Japan is experiencing a potato shortage. Caused by typhoons that hit Hokkaido last summer, the result is that potato chips have become scarce across the country. Well, at least some varieties. Though a handful of styles and flavors remain relatively plentiful, other fan favorites have vanished from shelves. If you have a spare packet of Pizza Potato chips handy, you might be able to make some scratch online.

But look on the bright side: This is the perfect opportunity to try an altogether new variety. How about Calbee's new Yuzu Kosho Chicken flavor chips? A check of my local convenience stores found them in plenty, and they feature a nice mix of tastes you normally don't see on the snack aisle. During these trying times, picking up a bag of these (¥152) might help soothe the spud-induced sorrow.

It helps that this flavor tastes pretty good. The dominant flavors are of the yuzu koshō, which lends each chip a tang of citrus with a slightly spicy aftertaste. The chicken half of the flavor is far more subtle, detectable in each crisp but never getting in the way of the far tastier yuzu part.

Instead, it adds a slight smokiness. It winds up being a great balance, and makes these far more than a novelty to reach for during times of (culinary) emergency.