This International Lay's Flavor Was Every Bit As Terrible As Expected

Not so long ago, potato chips were a much simpler food. Until about 75 years ago, in fact, there weren't even any options beyond the plain salted variety. In the early 1950s, though, chip flavors like cheese and onion and salt and vinegar first hit shelves from the Irish brand Tayto. From there, of course, everything spiraled to the very edge of control, with all sorts of unique potato chip flavors reaching consumers nowadays. One such variety, a flavor pairing that perhaps never should have been, shows up in a few different Asian markets: Lay's durian-flavored potato chips.

For those not familiar with the durian fruit grown in Southeast Asia, it has a spiky exterior and a massive reputation. Deeply polarizing, it is often described as being "hell on the outside and heaven on the inside," thanks to its unique blend of sweet flavor, custardy texture, and exceptionally offensive aroma. The scent is often compared to hot garbage and rotting flesh, and is so pungent that durian is banned on public transit in many countries. Despite the odor, however, the fruit continues to be a delicacy, even now finding its way into bags of potato chips.

This combination may have been a step too far for the food scientists of the world, however. In our ranking of 21 international Lay's potato chip flavors, it came in dead last, and for all of the reasons that you would expect. Immediately upon opening the bag, the stink was apparent. The chips themselves were quite sweet, but the durian aroma was too powerful for our reviewer to even finish a single chip, spitting it out almost immediately.

These chips have been sold in a few different countries across Asia, popping up in places like Taiwan, Singapore, China, and Thailand. Durian-flavored products are not unusual in this part of the world, with things like candies and cookies making regular appearances on grocery store shelves. But while these products typically intrigue without repulsing, the same is not necessarily true for these fruit-flavored potato chips.

"The psychological effects will no doubt be prolonged and traumatic ... ," one Redditor wrote of their experience tasting these chips. Similar to Tasting Table's reviewer, the Reddit user was unable to eat even a single chip, but the taste lingered in their mouth. While some durian products focus on the sweet side of the durian spectrum, Lay's pulled no punches with aromatics. " ... A pretty accurate reproduction of the very worst parts of how durian smells," another dissatisfied customer shared on Reddit. Several other voices across the internet compare this flavor to a metaphorical "war crime" in the potato-sphere, while others dismiss it as simply culinary ragebait. As awful as these reviews are, however, to reach as many markets as they have, someone must be buying and enjoying these chips, right?

There may not be a lot of glowing reviews for durian-flavored potato chips out there — certainly nothing to counterbalance the fervor of the haters — but not everyone is against them. "They're reminiscent of durian nougat candy," wrote a Redditor, with others echoing the sentiment, calling them fruity and sweet, rather than pungent and repulsive. It may, like durian itself, be somewhat down to culture. As one user wrote on Reddit, "I don't hear any of my Asian fellows complaining. Good enough for me!"