Throughout our childhood, we thrived on Lay’s chips, with some of our favorites being BBQ and sour cream & onion — staples for road trips or just everyday snacks. However, they have started to feel a bit boring and repetitive. Recently, while browsing an online Asian grocery store called Weee!, we stumbled upon Lay’s Cucumber flavor chips, opening our eyes to a whole new world. Upon further research, we discovered that Lay’s produced more than 200 other flavors for customers in other countries.
Starting with China, we ventured into H-Mart, an Asian supermarket, and found a large selection of Chinese Lay’s flavors.
Aiming for a variety of unique options, we avoided repeating flavors like the Fried Crab and Spicy Crayfish that seemed similar. The chips even came in different cuts, from classic slices to crinkle to large waves. We ended up choosing eight different flavors: spicy crayfish, wasabi octopus, numb and spicy hot pot, roasted garlic oyster, roasted cumin lamb, iron plate squid and Mexican chicken tomato.
Spicy Crayfish flavor
When we opened the bag, it smelled like a mix of barbeque chips and shrimp chips. The flavor was much more savory than traditional shrimp-flavored snacks, kind of like a Chinese seafood hotpot. There was a slight sweetness to the seasoning, and the spice only showed up as a mild tingle on the tip of the tongue — something only noticeable after studying the flavor. The “Spicy” description in the name shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if you can’t handle spice. We found ourselves reaching for more — it’s definitely a bag you can finish.
Rating: 4.2/5 Falcons
Wasabi Octopus flavor
The name of this flavor was only printed in Chinese, so we had to interpret a strange English translation from Google Translate of “Mustard is not fishy.” Not exactly helpful. The bag had a strange sweet, pastry-like smell, reminiscent of Chinese pork floss bread. The chips themselves looked pale and unseasoned, giving no hint of what was coming.
But the moment we confidently crunched into one, our mouths were bombarded with an intense wasabi sting. Instead of the classic sinus-clearing burn, this wasabi flavor leaned more toward pure spice on the tongue, making it more manageable, but not exactly enjoyable. The mild appearance and smell were completely misleading — neither of us went back for another. It wasn’t bad, but it’s just not our cup of tea. Proceed with caution.
Rating: 1.5/5 Falcons
Numb and spicy hot pot flavor
These chips had a crinkle-cut texture, making them slightly thicker than the classic shape. Right out of the bag, they had a distinctly salty aroma, like that of soybeans. The aroma of chili surprisingly didn’t sting our noses, though. Initially, we were a bit nervous about the “numbing” effect, but it turned out to be very mild and enjoyable. The spice, unlike the Spicy Crayfish flavor, lived up to its name, delivering a prominent medium spice and making it feel true to authentic Chinese hot pots, which are often intensely spicy.
Rating: 3.5/5 Falcons
Roasted Garlic Oyster Flavor
These chips hit us with a stinky, raw garlic scent that was strong enough to smell from far away. The taste was dominated by a pungent garlic, followed by a slight oyster flavor and a hint of sweetness. Compared to the Spicy Crayfish, this one tasted better as it had a rich, roasted flavor that was much better than our initial impression from the smell. Still, the “rawness” in the smell was too off-putting for us to rate it any higher.
Final rating: 4/5 Falcons
Roasted Cumin Lamb Skewer Flavor
These chips had a taste and smell that were very accurate to the description: meaty, mildly spiced and even hints of smokiness. While there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about them, they’re a safe and reliable choice. The lamb flavor might feel more familiar to most people, especially compared to more niche Asian seafood flavors. Overall, they are a solid snack.
Rating: 3.3/5 Falcons
Big Wave Potato Chip – Iron plate squid flavor
Like the name, these chips had broad, wavy ridges that made them more crunchy than crispy, with a thicker potato flavor. The classic seafood aroma was complemented with a touch of sweetness, and the flavor was somewhat familiar — like an ambiguous version of Pringles. The lighter taste made it easy to keep eating without overwhelming our taste buds.
The only downside is that the deep ridges made the chip slightly harder to bite, as they fit awkwardly between our teeth — but it was only a minute flaw that didn’t take away from our enjoyment. We’d choose this over American barbeque chips, making it our favorite flavor. Very addicting and would buy again!
Rating: 4.5/5 Falcons
Mexican chicken tomato flavor
The chips were coated in bright orange seasoning, giving a promising first impression of a flavorful chip. The tomato flavor was the standout, surprisingly sweet, while the chicken seemed to be AWOL. This was the first flavor we tried where the meat flavor played a secondary role as a savory complement, rather than the main deal. The flavor was pretty strong, so it’s not the type of chip you can stuff your face with. However, it’s definitely a flavor that most people would enjoy, though it was a bit too sweet for our liking.
Rating: 4/5 Falcons
Cucumber flavor
The cucumber flavor was our initial inspiration to try Chinese Lay’s in the first place. We couldn’t imagine how the distinctive crunchy texture and high water content of a cucumber would taste as artificial potato chip seasoning. Upon sniffing the bag, it smelled like oolong tea or seaweed.
The flavor was confusing. It was oddly sweet and surprisingly fresh, like biting into the skin of a crunchy cucumber. After a few seconds of chewing, the flavor faded, leaving just the taste of a regular potato chip, but a minty flavor lingered in the back of the throat as if we had chewed gum. Definitely an acquired taste.
Rating: 3/5 Falcons
The result of our deep dive: Some flavors were surprising but not as repulsive as we expected. There’s a reason these chips, made for Chinese customers, are sold in stores around the world — other cultures would likely enjoy these as well. Most of the flavors are inspired by Chinese dishes, and they do a great job of capturing the essence of those authentic flavors. The long-winded descriptions — translated from Chinese — are shockingly accurate, detailing exactly what the chips taste like instead of using catchy names. No need to worry about catfishing descriptions.
Compared to American Lay’s flavors like sea salt, barbeque and sour cream and onion, Asian Lay’s offers a lot more variety. Some are more mature, acquired tastes, like cucumber and wasabi octopus.
If you’re hoping to try something from our Asian Lay’s lineup, the safest bets that you’ll probably enjoy are numb and spicy hot pot, iron plate squid and Mexican chicken tomato flavor. If you’re willing to take an adventurous gamble, give the wasabi octopus flavor a shot!
