We ask the makers of the upcoming Double Zeppin Cheeseburger chips what the deal is.
Speaking as a fan of simple burgers, one of the best offerings on the Japanese fast-food landscape is the Zeppin Cheeseburger from Lotteria. Simply, beef, gouda, and cheddar cheese on a bun. Granted it’s a lot of cheese, but the Zeppin Cheeseburger foregoes all the flavor and texture distractions of sauces and vegetables to offer pure meat and cheese satisfaction.
And now this can be enjoyed in chip form, thanks to a collaboration with major chipmaker Calbee. However, on 22 July we will won’t be seeing Calbee Potato Chips Lotteria Zeppin Cheeseburger Flavor like we did back in 2015. Instead Calbee Potato Chips Lotteria Double Zeppin Cheeseburger Flavor will hit the shelves.
▼ Potato Chips Lotteria Zeppin Cheeseburger Flavor (left) and Potato Chips Lotteria Double Zeppin Cheeseburger Flavor (right). In Japan the letter “W” is often used to mean “double”
While that sounds great, it raises the question: what’s the difference between “cheeseburger” flavored potato chips and “double cheeseburger” flavored potato chips?
Looking at the burger counterparts, the flavor is essentially the same, it’s just that you get more of it with a double cheeseburger. So how does that translate to the language of potato chip flavors?
To find out, our reporter Seiji Nakazawa contacted a Calbee rep:
“So for your Double Zeppin Cheeseburger flavor chips, how did you get the ‘double’ feeling?”
“Double… feeling?”
“Right. For example, is the Double Zeppin Cheeseburger chip all thick-cut and super-rippled so that the regular Zeppin Cheeseburger chip looks thin and weak in comparison?”
“…both the chips and ripples are the same size.”
“So it’s the same stuff then? That sucks!”
“No, the taste is better. We’ve raised the juiciness of the beef flavor and the sharpness of the cheese.”
“You mean it’s a richer cheeseburger taste?”
“Yes, that’s why it’s double.”
So there you have it. Calbee Potato Chips Lotteria Double Zeppin Cheeseburger will not only not suck, but have an enhanced beef and cheese flavor from their previous run. This is great news as so-called “cheeseburger chips” are often just barbecue sauce and cheese flavored. These promise to have a really meaty taste to them instead.
So, head on out to your nearest Japanese convenience store for some Double Zeppin Cheeseburger potato chips when they come out on 22 July and get a coupon for 150 yen (US$1.39) off a real Double Zeppin Cheeseburger combo at Lotteria on each bag.
It should also prepare you for when Calbee refines their taste even more and achieves Zeppin Tower Cheeseburger flavor potato chips.
Source, images: Calbee
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]