This is the YBC Chip Star Premium Shichimi Tōgarashi, part of the brand’s premium line featuring shrimp embedded directly into the potato chip dough.

The chips were curved and oval in shape, measuring 5.5 cm in diameter and 1 mm in thickness, with a beige-orange base dusted in orange and white seasoning. They carried a mellow dried seafood aroma.

On tasting, the surface first offered a savoury seafood note before giving way with a crisp crunch. The seasoning released a sharp, herbaceous sanshō flavour on contact with the palate, which became more fragrant with notes of warm ginger and floral yuzu each bite. As the prawn in the chip rehydrated, it released a rich dried shrimp flavour with umami depth and subtle sweetness that balanced the sharpness of the sanshō, leading into a mellow potato finish. The heat from the chilli was initially faint, almost undetectable on the first chip, but gradually built by the second chip into a noticeable tingle that lingered alongside the dried shrimp profile. The result was a refined execution of shichimi tōgarashi with ebi.

Overall, a distinctive and well-balanced chip, elegantly combining seafood richness with subtle spice.

This YBC Chip Star Premium Shichimi Tōgarashi contained 45 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2025.