Regional potato chips may be difficult to present as the main souvenir, but they are extremely convenient as an extra item or a simple treat to enjoy at home.
My current provisional champion is Grilled Turban Shell Potato Chips with Tsuboyaki Soy Sauce Flavor, a Chiba exclusive.
Potato chips are hardly a dieter’s friend, but if I am going to eat them anyway, I would rather choose something connected to the place I visited. Somehow, regional chips make the guilt feel a little lighter.
This time I will introduce a Shizuoka snack found during a trip through Izu. Shizuoka is most famous for green tea, and its wasabi has also attracted attention through dishes such as wasabi rice bowls.
At Michi-no-Eki Izu no Heso, I found an ambitious product combining both ingredients in a single bag and decided to buy it.
Naturally, it is available only in Shizuoka. Here is my review.
Shizuoka Green Tea and Wasabi Potato Chips by Wakafuji
A 145-gram bag costs ¥367.
That is more expensive than ordinary potato chips, but the bag contains a generous amount.
The package shows beautiful Mount Fuji, fresh wasabi, and fields of green tea.
It is packed with famous images of Shizuoka.
I often enjoy Wasabeef potato chips, but this was my first encounter with a green-tea-and-wasabi flavor.
I was curious to discover how those two seasonings would work together.
The best-before date is printed on the back. The bag I purchased was good for about three months.
Tasting Shizuoka Green Tea and Wasabi Potato Chips
Now, let us taste them.
The chips are thin, light, and pleasantly crisp. They are easy to eat, not overly oily, and leave a clean impression.
The heat is restrained, producing only a gentle prickle.
Unlike Wasabeef, they do not deliver a sharp rush through the nose.
Personally, I enjoy that powerful wasabi sensation, so its absence was slightly disappointing.
On the other hand, both the saltiness and heat are mild enough for children.
My own child happily kept eating them.
It is clearly difficult to make both wasabi and green tea stand out in a potato chip.
I could barely detect the tea. There may have been a refined quality in the aftertaste, but it was extremely subtle.
Then again, it is difficult to know whether potato chips with an unmistakably strong tea flavor would actually taste better, so this restrained balance may be the best solution.
Setting the tea concept aside, I would love to see a product marketed simply as “Shizuoka Wasabi Rice Bowl Potato Chips.”
In any case, the chips paired well with both beer and whisky highballs, so the bag was thoroughly enjoyable.
Thank you for the treat.
For more Shizuoka souvenir ideas, see the page below.
Shizuoka Green Tea and Wasabi Potato Chips Product Info, Expiration Date, Manufacturer
| Product Name | Shizuoka Green Tea and Wasabi Potato Chips |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer / Seller | Wakafuji Co., Ltd. |
| Address | 1293-1 Okamiya, Numazu, Shizuoka, Japan |
| Expiration Date | Approximately 3 months |
| Place of Purchase | Michi-no-Eki Izu no Heso |
| Price | ¥367 |
