There are some questions in life that deserve a proper answer.
Why are Black Country chips orange is definitely one of them.
If you grew up around Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and the surrounding Black Country, there’s a good chance you know exactly what we’re talking about. A tray of chips with that unmistakable orange coating, preferably eaten straight from the paper with plenty of salt and vinegar.
But what actually makes them orange?
Batter? Paprika? A closely guarded secret?
Ask around and you’ll get different answers.
Some say the colour comes from the batter the chips are coated in before frying. Others reckon paprika plays a part. Recipes vary from chippy to chippy and there are probably a few closely guarded secrets involved too.
Who knows?
What we can agree on is that Black Country orange chips are glorious and deserve some sort of World Heritage status.
And that’s good enough for us.
Meet Chippy Orange
When we created The Black Country Colour Palette, there was no way orange chips were being left out.
So Chippy Orange earned its place among six colours inspired by the places, stories and local references that make the Black Country what it is.
That’s one of our favourite parts of creating a Colour Palette. The colours can come from architecture, industry, landscapes, food, local sayings or those wonderfully specific things that immediately make sense to the people who live there.
And few things say Black Country quite like a tray of orange chips.
A little bit of the Black Country
The Black Country Colour Palette is available across a range of prints and gifts, including mugs, coasters and magnets, making a colourful little present for someone who loves the area, grew up here or has moved away and still misses a proper Black Country chippy.
Although sending them a mug rather than a tray of orange chips is probably considerably easier.
Discover The Black Country Colour Palette and gifts →
And if anyone can settle the great batter versus paprika debate once and for all, we’re listening.