Calbee adds edamame royalty to its chips for extra summertime appeal.

As one of Japan’s most popular potato chip makers, Calbee is always on the lookout for the next big flavor that’ll resonate with chip fans in Japan. That search has led them to create chips with tastes that are near and dear to the Japanese people, such as matcha green tea, raw tuna, and KFC.

So with summer here, Calbee is rolling out a new potato chip with a flavor that’s instantly associated with Japanese summer: edamame.

Though edamame’s recent rise in overseas popularity has earned them a trendy reputation in some other countries, in Japan they’re a simple-life pleasure, and sitting down at home or a festival with a serving of salted edamame is something a lot of people look forward to at this time of year in Japan. With that in mind, Calbee is adding a dadachamame flavor to its Kataage Potato chip line. Dadachamame, a variety of soybean grown in Yamagata Prefecture, are hailed by foodies as “the king of edamamae” for their growing sweet notes and umami sensation that strengthen as you chew them, and Calbee’s new potato chips are seasoned with edamame powder made with dadachamame grown in the Yamagata town of Tsuruoka, which are currently in season.

▼ Dadachamame being sold at market in Tsuruoka

▼ Dadachamame video from the official Tsuruoka City Twitter account

Calbee first offered edamame-flavored potato chips in 2020, though only for a limited time and only in Japan’s northeastern Tohoku and Hokkaido regions. In 2023 they made their national debut, but 2024 is the first time for them to be made with dadachamame, so it’s a whole new ball/bean game.

With edamame and potato chips both being popular snacks to pair with an ice-cold beer on a hot summer day, the arrival of Calbee’s dadachamamae potato chips couldn’t be coming at a better time. They’re arriving first at Japanese convenience stores on July 29 and will be spreading to supermarkets and other retailers on August 5, in time for people to enjoy them during the Obon summer holiday season, and are planned to remain available until late October, assuming supplies last.

Source: Calbee via Japaaan
Top image: Calbee
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