I was in Shizuoka two weekends ago and because I almost left my luggage on one train and had to sprint back to get it before it left without me, I missed my next train and had to hang around the station for an extra 30 minutes or so. And that's when I came across the Wasabi Kit Kat - a Shizuoka special.
Wasabi is known as the Japanese horseradish and has a strong flavor that can open your sinus cavities if you have a cold. I'm personally a fan. I like it with my sushi and sashimi. And apparently most of it is grown on the Izu peninsula in Shizuoka.
But while I like it with sushi, I never quite imagined it as a Kit Kat flavor. Although there is a precedent for adding spicy things to chocolate. There is Mexican Hot Chocolate, a favorite of my friend Kristin. You can buy bars of Hot Chili Pepper Chocolate. And then there's my hometown speciality - Skyline Chili - secret ingredients: cinnamon and chocolate.
Wasabi is known as the Japanese horseradish and has a strong flavor that can open your sinus cavities if you have a cold. I'm personally a fan. I like it with my sushi and sashimi. And apparently most of it is grown on the Izu peninsula in Shizuoka.
But while I like it with sushi, I never quite imagined it as a Kit Kat flavor. Although there is a precedent for adding spicy things to chocolate. There is Mexican Hot Chocolate, a favorite of my friend Kristin. You can buy bars of Hot Chili Pepper Chocolate. And then there's my hometown speciality - Skyline Chili - secret ingredients: cinnamon and chocolate.
The Wasabi Kit Kat comes in a box of 12 like the other regional specialties and each bar is 69 calories. They are light green in color. They smell sweet like white chocolate but with a hint of wasabi underneath. But while the scent is subtle the flavor is not. This Kit Kat doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the wasabi, with wasabi flavored chocolate and wasabi flavored cream between the wafers. The sweetness of the white chocolate and wafer battles it out in your mouth with the hotness of the wasabi. It's just shy of being too much wasabi. Any more and you'd be grabbing for your water.
For me, it was a little too much. If I had that much wasabi with my sushi I would probably dial it back a bit and I would have liked less here as well. In fact, I don't see myself finishing this box anytime soon. I didn't even finish the two bars I usually eat when writing a review. But it was definitely interesting to try the spicy and sweet combination. I sometimes complain that some of the crazy flavors of Kit Kat are too sweet but this definitely wasn't one of them. I would be interested in trying some more spicy chocolate combos.
What do you think? Do you like your chocolate spicy?
Final Score: 4
For me, it was a little too much. If I had that much wasabi with my sushi I would probably dial it back a bit and I would have liked less here as well. In fact, I don't see myself finishing this box anytime soon. I didn't even finish the two bars I usually eat when writing a review. But it was definitely interesting to try the spicy and sweet combination. I sometimes complain that some of the crazy flavors of Kit Kat are too sweet but this definitely wasn't one of them. I would be interested in trying some more spicy chocolate combos.
What do you think? Do you like your chocolate spicy?
Final Score: 4
A lot of people go for chili chocolate and hot spicy things, but it's not really my cup of tea. Still, I'd probably try this if I ran across it!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I would like to try it, I can't bring myself to do so. Instead I will get my other half to test it out if there is ever a chance to sample some.
ReplyDeleteVosges also makes a wasabi (dark) chocolate bar. It is not bad!
ReplyDeleteHmm...I would definitely try these, but I prefer chili heat to wasabi heat.
I'm not a huge lover of spicy chocolate but i've only ever had milk/dark- so i'm intrigued if this one is a white choc base as i guess it could offset the sweetness quite a bit? They have a spicy chilli dark one out don't they too, must be the season for spices!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to put my next order in for some more KK's- have you tried/come across the green tea chunky ones or the wholegrain or sparkling strawberry ones- agh there's so many i want/need to try!
x
Ebidebby - they do? I didn't see it in their store when I was there this summer. I would be interested in trying the dark chocolate wasabi. I really liked the Bacon Chocolate I bought there, but salty chocolate is a whole other ballgame from spicy chocolate. :-)
ReplyDeleteEllie - I'll be reviewing the wholegrain one soon but I haven't seen any of the others you mentioned. If you try them let me know!
Thanks everyone for reading and commenting!
I've just had the Wasabi Kit Kat for the first time, and it's probably my favorite candy. I didn't find it at all hot, really only the wasabi flavor. I hate spicy foods, and regular wasabi is waaaaay too hot for me, but this was fantastic.
ReplyDeletethis is questlove.
ReplyDeletea friend of mine hipped me to this blog via twitter.
wow i thought i was saying something with my kit kat
discoveries.
but you are the kit kat gangsta!
imma scour the earth for these kit kats.
-thanks!
Robert - I'm glad you enjoyed it. I like spicy chocolate but I think I prefer it with dark rather than the white chocolate they used with this Kit Kat. To each their own!
ReplyDeletequestlove - Thanks for the linkage! I checked my stats today and was floored. I hope you can find and try many kit kats. Part of the fun is searching for them but if you need a fix outside of Japan then I suggest www.napajapan.com or www.jlist.com.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hello, I live in Tokyo and would like to know where I could buy the most different kinds of Kit Kats :D I came across a shop one day, but when I went back, they had disappeared, please!! I need your help >w<''!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you :D
Charlotte
Oh and here is my email if you wish to contact me ^^
ReplyDeletecharlotteprevost@noos.fr
Thanks :D
I finally tried this one -- and I have to agree with Robert, there is wasabi flavour, but it really was rather mild, a tap on the shoulder rather than a kick in the pants.
ReplyDeleteA little bit more wasabi, but with dark chocolate, could be a great combination, though!
Charlotte - You just have to persevere and look in as many different conbinis as you can. They cycle them in and out so you have to snatch them up when they are available because before you know it they have moved on to the next Kit Kat flavor. If you want regional limited editions then Tokyo Station has several different varieties so try there for those.
ReplyDeleteTom - Everyone has their own tolerance when it comes to spiciness and apparently I am a sissy when it comes to wasabi. I would love to try a dark chocolate variety - something that was more chocolate than wasabi though. ;-)
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I found some at NRT Terminal 1 in the duty free shop. They were not cheap, though. I think something like 900 yen for the box in the picture above.
ReplyDeleteOh man!! I JUST came back from Japan 2 weeks ago and bought as many 'weird' kitkat flavours as I could I try them. I didn't find the wasabi spicy at all. I shared the box with my friends and we had to look really hard for the hint of wasabi - no kick at all for us. Maybe we lucked out. =( We were really anticipating the spiciness of wasabi with the sweet choco. For us, the wasabi flavour was like an after-thought saying, "peekaboo! Here I am." in a fading voice.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Nagoya and I bought it thinking it was the Green Tea flavoured KitKats.. it's not that bad. It has an interesting taste.
ReplyDeleteOh i'm very interested to try this, if only you can custom purchase me i would be very thanksfull >.<
ReplyDeleteHey everyone, Im from the UK living in Japan and my sister loves Kitkat so it is my mission to get her as many different kitkats as I can.
ReplyDeleteSo far I have got: 1) Aloe Vera 2) Pudding 3) Tiramisu 3) Blueberry 4) Strawberry 5) Milk Tea 6) Bitter Chocolate 7) Green Tea 8) Passion Fruit 9) European Cheese
I really want to get Wasabi Kitkat (please email me if anyone knows if I can get this in Osaka) and my buddy once saw Mayonnaise Kitkat.
Please email me with any streange Kitkats you've seen, where you saw them and how much.
Thanks Huggy
huggy93@gmail.com
ёбаный стыд!))
ReplyDeletesee what japan does? while we in the states have our salaries ripped for yet another oil war. :(
ReplyDeleteenvy.