Potato crisps with the flavour of Malaga

Crunchy, tasty and without additives describes many of the potato crisps that are currently produced in the province of Malaga. Both in the city of Malaga and in several inland towns, such as Ardales, Campillos or Sierra de Yeguas, you can find up to half a dozen companies that today have crisps among their star products. In most cases, they are handmade and are free of lactose and gluten.

Nearly all are made with sunflower oil although there are a few that are made with a healthier option, extra virgin olive oil. In addition to salted crisps, many of these companies offer more varieties for their customers, with chive, ham, garlic and herb flavours as well as unsalted. Below are some of the companies that distribute potato crisps in Malaga:

Paco José, Malaga

Crisps are the star product of this business that has been operating in Malaga for over forty years and is regarded as the oldest of its kind in the city. It has several shops in the centre but the most famous is the one located just a few metres from the Atarazanas market on Calle Moreno Carbonero. Paco José crisps are fried in sunflower oil and sometimes in olive oil. They are also available at the head office, located on the La Estrella industrial park (Calle Parauta), and in other central shops, such as those in Calle Calderería and Armengual de la Mota. In addition to crisps, they also offer a wide variety of dried fruit and nuts, among other products.

El Tío de las Papas, Sierra de Yeguas

This company's headquarters are in Sierra de Yeguas, to the north of the province. They fry their crisps in sunflower oil and offer other options such as slow cooked crisps and unsalted, garlic and ham flavours. Their motto is 'simplemente papas fritas' (simply fried potatoes) as they avoid using any preservatives or flavour enhancers.

Patatas de Ardales Millán, Campillos

Although this company has its origins in the town of Ardales, for some years it has been operating out of Campillos. Its famous crisps are packaged in bags ranging from 30 grammes to one kilo. Founded by Juan Ramón Millán, the secret of these crisps, which are fried in sunflower and olive oil, lies in the high quality of the potatoes from Andalucía. They also have other flavours and make other brands, Virgen de la Victoria and El Cautivo. They are commonly found on the shelves of large supermarkets.

D. Sancho Melero, Antequera

This brand belongs to the Antequera business group Unión Mels, founded in 1948 by Diego Sancho Melero, Rosario Paradas and their children. They started in 1985 and are one of the oldest crisp making firms in the province. Their crisps which are fried in sunflower oil are found in both small and large supermarkets such as Carrefour, El Corte Inglés, Maskom, Covirán and Alcampo, among others.