Hawaii has long attracted a special amount of attention from the Japanese public. Now, that infatuation with tropical escape has been captured in potato chip form.
Snack maker Koikeya has teamed up with Hawaii-centric lifestyle brand Lilly & Emma for its new "Feel Aloha" chip line. The new chips are offered in a coconut and salt, and a mango and butter flavor, and Koikeya isn't messing around — prominent in the promotion and packaging is the seal of approval from the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
However, the end results are mixed. Koikeya previously ventured into fruit-flavored chips a couple years back, and those featured a strange aftertaste. The mango variety replicates this, and unfortunately it still feels as unsettling as before.
The coconut and salt creation, though, downplays the fruit, and it results in a much better snack. Your yen might be better spent saving for your next island getaway, but it's not a bad choice for when you're peckish and dreaming of escape.
