Calbee Crisp Potato Chips Ume Hoshi

Formed potato chips and acidic seasonings are a well-established combination — the firm, zakutto texture of the chip holds up against acidity in a way that thinner sliced chips don’t always manage, and the density of the formed chip means the sourness has more to work with.

Calbee leaned into this when developing the Ume Hoshi flavor, and the result is one of the more assertive seasonings in the Crisp lineup.

The ume flavor here is not background or decorative.

The plum powder, backed by bonito extract and salt, produces a genuinely sharp, sweet-sour profile that opens immediately and carries through the whole piece — closer to biting into an actual umeboshi than to a mild ume-flavored snack.

Reviewers consistently note the acidity as stronger than expected, which is precisely the calibration Calbee was aiming for: enough sourness to justify the name, softened just enough by the salt to keep it on the right side of pleasant.

The name “Ume Hoshi” is a deliberate double meaning: “ume hoshi” can mean “dried plum” — which is what umeboshi is — but it also refers to the star-shaped “Hoshi-gata Crisp” pieces that are randomly mixed into every bag.

Finding one is presented as a lucky discovery.

The packaging leans into this with a red background and an image of a glistening umeboshi, which is more accurate than most snack packaging tends to be.

A limited-edition run designed for ume lovers specifically, and not the version to reach for if you prefer your snacks on the mild side.

About this item
Item Name : Crisp Ume Hoshi
Brand : Calbee
Item Form : Potato Chips
Number of Items : 45g (Pack of 1)