In 2023, Observer food writer Hank Vaughn detailed his experience when he embarked on an epic 18-bag potato chip bender of what he described as “offbeat chip flavors.” Among the offbeat flavors Vaughn sampled were Nori seaweed, wasabi mayo, roasted garlic oyster, roasted cumin lamb skewer, beef wellington, and salted egg, which Vaughn colorfully illustrated:
"Upon first opening this bag you are assaulted with an odor that smells a bit of wet sock, which is redeemed slightly with a flavor profile that evokes a slightly burned room-temperature fried egg, if you're into that sort of thing."
Appreciate the heads up, Hank. We’ll be sure to skip that one. And we can’t go without mentioning the “strong beer taste” chips Hank tried. The flavor on the bag literally reads, “strong beer taste.” When we Googled these, an entire world we never knew existed of beer-flavored potato chips unveiled itself. Beer can chicken, white peach beer (white peach beer?), craft beer and kettle cooked beer cheese are all actual potato chip flavors. Wild.
While we didn’t come away with the litany of flavors that Hank did (18 is crazy work), we grabbed as many as we could from aisle 10 of Grand Prairie’s Hong Kong Market. Here are our thoughts.
Mustard octopus has to be on the shortlist of world's oddest chip flavors. It has to be.
Nick Reynolds
Some folks online said they taste like a seafood boil. We don’t know about that, but they definitely taste fishy. Really fishy. Not exactly the most desirable trait in a potato chip. Or maybe it is? For those who appreciate the finer points of an overly fishy aftertaste experience (one that lingers, too), this one's for you.
Lay’s Mustard Octopus
Alright, hear us out. It’s better than it sounds. Dare we say…we even liked them? We didn’t really get any of the octopus flavor (which may be a good thing), but what we did get was an addictive wasabi-ish mustard zing with each chip. We’re fans.
Lay’s Sizzling Squid
Does it really taste like squid? Again, we’re not getting it. There are slight fishy undertones, though not as pronounced as the spicy crawfish chips from before (which is a plus). There’s also a tinge of BBQ mixed in. They’re not terrible, but we didn't finish the bag.
Lay’s Numb and Spicy Hot Pot
Heavy on the umami, these boast a slow but noticeable burn that creeps up on you due to the main ingredient (the Sichuan pepper). We like.
Lay’s Fried Crab
Unlike our two squid flavors (where we didn’t taste any squid), you can actually taste the crab here. If you’re fans of crab, which we are, these are worth a look. The crab flavor is apparent without being overpowering. Unlike some on this list, we’ll happily finish the bag.
Lay’s Roasted Chicken Wings
OK, these aren’t that unconventional. Chicken wings are everywhere (even Jack in the Box tried putting them on their menu). These are chips we'd buy again, and they do manage to taste (sort of) like roasted chicken wings.
Cheetos Japanese Steak
These left us baffled. As far as we could tell, they didn’t taste anything remotely like steak. One of the ingredients listed was “artificial steak seasoning.”
Cheetos American Turkey
Again, we're left scratching our heads. If anything, they somehow tasted more like Funyuns than turkey. The main ingredient is “American turkey flavor seasoning.” Somewhere, we’re picturing a shaker on a grocery store shelf that says, “American turkey flavor.”
Cup Noodles Dill Pickle Flavor
This one is an unconventional non-chip item that we found at our local American grocery store, and it’s exactly how it sounds: A Cup O’Noodles (or Cup Noodles as it’s now known today; who knew) with a slight to moderate dill flavor. Look, we're fans of dill pickle chips, but we’re not convinced it’s a flavor profile you want in your bargain bin ramen.
