Fun fact: St. Louis leads the nation in Kool-Aid consumption. There are competing theories as to why this is, but we're going with the one put forward by Murphy Lee: "I need some Kool-Aid/With my Red Hot Riplets," goes the chorus of the song Lee dedicated to Old Vienna's best product. In a safety-coated world in which the wimps usually call the shots, Red Hot Riplets are devilishly, fabulously HOT!
Swallow the wrong way and you'll weep with pain. They're also, happily, not gourmet in any respect -- not cooked in a hand-stirred kettle, not lightly dusted with sea salt, not gussied up in any of the silly, silly ways that people have lately mistreated the humble but elegant potato chip. If we wanted to be fancy, we wouldn't eat chips. Pass the Kool-Aid, please. - Published by the St. Louis periodical, Riverfront Times: September 29, 2004
Red Hot Riplets are a kind of potato chip sold in St. Louis, MO, by the Old Vienna Snack Food Co. They are ridge cut chips with a sweet and fiery hot barbecue seasoning. The label says "Made with "St. Louis Style Hot Sauce". The chips are sold all over town at many local businesses, from mom and pop stores to chains like Schnucks.
In 2004 Esquire magazine included Red Hot Riplets in their article and list "Best Potato Chips You've Never Tasted"
- "The "flavor of America's heartland," with real St.
Louis--style hot sauce and Dakota "chipping" potatoes. These babies are blazing. ODDS YOU'LL EAT THE WHOLE BAG: 4 TO 1, though highly dependent on the mouth-cooling properties of your beverage".
