Since 2015, Japanese potato chip giant Koikeya had been offering a chip featuring 100% Imakane Danshaku potatoes in ‘lightly salted’ and the standard Japanese flavor ‘nori seaweed flakes and salt’ exclusively on their online store.
Introducing them for the first time in brick-and-mortar locations, Koikeya has now decided to feature these famous Japanese potatoes so that consumers could enjoy the unadulterated tasted of Imakane Danshaku, which resulted in these limited-edition unsalted chips called ‘Japan Pride series’.
Danshaku potatoes, meaning “baron” potatoes, were named after Baron Ryukichi Kawata, the senior executive of an agricultural company in Hakodate, Hokkaido, who successfully imported and grew this potato at the turn of the 20th century. The potato proved to be so popular that danshaku potatoes now account for 60% of the entire domestic Japanese potato market.
Thick-skinned and starchy like other danshaku potatoes, the Imakane is sweeter and more flavorful, with a rich nutty aftertaste. In September 2019, the Imakane Danshaku was recognized for protection under the Geographical Indication Protection System.
Koikeya’s ‘Japan Pride Potato Imakane Danshaku Unslated’ Chips are now available at stores across Japan. The price is listed as “open” on Koikeya’s press release, but the chips have been seen at online retailers such as yodobashi.com for 321 yen (USD3).
