A tiny bit of curry flavour, a smidgeon of chicken, I’m not certain this is a true representation of Coronation Chicken, but not to worry, it tastes perfectly pleasant even if you can’t work out the flavour on the packet.
Obviously we have had a coronation here recently. I don’t think I would have chosen this crisp as part of the celebrations.
Ooh! Or do I mean Urr…? These crisps, mysteriously manufactured in Belgium, definitely qualify as weird. Very weird. At the very least they are quite different from any other crisps I have tried.
I hadn’t heard of Koikeya before, but the packet tells me it is a long standing producer of Japanese crisps. Is that different to being a Japanese producer of crisps? Apparently they have a vast group of loyal consumers in Japan and wish to spread their flavours across the world. And the packaging blurb hopes that we will “enjoy the potechi with its refined and sophisticated flavours, representing Japanese cuisine and tradition”.
When I asked my iPad to give me the meaning of potechi it told me firmly that it’s Bulgarian word meaning ‘steps’. When I just typed potechi I discovered it’s a transliteration of a Japanese word meaning potato crisps. Or for you lot in the rest of the world: potato chips.
And did we enjoy these Japanese crisps? Erm, enjoy is not exactly the word I would employ. It’s such a different flavour from what I was expecting, so different to any flavours in my life. So…. sour. Am I supposed to be tasting plum? I think there’s a bit too much lemon oil in the recipe.
Right, well, perhaps I am failing to appreciate the flavour because I don’t eat Japanese food. All my friends love sushi but I don’t eat fish and have never ventured to a Japanese restaurant. I completely failed the test when I travelled Japanese Airlines some years ago, carefully ordering the European menu. A fellow passenger* who decided on the Japanese menu impressed her (Japanese businessmen) neighbours so much they bought her a pretty brooch from the duty free trolley. Good for her.
*We met at breakfast in our Tokyo hotel: the buffet featured a bowl of tiny fried fish, stewed lotus root (I think), tinned spaghetti bolognaise, bacon, eggs, chips, and a vast selection of other food I can’t remember nearly 25 years later..
The Chef wasn’t mad keen on Pickled Plum flavour, Cliffs of Moher declined a second crisp, and apparently the Ski Instructor and the Farmer’s Daughter weren’t fans either.
As you know, this is just what we thought. If you are a big fan of Japanese food, and I know a lot of people love it, this Pickled Plum flavour might be just the thing for you. If you can find a packet. You might have to go to Brussels.
