Exactly like crispy bacon, you say? I'm so there.
Yet again, I'm reviewing a crunchy potato snack made by Calbee. And yet again, I'm reviewing something you can only buy at one specific convenience store chain. This time, it's a Family Mart exclusive. Let it never be said that I don't give conbinis a chance.
There's a disclaimer/note under the product name:
"The contents of this bag are potato chips with the taste sensation of crispy bacon that we've worked super hard to recreate. The picture on this packet isn't representative of the actual product."
Sure, I understand. If you ask me, putting real bacon in the bag would've been cheating anyway.
Checking the back for more info reveals that this is in fact the first, test flavour in a planned 'tastes totally like' series. The next one, still a secret, will be released sometime in the summer.
You can also 'vote' for a future flavour on Twitter, using the hashtag #まるでポテトチップス (totally potato chips). Calbee wants your support (and future purchases) for this weird new crisp series so badly, they've put the 'prayer hands' emoji on the packet.
My vote was for camembert. None of that typical 'cheese, but we're not going to tell you which cheese' flavouring. If you have any good ideas, make sure to vote! Maybe I'll end up reviewing it.
(I just hope they stick to savoury flavours for this...)
A quick peek inside doesn't reveal an excessive amount of flavour powder coating the crisps. I hate it when they do that. You get all dusty and disappointed. Nope, these look regular enough.
Alright, so what do these snacks actually taste like?
I burst out laughing during the first bite. Not something you really want to do with crisps, it's a choking hazard. But I honestly couldn't help myself.
This is a 'yes... and nooo' kind of flavour, to me. They do taste exactly like bacon - but like Japanese supermarket bacon. By which I mean, if you're used to eating 'foreign' bacon they taste more like sliced ham. Processed and packed 5 slices at a time. Cooked, but not nearly enough.
I should've expected this. I was impressed, and kind of in shock. Couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Can't fault the realism, I'll give Calbee that. They're potato chips that taste like (a specific type of) bacon. That's undeniable. The 'crunchy' bit is 1,000% coming from the crisps themselves, but the name promised bacon flavour and it delivered.
The only other complaint I have about these is that the bag was smaller than usual. I did enjoy eating these, and I could've eaten more than the portion size. A regular-sized bag would've been great.
Verdict: 8.5/10. If Calbee keeps this up, I can replace my whole diet with crisps.