20 Best Tried and True Japanese Potato Chips in 2023 (Calbee, Koikeya, and More)

Out of all the potato chips we tried, we thought Koikeya's Rich Consomme chips had the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and crunch. The consomme flavor is an exquisite blend of meat and vegetables that melts in your mouth after that initial crispy bite.

We also liked that it had a slight kick of spice, and had an incredibly rich yet strong flavor. Even if you've never tried consomme-flavored chips before, we think this would be an excellent place to start.

Royce' Chocolate Potato Chips are a perfect treat to give as a gift to others or yourself. One side of each ridged chip is coated in sweet chocolate, while the other is seasoned with flaky salt. The resulting combination is an addictive one.

We also liked that these chips basically melted in our mouths. They also taste good when chilled!

These chips are advertised to "taste better with each bite," and we are 100% in agreement with that statement. These kettle-cooked chips are perfect for those looking for a super crunchy snack. 

The only thing that disappointed us about these chips is that their simple flavoring left the snack feeling a bit greasy. But through all that, we were able to savor the taste of the potatoes, so it still earned a place in our top ranking.

These kettle-cooked potato chips have a spicy kick of black pepper, but it's not strong enough to sting. Rather, our tasters found it was the perfect amount to make them irresistible.

The crunch from these chips are satisfying, and since they're kettle-cooked they definitely taste fried. The black pepper flavor keeps them from tasting too greasy. This taste combination is what makes us think they'd be perfect to pair with alcohol.

The seaweed flavor of Calbee's Kata-age potato chips, in particular, gave us a super satisfying crunch, and the gentle scent of seaweed made the snack have a very satisfying taste all-around. 

If you're looking to experience the feeling of crunching into a good potato chip, consider this flavor of Kata-age potato chips. You won't be disappointed.

Koikeya's salt-flavored potato chips are made exclusively from Japanese potatoes, and you can really taste and feel the potatoes, which is what makes this one of our favorites. If salt chips are your thing, this is our number one recommendation to you.

It's a simple yet addictive flavor that stands out in a world where unique and strong-flavored chips are gaining attention.

If you can handle spice, you'll definitely enjoy this chip. Karamucho Hot Chili chips were so hot that our testers that weren't that great with spice dropped out after the third chip.

For our testers that could take the heat, they said it was light enough that they found themselves unable to stop eating them.

By popular demand, Yamayoshi created butter-flavored potato chips, as opposed to the more conventional buttered potato flavor. That's exactly what we got with these chips; they're a blend of slightly sweet butter and aromatic garlic.

Though both flavors can be considered strong, they're not so much that it's like a punch in the mouth; rather, it's a delicate and delicious mix of the two. 

If you're like our testers and can handle the rich flavors, add this chip to your wishlist.

Hula's Lightly Salted American Potato Chips is actually the first-ever Japanese brand of potato chips. Its creator, Otoshiro Hamada, started the brand in the 1940s and is credited as the "Father of Japanese Potato Chips."

What makes Hula's American potato chips stand out among competitors is that it has a distinct sweetness that accompanies the main light salt flavor. They've also managed to strike a perfect balance between soft and crispy in terms of texture.

Both the bag's design and the chips within are decidedly simple and delicious. If you're looking to enjoy the pure taste of simple potato chips, we'd recommend Hula's.

Have you ever wished you could have pizza without actually buying a pizza? These thick, ruffled Calbee chips will give you that experience, combining sauce and double cheese flavors to create a pizza flavor that will blow your mind.

Some may find the flavor and salt content a bit much, but if you're in the mood for something junky, this is a great chip to consider. It also smells as great as it tastes!

These Calbee potato chips combine the flavors of honey, butter, parsley, and mascarpone cheese to create a delectable snack that pleases the whole crowd. This chip was originally a limited-time flavor but stuck around following popular demand.

Our team said it tasted just like honey mixed with melted butter, but warned that since it's light on the salt, those that aren't too big on sweet things may not enjoy this chip. If you've got a sweet tooth, though, definitely give this chip a try. 

Calbee's Potato Chips Gizagiza Rich Chicken Consomme has delightfully crunchy texture and a deeply satisfying flavor.

We found that the fragrant potato flavors stood out while being balanced by the consomme flavor. 

Contrary to its appearance, the chips themselves weren't very greasy, and the flavor was rich without being heavy. However, the texture of the potato chips was lighter than expected, so some might be a bit disappointed.

Calbee’s Potato Chips Soy Sauce and Mayo is made with two types of soy sauce and mayonnaise, as well as uses meat flavors to add extra richness to its flavor profile.

Not only do these chips excellently balance soy sauce and mayonnaise flavors, but the mayonnaise also minimizes any burnt flavors that other potato chips may have. Some of our testers said that it would probably make for a great pairing with alcohol.

As the name implies, Yamayoshi’s Wasabi Beef is a unique, unconventional potato chip and is a must-try for those looking for something new.

Initially, the taste of wasabi hits your palate first, followed by a tingling spiciness. However, if you wanted to enjoy the flavor of the potatoes, it's a little too light and thus gets overshadowed by the wasabi flavor.

We recommend either pairing it with alcohol or other snacks, as the strong flavor may get old for some.

Calbee’s Potato Chips Kyushu Soy Sauce is flavored with sweet soy sauce, a staple in the Kyushu Region. The soy sauce itself is made with chicken stock that adds extra fragrance and flavor.

Because the chips were surprisingly not as salty as expected, and overall well-balanced, it's a safe bet for most people. However, the soy sauce flavor didn't stand out that much, and therefore the potato chips were devoid of any outstanding features.

If you're into simple, rustic flavors, then this is the potato chip for you.

Calbee's Potato Chips Seaweed and Salt had a stronger salt flavor rather than a seaweed flavor. Calbee also uses chili pepper as a secret ingredient for extra kick. 

The light and crispy texture of the chips proved to be popular with our testers, and with every bite only increasing in flavor, this is a potato chip that is difficult to stop eating.

If you're looking for a light, easy-to-eat potato chip, this is the way to go!

Calbee's lightly salted potato chips have been the standard chip in Japan for ages, and for good reason; they are salted just lightly enough that you can still taste the potato-y goodness.

While we found the chips too thin to deliver the crunch we were looking for, we would still recommend these to those looking for a light potato chip.

Calbee’s Potato Chips Gizagiza Rich Salt stands out for their finely ruffled chips, flavored with a special blend of salt to match the thick cut chips.

These chips were crunchy and firm, with a slightly sweet flavor that develops as you bite into it. While the flavoring was not as strong as its appearance suggests, the thick cut chips makes for a satisfying bite.

While it might be a little too much to eat a whole bag in a single sitting, we thought that these potato chips are best savored slowly.

When our testers tried these Chip Star chips, they said the texture was unlike any other chip they'd tried, and it seemed to melt in their mouth. Considering this and the fact that they're lightly salted, we think these would be a hit with kids as well as adults.

However, it's also this lightness that makes it slightly less than satisfying for a full-blown snack experience. If you're looking for some light eats, though, this is a great option.

Chip Star Salt and Seaweed is a molded potato chip that looks great, thanks to its slight green color coming from the seaweed.

However, it was a little too light in the flavor department, and the potato's fragrance was too prominent that it outshone the flavor of the seaweed.

If you want to get more flavor out of your chips, we recommend eating a few at a time by stacking the chips, rather than eating one chip at a time.