These Shrimp Chips Have Costco Shoppers Divided

Shopping at Costco is an adventure. Is your favorite snack food going to be in stock today, or not? And if it isn't at your local Costco, when will it finally come back? And why does a Costco in Michigan have it, if yours doesn't?

This conversation doesn't happen only inside your head, either. These dramas play out all the time among members of the Costco fanbase on social media. One of the latest hot items to make a splash online is SoKusa's shrimp chips, which happened to show up recently at Instagram user @costcobuy's local store in Michigan. "Finally!! After seeing tons of you guys share these shrimp chips with me, they've FINALLY come to my Costco!" @costcobuy told his 293,000 followers on November 30. "Are you guys fans?"

Most of the commenters indicated they were fans of the chips, calling them "yummy," "addicting," and "so frikin good." If you've never tried shrimp chips, try not to picture potato chips because they're not that at all. They're made from tapioca flour, palm oil, and real shrimp. They're crunchy at first bite but are so light and airy they practically melt in your mouth (via Costcuisine). The one-pound bag sells in much of the U.S. for $6.99. "I ate a bag of these in 3-4 days, dangerous," Reddit user Midnight-Diamond said. But not everyone's taste buds agree.

A few people on social media wanted to know how SoKusa shrimp chips compared with another popular brand, Calbee shrimp chips. "They're different, both texture wise and flavor wise," Reddit user hamzzihae said. "The Calbee ones ... have a more pungent shrimp flavor. ... I definitely do think this (SoKusa) is more Westernized." On a different Reddit post about the SoKusa chips, user heckdoggo111111 said, "My Korean family loves these! As a Korean American, I've had my fair share of shrimp chips. These ones are such a great price for how much you get."

Shrimp chips aren't for everyone. Two commenters on @costcobuy's post responded coolly with "OK" and "these weren't so good." The Canadian Costco reviewer Costcuisine gave the chips a definite thumbs-down. The chips are butter and garlic flavored, in addition to having a shrimp taste so subtle some people can't even detect it.

Costcuisine was pleased that neither the garlic nor the shrimp flavor was overpowering. Still, she couldn't get past the second chip. Perhaps bringing too much Western bias to her review, Costcuisine thought garlic and butter shrimp chips would translate into sour cream and onion potato chips: "I love sour cream and onion chips but this flavor just wasn't doing it for me, and I'd much rather just eat sour cream and onion chips." 

To find out when and where SoKusa shrimp chips will show up next, follow the company's Instagram page, @happyshrimpchips.