Japan has had plenty of special Pringles flavors over the years, but these chips are solely for another nation.

While I can’t say I’ve never gotten homesick since moving to Japan, such feelings rarely occur when I’m hungry. Japan is a foodie’s paradise, and I’m not just talking about full meals, since you’d be hard-pressed to find a better selection of snack food anywhere on the planet.

One of the things that makes Japan such a great place to have the munchies is the constant parade of unique snack flavors. Even non-Japanese companies get in on the fun here. Take American potato chip brand Pringles, for example, which has released dozens of mouth-watering Japan exclusive flavors, including T-bone steak and wasabi seaweed.

But in a rare twist of fate, I find myself looking back across the Pacific with a tear in my eye and a rumble in my stomach, as Pringles has released ramen-flavored potato chips in the U.S.

The special chips are a joint effort with Nissin, the maker of Cup Noodles and Top Ramen brands, making their official flavor designation “Nissin Top Ramen Chicken.” While the idea of noodle-flavored potato chips would indeed be weird, most of what you’re tasting in a bowl of ramen is the broth. Top Ramen dried noodle packs come with flavor packs that you combine with water to make the broth, and since the flavorings come in powdered form, it’s a simple enough matter to use something similar to season the chips, and those who have tried the ramen Pringles say they taste remarkably similar to chicken Top Ramen.

If you want to get your hands on a can of ramen Pringles, you’ll need to make your way to a Dollar General branch, as the discount retailer is the exclusive seller of the chips, which go for US$1.50 a container. Oh, and if you happen to pick up two cans, and would like to trade one for some takoyaki Pringles, let us know.

Source: Today
[ Read in Japanese ]