Calbee French Salad Potato Chips カルビー ポテトチップス フレンチサラダ

Sorry for the lack of posts! I have a backlog of Japanese snacks to get through so expect to hear from me more in future. 

Amongst my backlog are packs of Japanese potato chips. Starting with the first pack - French Salad by Calbee. 

Opening the packet there was quite a strong tang that wafted out, similar to that of a French salad dressing which is described by Google as 
"a term originally used for an oil-and-vinegar-based salad dressing. In the United States during the 1950s, manufactured "French dressing" was developed. The term has come to mean the manufactured version, which is sweet in taste and colored red from the use of paprika and tomatoes."

The chips themselves had specks of green and red on them and were a light yellow colour.

They were very crunchy and salty with a mild tang of vinegar, so if you like salt and vinegar chips then you would like these. Japanese husband did NOT like these, his complaint was that they were too tangy (but again he doesn't like salt and vinegar, so there you go)

Overall, not a bad flavour. I'm not sure I would buy it again, but it was good to try once. 

Koikeya Rich Consommé コイケヤ リッチ コンソメ ポテトチップス

Consommé is not a flavour that is used very much when it comes to Western snacks, but it seems to be popular in Japan. So I wasn't surprised to see potato chips come out in consommé flavour.

What is consommé exactly? According to google it is "a clear soup made from richly flavoured stock or bullion."

Koikeya is a brand that is new to me but it appears to be a cheaper snack company. This is a 60 gram pack which is quite big but has a lot of air inside and the chips don't even reach half way to the top of the bag. 

When I opened the bag the smell that immediately greets my nose is one of beef stock. It's not really that pleasant.

It's like smelling a stock cube directly.

The chips are golden and have a powder coating that is slightly orange. They are crunchy, but the powder is quite strong and very rich. There is a taste of stock and also a sweetness. There is a slow burn that starts with the first chip and builds up after eating more. I can't find anything in the ingredients other than onion powder for the heat. They also are very salty.

Overall, I found these to be ok. I felt they were too rich for me but husband and son both loved them. 

Definitely try them if you get a chance though, and see for yourself! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.