Calbee Jagariko Cod Roe Butter

Cod Roe Butter is the Jagariko that requires a brief moment of trust. Mentaiko and butter on a potato stick sounds like a flavour combination that someone invented on a dare, the kind of thing you describe to a friend and watch their face do something complicated. And then you hand them the cup and watch that complicated expression slowly resolve into quiet, slightly embarrassed enthusiasm. Because it works. It absolutely, completely, infuriatingly works.

The briny, spicy kick of the mentaiko hits first, followed immediately by the rich, savory warmth of butter smoothing everything out into a flavour that is somehow both bold and balanced at the same time. The potato stick does its usual dependable job of delivering each seasoned bite with a satisfying crunch, and the cup does its usual dependable job of being empty before you are ready for it to be. Originally a regional Kyushu flavour that proved so popular it refused to stay regional, Cod Roe Butter is proof that the Japanese snack industry rewards ambition. And that mentaiko goes with absolutely everything.