The Popular Potato Chip Brand You Can Only Find in Prison

iStock/Magone
iStock/Magone | iStock/Magone

The Whole Shabangs are the most popular potato chip you’ve never heard of. Produced by the Keefe Group specifically for America’s prison inmates, the potato chips aren’t sold in stores—they’re sold in prison commissaries. But the potato chips, which blend barbecue, salt and vinegar, and a range of other mysterious flavors, are so popular that former inmates often seek them out once they get out of jail.

In the video below, NBC News reports that word of The Whole Shabangs is spreading: What started out as a prison snack is now sought after, not only by former prisoners and their friends and family members, but by other snack aficionados who have caught wind of the crunchy, flavorful chips. In fact, though you still won’t find The Whole Shabangs at your local supermarket, the Keefe Group recently began selling them online.

Check out the clip to find out more about the history of The Whole Shabang, and learn how prison inmates use the popular chip to make a delicious, sodium-filled soup.