After that disappointing review of Lay’s International flavours last week, we are proud to present a digest of what may be the ultimate serious review of Lay’s global faves. And from a suitably ‘internat-ional’ contributor: Bokksu Market of Japan…
“Lay’s […] prefers to adapt its different flavors to cater to diverse palates. […] This strategy is known as localization.”
East vs. West
“Many [Asian] people who hate western Lay’s flavors have complained about them being ‘boring’ and ‘one-note’ on social media,” Bokksu notes. “However, these flavors exist because they match the preferences of most consumers in the region. Hence, the preferences of the average consumer in the U.S. and Europe lean towards typical flavors like sour cream & onion or salt & vinegar.”
But, “The situation is quite different in Asia, where the average consumer pre-fers bolder and more complex flavors. They want their chips to feature mult-iple ingredients that combine to comp-lement traditional dishes.” (See: Hot & Sour Lemon Braised Chicken Feet, left.)
Lays signature Asian flavours include some we in the West have never even imagined, much less heard of, including Spicy Crayfish, Wasabi, Black Pepper Ribeye Steak and Hot Chili Squid.
World flavour ‘zones’
In addition to the East-West divide, Lay’s has different market-defined international flavour zones, identified by the brand names under which it sells its wares in those locales:
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- Smith’s: Australia
- Walkers: UK and Ireland
- Margarita: Colombia
- Tapuchips: Israel
- Sabritas: Mexico
- Chipsy: Egypt
Who would have suspected that potato chips were so popular in Egypt or Colombia?
The overall faves…
Based on both sales figures and consumer feedback from all markets in which Lay’s sells chips… The following are the most popular Lay’s varieties in the world!
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- BBQ: Lay’s BBQ flavor has been a fan favorite since its launch in 1965. It’s seasoned with sweet barbecue sauce.
- Cheddar & Sour Cream: People love how well it combines the buttery flavor of real cheese and the tanginess of sour cream.
- Classic: The original Lay’s version introduced in 1932 is still beloved by snack lovers worldwide.
- Sour Cream & Onion: Fan loves this simple flavor because of its authentic sour cream taste, which is difficult to pull off with chips.
- Dill Pickle: This pickle-flavored Lay’s has a salty and acidic taste beloved by consumers in North America.
Yes, the flavours that win worldwide will be familiar to most western snackers. But that’s probably because potato chips are a western invention… And have yet to fully integrate and ingratiate them-selves in other cultures…
My take
You can get some of Lay’s international chip flavours by ordering online. You can start, conveniently, with Bokksu’s own online store, in the All Asian Lay’s Chips department. And you may be be able to get some at local specialty stores, such as Check out all Lay’s North American, UK and EU flavours here. Connect with chip flavours in the markets where Lay’s is sold under other names by Googling the brands listed above…
And the built-in bonus to some judicious Googling is… You’ll discover there’s a lot more to international snacks than potato chips! Travel the snack world without leaving your fave arm chair…
~ Maggie J.