Yamayoshi Wasa Bee Wasabi Potato Chips

Chips with a kick?

The Attraction:

As I walk the aisles of my favorite Asian grocery every week, I make it a point to browse the snack area for any new snacks that pique my interest. This week, I came across this pack of wasabi flavored potato chips. I've seen wasabi flavored peas, but never potato chips. Let's see what the deal is.

The Review
I'm not necessarily a huge fan of wasabi, I mean, I do put a good chunk of it in my soy sauce when I'm about to have some sushi, but other than that, I don't think about it too much. I've never walked around thinking to myself how I wish I could have more wasabi flavor in my everyday life, but when I do have it, I enjoy it. It never occurred to me that it could be a "headlining" flavor. Apparently, other people have and now we get to see what happens when it plays the leading role in this potato chip movie.

First thing I notice when I open the wasabi-flavored chips is how there aren't any whole chips; they all appear to be broken in various places. Were they manufactured this way or were they all damaged in transport from Asia? I'm thinking the former, but I don't let that slow me down too much. I quickly grab a chip and put it i my mouth.

There is a great wasabi flavor there, but it doesn't overstay it's welcome. You won't mistake it's flavor. As I was eating a few chips, I get a hint of that horseradish affect as if you were eating sushi with wasabi in it and it seems to go up into your sinuses, sometimes to the point where you have to close your eyes and your nose stings. I wonder if you can get that burning sensation in your nose the same way you can with regular wasabi on sushi with these chips? I immediately grab several chips and shove them into my mouth and start to suck them hoping to generate that signature wasabi sinus burn. To my disappointment as much as I tried, I couldn't quite get there, although I was close on several occasions. That was fun, but do I like them?

I look like a Pringle, but with a secret.

The Sweet:

You get your great wasabi flavor fix delivered to you in a nice crisp chip minus the oily feel.

The Bitter:
The chips all seems to be in pieces. I can't confirm if my pack was just crunched or they are all manufactured that way.

Can't find a whole chip!

Conclusion:
The folks at Yamayoshi sure know how to make a chip that delivers the wasabi flavor that fans are looking for. They are not shy about it or make it ambiguous. You know it's wasabi flavored the minute you have a chip. Although I didn't wake up this morning hoping to find a wasabi flavored chip, I don't think I will soon forget it the next time I'm in the snack aisle with a wasabi craving.

Video of the Week
As we are all "excited" (umm, excited is a strong word) for the new Fantastic Four movie to come out in a few weeks, I thought I would share the trailer for the original Fantastic Four movie. (no, not this one with Jessica Alba), the one before it. Good thing this never hit the theaters. It would make Masters of the Universe look respectable...sorta. Read the backstory here.

"It's buffet clobberin' time!"