we had some cheese and onion chips at a pub and were in love with the flavor. I asked the waiter what they were and he answered in a bewildered way as if he couldn’t believe we didn’t already know. Lol. I LOVE Irish food and miss it terribly.
Irish American Mom
Irish food is delicious and I think Tayto cheese and onion crisps are to die for. They're my favorite crisps or chips in the world. I'm glad you liked their robust flavor as much as I do. Thanks for telling us about your taste of Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
Shaun Edmonds
Mairéad you'll be pleased to hear that the great Tayto crisp sandwich is still going strong in 2021 (albeit in Boston UK now), Kerrygold butter, Tayto's and malt vinegar....superb!
Irish American Mom
Hi Shaun - Kerrygold butter is a must for a good Tayto sandwich. One of my favorite snacks in the world. In fact, if I had to choose a last meal, it might even be a Tayto crisp sandwich, with Kerrygold butter and batch bread - delicious.
All the best, and have a great weekend.
Mairéad
R. M. MacMahon
The fact that you called them crisps throughout your blog means that, as an Irishman, I give you the sign of approval to properly call yourself Irish-American.
Irish American Mom
Hi there - I was actually born in Ireland and can only claim to be Irish American through gaining my American citizenship way back when. I stay in touch with my Irish roots.
All the best, and thanks for stopping by.
Mairéad