The salty, sugary truth behind our lifelong affair with junk food
I was standing in the aisle of a gas station convenience store at 11:00 PM about a week ago, staring at a wall of potato chips. The lighting was aggressive (that specific hum of fluorescent tubes that makes you feel like you’re being interrogated) and I was faced with a decision. To my left, a solitary, slightly bruised banana. To my right, a bag of spicy tortilla chips the size of a toddler’s torso, boasting a flavor profile described simply as "XTREME." I am a rational adult. I know about vitamins. I understand the concept of arteries and the importance of keeping them unclogged. And yet, there I was, debating between a fruit provided by nature and a corn-based triangle dusted in a powder that glows in the dark. We all know how this story ends. I bought the tortilla chips. I ate the tortilla chips. I regretted the tortilla chips. This cycle of desire, consumption, and mild regret is the defining culinary experience of the modern age. But what exactly is this stuff? How ...
