When I walked into Jacob’s Trade in Thekkady to get myself a bottle of cold water, I couldn’t help but notice the stack of potato chips that contained pretty much all the colors of the rainbow!

Here in Southern India, you can find many unique flavors of potato chips that you wouldn’t find in the States: “India’s Magic Masala,” “West Indies’ Hot ‘n’ Sweet Chilli,” “Spanish Tomato Tango,” “Chile Limon,” and even “Mastana Mango”! It is interesting to see how even regular Lay’s chips are all spiced up with the seasonings that are loved in India.

Although I know it was a far from health conscious decision, I ended up picking up six bags at the store, for only 10 Rupees each–the equivalent of about 15 cents a bag. So far, my favorite has been West Indies’ Hot ‘n’ Sweet Chilli. It reminds me of sweet and sour sauce with a hint of spicy. India’s Magic Masala tastes like a combination of all the different spicy Indian foods I’ve eaten here. It was interesting, but too salty and strong for my taste buds. Spanish Tomato Tango is pretty much like eating potato chips with ketchup. Chile Limon tastes like citrusy hot sauce. I am going to go back in a couple days to try all the rest of the exotic flavors I can only find in India.

These chips also reminded me of some interesting flavored snacks available Korea, where I was born and raised. Shrimp, octopus, seaweed, ramen, pepper paste, and sweet potato flavored chips are some of the more strange options that can be easily found at supermarkets. Snacks in Korea also tend to be a little spicy and full of zest as well, so I’m feeling quite at home during my stay here!