One of the world's most popular snacks is forever changed, thanks to the unusual crisp flavors. Popular options are classic like salted, cheese and onion or barbeque, but snack makers throughout the world are coming up with bold and surprising flavors. Some are based on seafood, others imitate popular dishes, sauces, vegetables or even breakfast foods.
These crunchy snacks come in a variety of different flavors that you might not expect: fried egg, spicy lobster, guacamole, nori, wasabi and salmon teriyaki, to name a few. Others were released in limited quantities and others were very popular with snack enthusiasts. Some of the most unusual crisp flavours have caught the world's eye.
Brilliantly bizarre varieties
Move over lightly salted! Forget the bland barbecue. There's a world of decidedly creative (and often questionable) crisp flavours out there. From döner kebabs and extra cheese pizza to 'fried egg', we compiled an exhaustive list of world-class and truly bizarre crisp options.
Some still exist out there, while some existed as limited edition –and all of these surely guarantee to elicit peculiar glances if you ever happen to open a bag.
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Guacamole
Sure, we usually see our guacamole on a chip dip, but Mexican snack brand, Takis, brought the concept to a whole other level with the guacamole version. Technically, we can’t really classify them as crisps, but we thought they were still cool enough to make our top recommendations list.
These corn snacks do not have the same fiery and peppy taste as the others under the Takis umbrella, but they boast a milder flavor with the signature sweet guacamole undertones.
Seafood Chili Lime
Seafood and chili and lime; you just can't beat it so we support this Lay's Indonesia limited-edition flavor. The company released it back in 2017, and the specific seafood flavor is a bit of a mystery, but we would certainly give it a try, be it prawns, lobster, squid or oysters!
Labneh & Mint
Labneh is the strained yoghurts that commonly appear in the Middle East, and it was a matter of time before this flavor appeared in the market. After launching in the United Arab Emirates, the company introduced the crisps in 'Forno' style, which means they baked them and did not fry them. Customers described the flavor as creamy, minty, and garlicky.
Spicy Lobster
While it’s not incredibly rare for Lay’s to launch their snacks with seafood flavours, we think this particularly spicy creation sounds a tad mouth-watering.
Pringles-style chip, this is the Lay's Snax Spicy Lobster edition, which is on sale right now for a few lucky countries across Asia, such as Thailand or Vietnam. A seriously salty, sea creature flavour with a fire kick.
The world's most unusual crisp flavours
While people outside of Britain probably would never eat this, a person in the know will recognize that the chip flavor drew inspiration from Worcestershire sauce. An in-demand product, they are recognizable by their unique violet colored packaging and had a really great bite and zesty flavor. However, in 2023, Walkers (Lay's, however) announced that they had stopped selling them.
Nori
It's probably a controversial concept, seaweed crisps but I think we can all agree, this Japanese snack brand Jack 'n Jill Calbee seaweed range with this ondulé-cut style took us by surprise in 2016, so much so they're still around! The salty flavour we grew to know from sushi (thanks nori!).
Fried Egg
Do you prefer them cracked or whacked, scrambled or boiled? If you fall into the sunny side up camp, then you may not be too surprised by the controversial new flavour that Spanish snack company Torres launched.
The gourmet brand is not afraid to get creative with their crisps, and with this new edition, they haven't stopped short. Prepare for a really savory, salty taste with hints of- yes- fried egg!
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Burger
Czech brand Bohemia answered the dreams of fast-food lovers everywhere in 2014 and released a new burger-flavoured crisp. Unfortunately, we imagine (and hope) that they don't still produce them and that they tasted like a combination of grilled steak, cheese & onion and ketchup-flavoured crisps.
Since then, other snack brands have released burger-flavoured variations and Lay's cheeseburger flavour remains particularly popular.
Salmon Teriyaki
If your idea of heaven is a packet of crispy goodness with all sorts of unique Lay's flavour profiles to discover (and your tastes lean to Asian cuisine) then Salmon Teriyaki is right up your street.
It has become a popular choice in the island nation since its launch in 2019, which we can only assume is due to its similarity to the sticky sweet dish that inspired them.
Jalapeño Mac n' Cheese
Canada may have graced us with plenty of food wonders (hello, poutine, BeaverTails, and butter tarts), but it’s not sure that these 2014 Jalapeño Mac n’ Cheese crisps really make that list.
The Lay’s Do Us a Flavour contest promoted the cheesy flavour as summer BBQ fare, in which consumers submitted their suggestions for snack flavours hoping to scoop the lucrative grand prize.
Wasabi
Over the years, a small number of Western brands have developed wasabi-flavoured crisps, yet only the massively successful Jack 'n Jill Calbee version of the kicking flavour has been a huge hit. Initially released in Japan back in 2018, these moreish crisps are made using 100% real wasabi. As one would imagine, these packs provide a good kick and they best accompany a nice, cold drink.
FAQs
1. What are unusual crisp flavours?
Unusual crisp flavours are snack flavours that go beyond traditional options such as salted, cheese, onion, or barbecue. They can be inspired by seafood, meals, sauces, vegetables, and other foods.
2. What is one of the strangest crisp flavours?
Fried egg is one of the more unusual crisp flavours. It was created by Spanish snack brand Torres and aims to capture the savoury taste of a fried egg.
3. Are seafood-flavoured crisps popular?
Seafood flavours can be popular in some Asian markets. Examples include spicy lobster, seafood chili lime, and salmon teriyaki.
4. Which unusual crisps have a spicy taste?
Wasabi, spicy lobster, and seafood chili lime are examples of unusual crisp flavours with a strong spicy or sharp taste.
5. Are unusual crisp flavours still available?
Some unusual crisp flavours remain available, while others were limited-edition products. Availability can vary by country and over time.