While prison food does not have the best reputation, there is apparently one snack that American prisoners miss after their release: the potato chips.
According to a recent report on NBC News, ex-cons in the U.S. still crave The Whole Shabang potato chips more than any other food found on the inside. The chips are only supplied to American prisons and not available in stores and apparently taste like a cross between salt and vinegar and barbeque flavors.
One alleged ex-con writing on a Facebook fan page for the chips wrote:
“Awesome chips I did 60 days and wouldn't have survived if it wasnt for whole shabangs, japs, jalapeno popcorn. Thank you for saving me and introducing my taste buds to real divine flavor fit for royalty.”
The supplier, Keefe Group, recently made the chips available for online order – for $20 per pack of six. Prior to that the only place to find the rare food was on eBay.
Apart from potato chips, prison meals in the United States usually consist of a small piece of meat, canned fruit and vegetables, cold cuts, and processed bread. A recent investigation by the Marshall Project into allegations that prisoners are not being fed enough due to private contractors outsourcing food services shows the true stark reality of what eating really looks like for the millions of Americans currently in prison.