If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Gosh I wish potato chips were less crunchy,” or are a self-proclaimed “soft-toothed person” like Mythical Chef Josh Scherer, then, boy, does Calbee (a Japanese snack company) have the food for you! Introducing: “Nure Jaga” or “Wet Potato” Chips.
What?
My first thought was that this would be some sort of potato chip but soggy and floppy and soaked in liquid. And while that’s kind of what these are, they are also so much more (and certainly not so saturated that they are floppy). According to those who have actually tried these chips, they are pliable and chewy on the outside but still lightly crispy on the inside, and coated in a sweet and salty soy glaze that makes the chips sticky to the touch. They are apparently based on a snack that has been around in Japan since the mid-1900s called “Nure Senbei” or “Wet Senbei,” which are rice crackers that have been soaked in a flavorful soy glaze until they have lost their crunch but not their structure.
The chips have been sold on the Calbee website for a while now but were just recently launched in 7-Elevens all around Japan. (Side Note: If you’ve never fallen down a “7-Elevens in Japan” YouTube rabbit hole, I highly recommend it. Those stores are at least 200% cooler than American 7-Elevens. At least.)
Here’s my best effort at guessing what these might be like: Have you ever had one of those boxes of chocolate-covered potato chips, and literally the day after you open them, they become a little bit soft and chewy (but are still really good)? I feel like that might be something like the texture of these chips. But again, that’s just my best guess.
These sound delightful, and if I’m ever in Japan, or these chips make their way to Asian grocery store chains in the U.S., I’ll 100% give them a try. I’m a person who likes potato chips more for their flavor and salt than for their crunch anyway, and when it comes right down to it, these are just slightly chewy potato chips in a sweet soy glaze, and that sounds pretty great.
H/T Sora News 24
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!