Chips, Crisps, Croustilles: A Global Tour of Unusual Potato Chip Flavors

There’s a whole world of chip flavors out there that most of us have never even imagined. Here are some of the most interesting.

Australia:

Some of the most popular flavors of late sound quite tasty, or at least intriguing, including lime and pepper, sweet chili sauce & sour cream, honey soy chicken, kangaroo, emu and Caesar salad.

Image courtesy of avlxyz's Flickr stream.

Canada:

They may only be a border away from the snack food capital of the world, but they’re miles away when it comes to flavor varieties. A few different options include dill pickle, ketchup, wasabi, ham & mustard, spicy curry, pizza and, of course, poutine.

Image courtesy of lynx81's Flickr stream.

China:

When it comes to interesting snack food flavors, Japan and China are in a constant state of battle, but as far as potato chips go, China seems to have the lead. Japan can't compete with the fruit-flavored chips of China: kiwi, blueberry, mango and lychee are all on the shelves. As for non-fruit flavors, the country still has some delightfully unique options including braised pork, garlic soft-shelled crab, cheese lobster, hazelnut, spicy hot pot, hot & sour fish soup, lemon tea and cucumber.

Image courtesy of toehk's Flickr stream.

Egypt:

If you love Middle Eastern cuisine, then you’ll love Chipsy’s flavor line that includes kebab, stuffed grape leaves and Rumi cheese (above).

Image courtesy of Prince Roy's Flickr stream.

Germany:

The most famous flavor of potato chips in the country is beer, but they are actually not all that popular with the locals. More commonly, Germans prefer to eat paprika chips.

Image courtesy of ceris42's Flickr stream.

Greece:

For those with a soft spot for Greek food, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the country has incorporated a few of its favorite foods into its chip flavors, offering olive oil, lemon-vinegar-black pepper, mushrooms a la crème, mustard, Tzatziki and oregano flavors.

Image courtesy of daftgirly's Flickr stream.

India:

Their food is known for its spices and so are their potato chips. Popular flavors available in both India and Pakistan include mint, masala, coriander and red chili pepper.

Image courtesy of smee_me's Flickr stream.

Japan:

While China certainly leads the way with their fruit chips, Japan isn’t far behind. A few notable varieties include nori & salt, consommé, soy sauce & butter, garlic, mayonnaise, scallop with butter, teriyaki, yakitori, salmon sushi, clam chowder Doritos, hamburger and kimchi.

Image courtesy of kalleboo's Flickr stream.

The Netherlands:

Here we find some perfect flavors for people with the munchies. Lay’s offers quite a selection in the Netherlands, including spaghetti Bolognese, barbecued ham, Mexican herbs, Mediterranean herbs, Oriental spices, spareribs, Thai sweet chili, pepper & cream and chicken & thyme. Yum!

Image courtesy of wbpartridge's Flickr stream.

Russia:

Many Americans would love some of the flavors of our Cold War rivals. A few notable chip choices: bacon, shish kabob, crab, caviar and mushroom & sour cream.

Image courtesy of catorze14's Flickr stream.

South Africa:

If you like meat, then you’ll probably love some of the flavors of chips here including beef jerky and sausage. Of course, these flavors go great with sauces, so you might want to pair them with some chutney, hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce chips.

Image courtesy of mikemedia's Flickr stream.

Spain:

For the most part, Spain prefers their chips fried in olive oil and lightly salted, though there are slightly more gourmet varieties like pink Andean salt or sea salt & black pepper. Prosciutto-style ham is the country's second-bestselling flavor.

Image courtesy of scaredy_kat's Flickr stream.

Scandinavia:

Most of your flavor options this northern corner of Europe all sound pretty darn tasty: mushroom, horseradish, black pepper & spring onion, and pretty much anything with sour cream, including béarnaise. Things get weirder when chip companies try to mimic international flavors: Texas Grilled Cheese & Onion, the whimsical Kebab Dream (above), and Louisiana Style Hot BBQ are all available from Swedish brand OLW.

Image credit: Moa at twinkuss

The U.K.

While the residents of the United Kingdom seem to appreciate many of the same foods as Americans, their chip flavors tell a different story. Some of the many flavors of note include prawn cocktail, steak & onion, lamb & mint, sausage & ketchup, pickled onion, marmite, roast pork & mustard sauce, turkey & bacon, stilton & cranberry, roast beef & Yorkshire pudding, mozzarella with tomato & basil, beer & cheddar, paella, bratwurst, sausage & brown sauce, Cajun squirrel, chili & chocolate, duck & hoisin sauce and haggis. So if you really want some variety in your “crisps” and don’t want to leave the states, you can always head to your local British imports store and see what flavors they carry.

Image courtesy of Scorpions and Centaurs' Flickr stream.
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There are probably hundreds of weird potato chip flavors out there flying under our radar, so tell us what crazy things we missed. What’s the best and/or weirdest chip you've ever had? Have you ever tried one you thought would be gross, but ended up really liking?