I've eaten a lot of crisps over the past few weeks. So it's about time I reviewed some...
I don't know why there's such a rush of weird flavours out from Calbee lately. This isn't anywhere near all of them, either. (I deliberately didn't pick up the SPAM version, and can you blame me for that?)
There's something new out every time I wander down to the supermarket or a nearby conbini. I'm not complaining when I say that! I love trying new foods. It's just that at this rate, I'll have to do another roundup solely dedicated to crisps before the end of the year.
Anyway, on to the snacks!
'Ethnican'
This is one of several old-school 'revival' flavours that Calbee's brought back for a limited time in 2024, along with 'okonomiyaki' and 'grilled beef'.
But in terms of flavour, 'okonomiyaki' and 'grilled beef' do pretty much what they say on the pack. What is 'ethnican' meant to mean? See if you can guess.
At a first glance, my best guess was 'ethnic' x 'Mexican'. I think that was pretty much on the nose.
According to the Calbee website, these 'ethnican' crisps were launched in 1986 - "at a time when exotic spiciness was all the rage" - and discontinued in 1993. They had an "addictive" medium spice level, and there was even a Cajun version at one point.
Before we get into just how spicy these potato chips really are, I need to mention expectations vs. reality in product packaging for a second...
Alright, so here's another shot of the pack design with some artfully arranged potato slices:
Nice and evenly cooked, right? A lovely colour.
But hang on a second. This is what these crisps actually look like:
That's a lot more colour and flavour powder than suggested on the outside. We're whitewashing food now?! Or is it meant to be 1986 all over again and Photoshopping our potatoes is perfectly acceptable? I don't know the rationale, but it caught my attention.
The other interesting thing is... these didn't taste spicy to me at all.
For the record, I can't handle spicy food. I have such a low tolerance for spice, it's underwater. And yet these 'moderately spicy' crisps tasted... very plain to me. Like, "did they put ready salted in here by accident?" level plain. I can't imagine how disappointed a real spice lover would feel.
Verdict: 4/10. Meh-thnican.
Calbee x KFC original recipe chicken
Of all the fast food chains, I think KFC has featured on this blog the most times. From the all-you-can-eat KFC back in 2016, to the fried chicken x pizza hybrid, to a chicken cheese burger that was more cheese than anything else.
2024 is the 20th anniversary of Red Hot Chicken first going on sale at KFC in Japan. There's a commemorative Red Hot crisp flavour out, and they threw in this Original Recipe version for the traditionalists.
The chicken-y flavour is there. The mix of herbs and spices is in there. But something is missing with these, and I can't put my finger on it. It's like the flavours haven't connected the dots.
Verdict: 6/10. Learned my lesson, will only eat actual KFC chicken from now on.
Calbee x Family Mart crisps that taste 'exactly like garlic shrimp'
The "tastes totally like X" series started in 2022. I know this because I reviewed the first version - crisps that tasted 'exactly like bacon' - a bit over two years ago. The series is still going, still exclusive to Family Mart convenience stores, and still bringing the weirdness.
This month, we have crispy (crisp-y) garlic shrimp on the menu.
The garlic was nice and apparent before I'd finished opening the bag, which was a really good sign. Can't get enough of the stuff - remember Calbee's 'intense garlic dynamite' crisps?
In terms of smell and taste, these are exactly like the prawn toast slices you can get at Chinese restaurants in the UK. And I mean that in a good way. Nostalgic and crunchy. If only Japan had house special chow mein and giant pancake rolls, I'd be all set.
Verdict: 7/10. It isn't often that crisps make me miss Brit-style Chinese food.
Rich King 'overwhelmingly barbecue'
I wish I had any idea what this Rich King series was about. An "official rival to Calbee Potato Chips that customers have been asking for" - okay, but what about the other, actual competitor brands...
I think it's ultimately meant to be an experiment with stronger flavours, compared to the standard crisp range. The other option out now is Spicy God Chili.
The masked mascots on the pack are the 'Noukindan' - mysterious potato triplets harvested from the same seedling. They're nameless, genderless, and ageless. (The nice way of saying nobody could be bothered to come up with any more specific character info...)
I tried one of this rich, overwhelming BBQ chips, and I nearly choked on it. In shock.
Where the hell is the flavour in these?
It's one thing for so-called 'spicy' foods to not taste spicy. It's another for foods with a so-called 'overwhelming' flavour to taste like nothing at all. Not even like plain salted.
Verdict: 2/10. I tell you what's rich - calling this 'overwhelming'.