Ajigen Mos Burger Potato Stick, Teriyaki and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Flavour - Best Gourmet Potato Sticks

I came across one of the most intriguing Japanese potato stick flavours I've ever seen - Mos Burger Teriyaki with Gorgonzola Blue Cheese and Cream Cheese flavour. I did not think it would make a difference whether the burger was from Mos Burger or any other brand. But this one was officially supervised by the Mos Burger team. There's also another flavour in the series that is the same Mos Burger Teriyaki Chicken Burger but without the Gorgonzola or cream cheeses.

Ajigen Mos Burger Potato Stick, Teriyaki and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Flavour - packaging

So did it live up to its name? Not on the first bite, but I started noticing how accurate and complex it was and was super impressed when I tried it again the next day.

It's actually like a Michelin star level potato snack due to its nuance and a premium gourmet experience. It's mindboggling how they could pack so many different distinguishable flavours (miso-shoyu teriyaki, mayonnaise, cream cheese and Gorgonzola) into a room-temperature snack with just powdered seasoning.

First, let's take a look at the ingredients list (click the photo to enlarge). There are 2 types of cheese ingredients - cheese powder and "Teriyaki-style" cream cheese seasoning. Everything else is mysteriously tucked under "teriyaki burger seasoning". The other ingredients are generic flavourings such as sucralose, Stevia (this is quite interesting as it's a sugar replacement) and so on. The potatoes are non-GMO from China.

Ajigen Mos Burger Potato Stick, Teriyaki and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Flavour - ingredients list and description

Visually, it looked normal, except for some flecks of black, which is probably pepper from some seasoning.

Ajigen Mos Burger Potato Stick, Teriyaki and Gorgonzola Blue Cheese Flavour - potato stick close-up

At first, I did not think so much about the specific burger and just popped it into my mouth, expecting a very strong teriyaki taste, like those heavily seasoned Western potato chips with ranch flavour or something. But that was not the case - it seemed like a generic peppery and cheesy snack seasoning, and even the potato taste was not particularly strong. I also did not initially notice the blue cheese part.

But the next day, with fresh taste buds and a cleansed palate, I paid more attention, and it was an amazing replica of that specific Mos Burger Teriyaki Chicken Burger taste. You HAVE to have tried that EXACT burger to understand. Mos Burger's teriyaki chicken patty has quite a specific taste - it's got quite a lot of umami (because they add miso, according to the snack's packaging), the chicken tastes a bit like a chicken broth cube and the soy sauce is not too dark but rather sweeter and more fragrant. And that EXACT taste combination was present, although it was kind of mild.

Secondly, I could taste the slight tang and creaminess of the mayonnaise, which is a default condiment on their Teriyaki Chicken burger. 

Thirdly, I began to pay attention to the cheese taste a bit more, and I would have to say that it does taste more cheesy and slightly darker compared to shallow nacho cheese seasonings. Perhaps this is the "earthy" or buttery-nutty aspect that people describe of Gorgonzola. Like how mature cheeses tend to have this stronger fermented milk taste. The cheese flavour was quite full and rounded, but not in a cloying way.

The only thing that I did not understand was that the pepper taste was more prominent in this snack, but I did not remember it in the original teriyaki chicken burger.

Here's a video for a better feel.

Overall, all these tastes are not done heavily, but with a lot of finesse, and are quite mild and complex on the edges, which is why I did not notice it at first when I approached it like a normal mass market potato chip. I suppose if they had just doused it heavily with all the flavours, you probably would not have been able to pick out the nuances of the Gorgonzola, the mayonnaise or the miso-teriyaki chicken, because the heavy tastes would have drowned each other out.

In short, this is actually a premium gourmet snack, and you should approach it like you're trying a gourmet meal to pay attention to the nuances. That's why I am currently calling it the best gourmet potato sticks, until I try another more impressive one. Don't expect it to be like a run-off-the-mill potato chip with heavy-handed seasoning. This has totally made me want to look out for the sister flavour without the cheese.

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