THE PRINGLES man is now bald.
It’s not exactly the most earth-shattering news, but Julius Pringles has been a staple in the US since the 60s, making it over here in 1991.
He’s a familiar face: a big moustache and a bow tie that says Pringles. Pretty simple really.
His bright face has brightened up the tubes, regardless of the flavour you get, for more than 50 years.
In that time, he’s had several different looks. The original looked as if he was working an Edwardian fairground, with a big handlebar tache and plenty of centre-parting slick-back hair.
His more recent incarnation gave him curtains and a rather perky tauche.
Now though, he’s been given a 21st century makeover and the hair is for the chop. Instead he’s got some big, bushy eyebrows and a facial fungus that could double as a paintbrush.
You’ve got to hand it to the makers of Pringles, they’re not afraid to innovate. They keep mixing things up. Indeed, you could say one you pop new ideas, you can’t stop.
Here in dear old Blighty, there are three new spicy flavours, giving you a kick long after the crisps – sorry, savoury snack – had disappeared in you tum.
Being a bit of a lightweight, the spicy sour cream and onion is hot enough for me, but others won’t blink twice at the hardcore tastes on offer.
That’s nothing though. There have been more than 100 different flavours.
Forget original (salted), salt n vinegar, sour cream and onion or barbecue beef. If the mood took you and you were in the right time zone, how about seaweed flavour? Or grilled shrimp?
They have also tried Hot Diggity Dog, Crab, Pecan Pie, Eggs Benedict, Mushroom Soup, and Pizza.
There has even been a chocolate flavour.
Clearly, whatever you are in the mood for, there’s a tube for that.
The fad for weird flavours isn’t confined to tubs of savoury snacks. If you wanted to, you could try these ice cream flavours: Oyster, Curry, Cheese, Smoked Salmon, or Squid Ink.
And there’s me thinking Neapolitan is exotic.
Pizza is another thing that can be customised to your hearts content. Are you a pineapple person, or do you want to stick to pepperoni? It’s quite a heated debate in some circles, almost up there with which knife to use at a posh dinner party.
If the official foods weren’t enough, we all have our own combinations. Growing up, a Sunday teatime staple was a crisp sandwich. The bread had to be buttered thickly enough and the crisps tart enough to counter the sandwich part, but goodness, it was tasty.
One Boys’ Brigade camp in the 80s, the tents had an unofficial contest to create the most disgusting sandwiches going. Mars bars? Shove it in. Jelly Babies? Hmm…. That wasn’t too bad. Yesterday’s left over fruit cocktail? Steady on, old chap.
Taste is clearly a subjective thing. What one person likes another won’t touch with a bargepole – my son considers peas to be radioactive, so will go to great lengths to avoid them in anything, while I lap up some homemade pea and ham soup. Yes, soup, Julius Pringle, don’t get any ideas.
