Junk Food

I love junk food. To be more specific, I love potato chips and corn chips the most. But, that was back in Canada when I didn't know any better about the other kinds of "chips", or crunchy junk foods to be found.

I can go for months without having any junk food at all. And, that's a good thing as I love the stuff so much I would be over 150kg's (that's over 300lbs for those of you still stuck with imperial measurements) if I ate the stuff all the time. So, after a few months of not eating any junk food, there will be a week, or two, of "measured" face stuffing. And, by measured, I mean a large 180gr bag will last me an entire week of a few chips per night along with some healthy stuff like yogurt afterwards.

As I intimated earlier, chips were my thing. Now, it's a new type of crunchy "chip". In this case, they are shrimp flavored chips shaped like French fries. If you have ever eaten at a real Chinese restaurant before, you will know these things as the round, multi-colored, chips they serve with certain foods. They are flavored with shrimp and are just another deep fried slice of something (I have no idea what they are made of). Here in South Korea, there are entire aisles of chip styled junk foods. This was one of the ones I tried, amongst many, that I liked very much. Most of the stuff are potato chip and corn chip based just like in North America along with other things never before seen. I think most of it is similar stuff just in different shapes and/or colors. But, having found this one that I like very much, I have no need to experiment with other things for the time being.

The chips themselves are really nice and have a nice crunch to them, but they are not too hard textured as to leave your mouth feeling lacerated and/or shredded by too hard a chip like potato, or corn chips, have a tendency to do. The flavor is nice and subtle and does not disappear when you eat too many of them as your taste buds have a tendency to over saturate with flavors that are too intense. That's why the first bite of something is usually the best bite of all as the initial flavor explosion leaves all later bites over powered and a bit lacking in that initial impact.

Now, one thing to note that is very, very, different with Korean chips, and Korean food in general, is the extremely low levels of salt used in the foods, even in junk food. Whereas ALL North American junk food kills your taste buds with salt and other chemicals, the stuff here is very mild and subtle. There is actual TASTE in the food, and junk food, that is absent in North America where the predominant flavors are TOO SALTY, TOO SWEET, or TOO SOUR.

Just like milk chocolate in North America that is way over sweetened to the point where there is no real chocolate flavor in it, only SWEET. Gone is the luscious, smooth, flowing flavors of real chocolate and the melt in your mouth, almost sensual, explosion of chocolate taste that overpower ones senses. It's almost impossible to find unless you avoid like the plague milk chocolate and stick to semi-sweet and/or dark chocolate by European makers like Lindt, or custom chocolatiers like Godiva, etc. Although, even these well known makers are now veering too close to the lack of taste and the TOO SWEET side of things. Shame on them!

Anyways, the point of all this is the discovery of a new chip for me and a new junk food that I enjoy once in a while when the mood strikes. For those of you here, try them. I know the shrimp flavor might sound gross to some people not accustomed to the flavor, but they really are very good and not as bad as the name might imply.

Highly Recommended.

Locations: Most large grocery stores like Home Plus, E-Mart, Lotte Mart, Grande Mart, corner convenience stores, etc.

Cost: A hair over W1000 per 180gr bag.