Classic crunchy snacks add crackle and snap

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Crunch is appealing, no doubt. The texture and sound make us happy, and these noisemakers quickly become addictive.

Several snacking favorites can be the crunch in a variety of recipes — crackers; tortilla or corn chips; cereal of all kinds (think Cap’n Crunch, granola, Rice Krispies, Grape-Nuts); crispy veggies like carrots and celery; nuts; and candy.

Three other common crunchers are popcorn, pretzels and the all-American favorite, potato chips. Their popularity is based not only on their crunch, but on the allure of the salty flavors as well.

Obviously, any of these can be eaten on their own, and each is consumed every year by crunchers around the world. Encyclopedia.com states Americans eat about 11 billion popped quarts of popcorn each year. Delish notes that Philadelphians alone consume an average 12 pounds of pretzels per person in a given year.

And who wants to estimate potato chip consumption? Food Business News says Americans eat an average of 19.3 pounds of potato chips per year. That’s a lot of crunch!

And who would have guessed that each of these three popular crunchers has its own national day of celebration? Jan. 19 was National Popcorn Day, Monday will be National Potato Chip Day and National Pretzel Day is celebrated April 26.

Let’s look at a few ways some of America’s favorite crunchers can be used other than just popping them in your mouth and listening for the familiar sound.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com