Jagarico - Heavenly Crunchy Potato Chips

If you’re a fan of Japanese snacks, Jagarico is a must try. It’s one of the most popular snack brands in Japan and has been enthusiastically loved by people since when it first went on sale in 1995. There is even Jagarico School, the fan club of the snack, and you have to pass the “entrance exam” to join the community. 

What makes the snack special? Here are three facts about it.

1. The Shape
Jagarico potato chips are shaped like sticks, which gives the pleasant crunchy texture.

2. The Jokes
The makers of Jagarico are very fond of making jokes though most of them are oyaji gags (old man’s jokes). 食べだしたらキリンがない is the sales copy of the product, and it is also a punny joke. It's supposed to be 食べだしたらキリがない, which translates as "one you start eating, you can't stop", but キリ is replaced by キリン (giraffe) here. This is the reason why giraffes are the mascot characters of the snack. 

3. The Barcode Arts
Jagarico’s packagings always include a fun barcode art which is related to the flavor inside.

Flavors

Japanese snacks are famous for their huge variety, and Jagarico is not an exception because there are over 20 flavors in total! Now let’s take a look at some of them.

SALAD
Salad was one of the first flavors of Jagarico, and it’s the most popular one still today. You should not expect something like a healthy salad when you eat them because these are just tasty potato chips that contain small bits of carrots and parsley.

CHEESE
Cheese is another flavor that has been loved since 1995. Made with cheddar and camembert. Cheese is always a good choice when it comes to crunchy snacks!

Nikujaga
Nikujaga (肉じゃが) is a delicious Japanese dish made from potato, onion, carrot, and meat. It’s very rare to find a Nikujaga-flavored snack, but Jagarico was wise to introduce it because it’s amazingly tasty.

Satsumarico
Sweet Daigaku Imo flavored. It’s a kind of traditional Japanese sweets and is made from sweet potato (satsuma imo). Satsumarico is only available during the fall and winter of each year.

And there are regional “omiyage (souvenir)” versions, too! When you travel around Japan, don’t forget to find unique Jagarico of the area.

Ways to Enjoy Jagarico

Of course, it’s tasty as it is, but there are some ways you should try if you want to enjoy it in different ways.

Mashed Jagarico
Pull the lid back halfway, fill the container ⅓ of the way with boiling water, press the lid back into place, and wait for 2 minutes. Then mash the chips with a fork.
You can make delicious mashed potato in less than 5 minutes this way!

Baked Satsumarico
Modify the recipe of Mashed Jagarico, and you can make a real dessert if you have Satsumarico! Use hot milk instead of boiling water, and mix a slice of butter once you mash the chips. Then bake it in the oven until the surface is nicely brown.

Jagarico Crouton
Soup tastes better when it has some crunchiness. Just break the chips into pieces and put them into soup. Try this with creamy types of soup.

Do you want to get Jagarico in future ZenPop Packs? What flavor do you want to try? Leave us comments!

Cite: http://www.calbee.co.jp/jagarico/

Check out what’s inside current Sweets Pack!