Twitter Is Appalled By Lay's Fake Vegetable Flavor

Of all the food trends we've seen in recent memory, the most puzzling seems to be the different cruciferous vegetables that pop in and out of the spotlight (via the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). Take kale, which went from Pizza Hut garnish to PR miracle, after a successful ad campaign made the leafy green so popular that it's now even served at fast food spots like Chik-fil-A — though admittedly its rendition of kale salad was ranked as the worst menu item. Then there's cauliflower, which saw a big bump in popularity in recent years thanks to the low-carb and gluten-free food trends (via USDA). Cauliflower is used as a secret ingredient in plenty of recipes and stars on its own in dishes like an air fryer cauliflower steak recipe.

But what about brussels sprouts? These tiny green cabbage-like vegetables had been maligned for decades, and it turns out, brussels sprouts used to taste a lot different. It wasn't until Dutch scientists figured out how to remove the bitterness from sprouts that their popularity began to soar (via NPR), and now they're considered delicious enough that Trader Joe's managed to turn brussels sprouts into your favorite side dish. But could they cut it as a snack food?

Brussel sprouts may be tastier now than ever before thanks to science, but not everyone is convinced that they have a place in the snack cupboard. When snack food company Lays posted a mock-up of a bag of Roasted Brussels Sprouts Lays potato chips to its Twitter feed, some fans were not impressed.

"I would rather die," said one user. "What in the golden roasted crunch is this," another user asked, adding in a green-faced "sick" emoji for emphasis. Several others made comments along those lines, but surprisingly, some people were totally on board for what Lays hashtagged a #fakeflavor. "This sounds great! Wish it was real," shared ABC affiliate meteorologist Joe Winters. They weren't the only person to heap praise on this imaginary flavor, which left us thinking that if Lays ever were to make a Brussels sprouts-flavored potato chip, then this time of year, right before fall and Thanksgiving, would probably be the perfect time to release them. It's probably not likely, but thankfully for those who just can't get the thought out of their minds, brussels sprouts chips already exist (via Nom Nom Paleo).