Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat - Kyushu Limited Edition

So what is a Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat? It's Yuzu Citrus and Japanese Chili Flavor and it's a limited special edition from the island of Kyushu. Yuzu are small yellow citrus fruits that are similar to a mikan orange or grapefruit. The juice and rinds are used in many different recipes but I was told by the little old ladies giving them to me not to eat them like I would eat an orange. Instead they said I should put them in my bath to ward off colds. The traditional time to do this is the night of the winter solstice and it's supposed to bring you good luck and keep you healthy. I can't say if that's true or not because my yuzu are still in the kitchen waiting to be used up, but it's definitely yuzu season because everywhere I look there are yuzu products being offered. My favorite is a hot yuzu and honey drink.

Yuzu Kosho is a spicy sauce made with yuzu, green or red chili peppers, and salt. You can see all three pictured on the box of the Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat. I've not run into this in any cuisine I've tried but I would love to taste it. Japanese food isn't really known for being spicy so anything with a little more kick would be a welcome treat. This Kit Kat certainly had more kick than usual.

Like the other Regional Limited Edition Kit Kats this came in a box of 12 for 810 yen. Each mini is 67 calories. I bought this particular box in the train station in Kumamoto near the beginning of my trip. The Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat is made with a little bit darker chocolate than a regular Kit Kat - so right there it's already winning with me. It smells more like dark chocolate than it did of yuzu. The yuzu flavor is concentrated more in the chocolate and the chili is between the wafers. It starts off with a nice chocolate citrus flavor and ends with a spicy note. The more you eat the more the spiciness builds up.

I mentioned with the Wasabi Kit Kat that I would be interested in trying other spicy varieties of chocolate and this Kit Kat certainly fits that bill. Unlike the Wasabi Kit Kat, I really liked this one. Maybe it was the dark chocolate. Or maybe the addition of the yuzu to balance out the flavor or maybe it wasn't as spicy as the Wasabi Kit Kat but I really liked the Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat. It was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.

Because I bought this towards the beginning of my trip I started putting one or two in my purse to snack on throughout the day while I did touristy things in Aso, Beppu, and Fukuoka. Usually I have trouble getting through these larger boxes but I only have one of these left! If you get a chance to try these I say you take it.

Final Score: 8