Since the first Kit Kat was launched, the brand has produced over 300 limited edition flavors in Japan. The first specialty flavor was green tea.
Kit Kat in Japan
Much of the variety of Japanese Kit Kats comes from chef Yasumasa Takagi. He opened a Kit Kat Chocolatory in Japan and started experimenting with flavors. The company has jumped on board with producing and selling them. They’ve opened up 7 other Cholatories in the country.
What kind of flavors are we talking about here? Well, there are high-end orange-chocolate rum, sweet potato, and cheesecake flavors. But there are also regional flavors made from locally sourced ingredients. You have almost no chance of being able to buy those if you live in another country.
According to the website Japan Based (cited below):
“For instance, in southwestern Japan, you’ll often find Ocean Salt Kit Kats made with sea salt taken directly from the Seto Inland sea. Alternately, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, you’re more likely to find Purple Sweet Potato Kit Kats locally produced on the island itself.”
Manufacturing funky flavors
Nestlé produces some limited-edition flavors for sale to slightly larger audiences. “Any excess product is usually saved and sold in gift bags called ‘fukubukuro,’ a Japanese New Year tradition where merchants sell grab bags of confections at discounted prices.”
While some of these are pretty strange, it’s all quite a creative endeavor.
Would you try an Azuki (red bean) Kit Kat? How about Brown sugar syrup? Hot Japanese chili? Saké?
We’d be happy to try a Cherry blossom or Caramel macchiato Kit Kat. But we’d be more hesitant about a Soy sauce-flavored Kit Kat.
But it looks like we’re alone on that. In 2010, soy sauce was the best-selling Kit Kat flavor. — WTF fun facts
Source: “The Craziest Kit Kat Flavors in Japan” — Japan Based
