Wasabi Ginger Lay’s: Flavor Contest Chooses Asian Inspiration Over Cappuccino [Video]

Wasabi Ginger, Lay’s flavor contest winner, will officially be available on store shelves after an initial run beginning in July 2014 to allow potato chip aficionados to sample the treat. The spicy concoction beat out an intriguing and strange cappuccino creation and two other finalists to take home the grand prize.

Also vying for the attention of a potato-loving audience were the cheddar, bacon, mac & cheese potato chips and wavy mango salsa-flavored snack chips. Wasabi Ginger, Lay’s flavor contest winner, took home the lion’s share of votes in the competition, according to Tulsa’s NBC affiliate KJRH.

The Do Us A Flavor promotion invited consumers to invent their very own flavor combinations for Lay’s. Parent company PepsiCo. Inc. said more than a million votes were cast online by folks who wanted to weigh in on the four finalists. Of those million votes, Lay’s flavor contest winner, Wasabi Ginger, took home the greatest number on Facebook and Twitter.

The tangy heat of the wasabi combined with the hot, fragrant ginger reminded some taste-testers of sushi. Not surprisingly, a picture of sushi graces the front of the colorful wrapper for Lay’s flavor contest winner, Wasabi Ginger.

Concocting a new flavor combo for a jaded potato-chip eating crowd is a difficult task. It’s no wonder that PepsiCo. Inc. sets their fans free to design their own favorite instead of charging a team of industry professionals with the task. Would Lay’s very own employees have come up with something like Lay’s flavor contest winner Wasabi Ginger?

Wasabi Ginger, Lay’s flavor contest winner, was the brainchild of a registered nurse from Deptford, New Jersey named Meneko Spigner McBeth. For McBeth’s contribution to popular cuisine, the potato chip gourmet will receive a whopping $1 million, or a portion of proceeds from the sale of the chips, whichever is greater, reported NWCN.

Wasabi Ginger, Lay’s flavor contest winner, was one of the four flavors sent to those lucky individuals entrusted with the responsibility of engaging in their own personal taste test. Many of those taste testers took the time to post their findings online. For example, this clever YouTube video details not only the four flavors that competed for the attention of a chip-hungry public but also the specifics about contest rules, packaging and all-important overall taste.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, potato chips, or crisps, in Great Britain got their chance to arouse excitement when Walker’s crisp eaters had the opportunity to vote for flavors that included Cajun Squirrel, Crispy Duck, Onion Bhaji, Fish and Chips and Builder’s Breakfast. Walker’s is the name brand used for Lay’s in Great Britain. Fortunately, no squirrels were harmed in the making of the Cajun Squirrel potato crisps.

[Image Wasabi Ginger Lay’s flavor contest winner via Frito-Lay]