This is the Calbee Melts Cheeseburger Flavour. They piqued our interest because their appearance in marketing reminded us of the Calbee Pizza Potato Chips.
The chips were dusted in cheeseburger seasoner, ‘drizzled with creamy cheesy layers’ and had a pungent cheese aroma that was slightly sour much like the combination of cheese and pickles in a cheeseburger. Upon tasting, the chips carried an enjoyable acidity from the pickles, but the sensation of biting into a chip topped with creamy cheese was an unforgettable experience. We were expecting the solidified cheese of the Japanese Calbee chips, but the cheese was soft — and pungent — much like the melted American cheese inside a cheeseburger. The initial disconnect between expectation and reality triggered the gag reflex and remained unpleasant even after we’d come to expect it.
That said, these chips delivered on their promise of ‘cheeseburger flavoured potato chips drizzled with cream cheesy layers’, but while we enjoyed the cheeseburger flavour, solidified cheese or powdered cheese would have provided a better mouthfeel. If we wanted a soft cheese dip, we would have it separately on the side.
This Calbee Melts Cheeseburger Flavour contained 170 g. It was produced in Indonesia and purchased in Australia in 2022.