Funny Cultural Differences in Snack Chips of India

Snack shopping in a foreign country is hilarious. Who knew that Lay’s potato chips made a popular flavor called “India’s Magic Masala” in Asia?

During our India tour, my brother eagerly bought a bag of the snack, shoved a handful of chippy goodness into his mouth then screamed: “SPICY!”

“What did you expect?” asked our guide with a grin. “Masala usually means spicy here!”

We moved down the snack aisle and came face to face with a snack called “Nylon Sev.” WHAT? Why would you desire nylon in your mouth? And what, pray tell, does “sev” mean? With terrified fascination, we placed the snack in our cart.

Onto the van we hopped, popping the bag open once we sat. We peered in. Nestled below the sparkly silver of the bag, the Nylon Sev stared up at us in thin golden curls.

“Wow,” I murmured. “How the heck do you eat it without getting covered in crumbs?”

My husband, Colin, bravely dove in, pouring a yellow stream of Nylon Sev into his hand. See it below? (And see his fake wedding ring that we busted out to stay low-risk during travel?) Colin brought his hand to his mouth and munched.

“Not bad!” he said. “Nylon Sev tastes… crispy.”

At that point, my brother, David, went wild on the bag. He scarfed it with delight, down to the crumbs.

So there you have it: Nylon Sev does not taste like a pair of wind pants!

What about you? Have you ever tried these snacks? Would you? What other foreign munchies have made you smile? (Besides chicken feet, of course…)