Soda Kit Kat Redux

If you remember from my Soda Kit Kat review I was confused about which soda Nestle was trying to emulate with this candy bar. I guessed Creme Soda at the time but that was because I hadn't done my research. It's true that if you type "ramune" into a Japanese dictionary it will return the result of "soda" but that doesn't fully explain what "ramune" is. After my friend Miyuki tried the Soda Kit Kat and told me it tasted just like "ramune" did I even think to look into it more.

Turns out ramune is a popular Japanese soda sold in summertime. It's a lemon-lime flavored pop that comes in a special codd-neck bottle with a marble that floats around inside (and sometimes knocks you in the teeth if you aren't careful.) The word "ramune" is actually a very poor rendering of the English word lemonade into Japanese. (This makes more sense if you remember that R's and L's sound exactly the same in Japanese.) Once I realized I had missed a pretty vital piece of the Soda Kit Kat puzzle, I decided it was time to try again. How exactly did the Ramune Kit Kat stack up against a bottle of Ramune?

The Kit Kat had just as strong an aroma as I remembered. And upon smelling the ramune I decided that I was a little off with the creme soda; it definitely smelled very similar to ramune. The taste was a different matter. The ramune did have a lemon-lime flavor but it wasn't a very strong flavor and it wasn't as fizzy as I generally expect pop to be. Overall it tasted like a watered down Sprite - not exactly my favorite. The Ramune Kit Kat on the other hand had a much stronger flavor that I really enjoyed. It was sweet, sour, and even a little fruity. Others have said they thought it tasted like bubble gum but I still think it reminds me more of Fruity Pebbles cereal than bubble gum. I think I might have liked the ramune better if it hadn't tasted so watered down, and it might just be a case of me needing to try a different brand. But for now the Ramune Kit Kat wins in a contest between the two.

On a side note I've also tried the Soda Garigarikun (a popular popsicle that also comes in many flavors) and while it doesn't come anywhere close to the awesomeness that is the Pineapple Gargarikun, it is still pretty tasty. I can only conclude that the Japanese idea of "soda" taste is something I like.