5 Weird Potato Chip Flavours Only Available in Hong Kong

And a series of very scientific experiments to rank them!

Human beings have been collectively staying home for an unprecedentedly long period of time. 

In our boredom, we have been pushed to do things we did not imagine doing before, such as whipping cream for 400 times (dalgona coffee), talking to sourdough starter like it’s your newborn (#coronavirusbaking), or building a toilet paper fort

Walk in Hong Kong team, ever so sensitive to nuanced changes in the city, can’t help but notice that a variety of novel flavoured potato chips have cropped up around town during this period. Of course, we will not stop at just telling you about their presence. We have devised a series of very scientific tests to evaluate their Package Waterproof-ness, Crunchiness, Greasiness, Tastiness, Package Attractiveness and Price, in order to come up with our top recommendations for you. 

Yes, maybe we are rather bored out of our mind… But anyway, please enjoy our very scientific findings below!

If you’re busy with other tasks, click here to view the results!


The Contenders


The Experiments

Package Waterproof-ness

Methodology: We ran each contender (package is sealed) in a shower to see if the contents have been soaked.

This experiment makes the bag of chips look like it is in an emo music video from the 2000s.

Results:

ContenderCommentsRating
Mentai-mayoContents remain dry.★★★★★
Chilli crabContents remain dry.★★★★★
Cumin BBQAll the contenders have water-proof packaging but this one even has a resealable zip lock, so a bonus star is given!★★★★★★
Garlic PrawnContents remain dry.★★★★★
Chicken riceContents remain dry.★★★★★

Crunchiness

Methodology: Two tests were performed for the crunchiness test: firstly, our team member Janice borrowed a trusty decibel meter and recorded the crunch of each piece of snack on first bite; secondly, Janice hit each piece of snack with a hammer and observed how they shattered.

Janice placed each piece of snack into a plastic bag and hit with all her might (without damaging her parents’ kitchen counter).

Results:

ContenderDecibelsCommentsRating
Mentai-mayo82.2 HzBroken into uniform, fine sand. ★★★★☆
Chilli crab91.6 HzBroken into uniform, fine sand.★★★★★
Cumin BBQ74.0 HzSplit into smaller pieces.★★☆☆☆
Garlic prawn84.6 HzBroken into uniform, fine sand.★★★★☆
Chicken rice77.8 HzShattered into little bits.★★★☆☆

Greasiness

Methodology: Each piece of snack is placed on top of a piece of oil absorbing film and left unattended in a cool, dry space (that is Janice’s kitchen cabinet). After 5 hours, the snacks are removed and each piece of oil absorbing film is placed onto a black placemat. The more transparent the film is, the greasier the snack is.

Results:

ContenderCommentsRating
Mentai-mayoHalf the film is covered in grease. This is an expected and acceptable level for a deep-fried snack.★★★☆☆
Chilli crabOnly a few grease spots on the film. This is not surprising as this snack is claimed to be a healthier alternative to regular chips.★★★★☆
Cumin BBQThe entire film is soaked in grease that it basically became transparent.★★☆☆☆
Garlic prawnHalf the film is covered in grease.★★★☆☆
Chicken riceThe above image belongs to this contender. Not only is it soaked in grease, it got so bad that the film stuck to the placemat. ★☆☆☆☆

Tastiness

Methodology: This one is simple. We sent out packages to each of our team members for them to taste and rate.

ContenderSelected commentsRating
Mentai-mayoIt’s a little sour compared to regular prawn crackers, and has a kick to it too. I can’t stop reaching into the bag. ★★★★☆
Chilli crabIs it supposed to taste like chilli crab? The taste doesn’t taste like it at all…★★☆☆☆
Cumin BBQTastes a bit like curry powder, this is addictive and dangerous for snack people!★★★☆☆
Garlic prawnIt smells funky… Would leave you with embarrassing garlic breath for days. ★☆☆☆☆
Chicken riceThis doesn’t really taste like chicken, but the scent of ginger and scallion is strong.★★★☆☆

Package Attractiveness

Methodology: We have invited Tiffany from California, USA, who works in exhibition and publication management and design, to be our judge. She is also a world traveler and has spent a lot of time deciphering food packaging on looks alone.

Results:

ContenderCommentsRating
Mentai-mayoI would want to try this the most – the photo is well-styled and the pink is appetising.★★★★★
Chilli crabLots of mixed messaging – it is promoting vegetable and even has a little veggie basket icon, but then there’s this huge crab! The illustrations seem a little weak too.★☆☆☆☆
Cumin BBQLike is it gonna be chocolate flavoured? It is very confusing and looks the worst.★★☆☆☆
Garlic prawnA bit strange. Not being able to read Chinese, it is unclear to me if this is a soup?★★☆☆☆
Chicken riceThis one does a good job of clearly showing what the chip will look like inside and what the food inspiration is. As a foreigner, I think this is the most successful novelty packaging!★★★★☆

Price

Methodology: Each snack’s price per gram is calculated by using a scientific calculator to present ourselves as more science-y.

Results:

ContenderPrice per packPrice per gramRating
Mentai-mayo$9.90/75g$0.13/g★★★★★
Chilli crab$8.90/50g$0.18/g★★☆☆☆
Cumin BBQ$9.00/52.5g$0.17/g★★☆☆☆
Garlic prawn$5.30/40g$0.13/g★★★★★
Chicken rice$11.00/70g$0.16/g★★★☆☆

Conclusion

After conducting a series of very serious scientific experiments, we have a winner! The Calbee Mentaiko Mayonnaise Flavoured Prawn Crackers is truly amazing. Looking back on the ridiculous tests that we have done, it can be confirmed that this blog has been documenting Walk in Hong Kong team’s descent into madness.

RankContenderScore (Total no. of ★s)
1Mentai-mayo26
2Garlic prawn20
3Chicken rice19
4Chilli crab19
5Cumin BBQ17

You must be as bored as we are now that you have read through this entire blogpost. Instead of baking a third sourdough loaf, why not tour around local Hong Kong neighbourhoods with us while you snack on chips from the comfort of your own home? Understanding that you might not be able to leave your city for a while, Walk in Hong Kong is launching our virtual Walk From Home touring experience. Our dedicated team would livestream both from the streets and from our studio to present to you a quaint and serene Hong Kong, very much the opposite of what you may know about our city. Click here to learn more about our virtual Walk From Home touring experiences!