Jen Ken's Kit Kat Blog

Tiramisu Kit Kat

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not a huge fan of Italian food (or what Americans like to think of as Italian food at any rate.) But I do like Italian desserts, including tiramisu, which is why even though I tried this a few years ago I went ahead and bought the Tiramisu Kit Kat mini when I had the chance. I was a little afraid that it was going to be a repackaged version of the Cafe Au Lait or Milk Coffee but I was pleasantly surprised. The Tiramisu Kit Kat actually tastes a lot like tiramisu. Hats off to you Nestle!

The Tiramisu Kit Kat has 69 calories and is made with white chocolate. It smells like coffee and it tastes like it too. But the coffee isn't overpowering, just as isn't in a good tiramisu. The bitterness of the coffee balances very nicely with the sweetness of the white chocolate. There are hints of vanilla and cinnamon in the mix as well. The only thing lacking is that it's impossible in a Kit Kat to capture the texture of tiramisu, which is really just as important as the flavor in my opinion. That aside I will say that this is a fantastic tasting Kit Kat. I would definitely try this one again and encourage you to pick them up if you can still find them.

How about you? Do you like tiramisu?

Final Score: 9

Pumpkin Cheesecake Kit Kat

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

'Tis the season for pumpkin and other fall flavors. Around here that means lots of pumpkin with Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin roll, etc. I even tried pumpkin frozen yogurt the other day which tasted absolutely nothing like pumpkin. The high school kid student behind the cash register said it tasted like "old vanilla coke." I told her she probably wanted to work on her sales pitch but she was essentially right. It didn't taste like pumpkin - kind of like the latest seasonal Kit Kat. I'm sorry to break your autumn loving hearts but the Pumpkin Cheesecake Kit Kat tastes nothing like pumpkin.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake Kit Kat has 68 calories and is made with yellow tinted white chocolate. It smells slightly of cheese, which after my encounter with the so disgusting I could hardly swallow it Cheese Kit Kat, had me a little worried. It tastes much better than the Cheese Kit Kat but the emphasis is on the Cheesecake part of Pumpkin Cheesecake and less on the Pumpkin. There was just a hint of spice in the creme that reminded me of pumpkin pie although it was too subtle for me to pinpoint what it was. I'm going to guess ginger.

Overall it was very blah. It reminded me of the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat. That one too was more cheesecake than blueberry and not the better for it. Personally I think if Nestle wants to cash in on fall flavors they should go with Apple Cinnamon Cider Kit Kat.

What are your favorite fall flavors?

Final Score: 5

Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

I think I finally need to admit to myself that I will never stop buying Strawberry Kit Kats. I say every time - THIS IS THE LAST ONE! And every time I see one available it's just different enough. You know why they keep releasing Strawberry Kit Kats? Because people like me buy them up. Damn you Nestle Marketing Team for making me buy your boring products every time!

In the past I have been taken in with Strawberry Cake, Sparkling Strawberry, and most recently Strawberry Hazelnut. Today I'm reviewing Bitter Strawberry. I've been home for Japan for just over a year now so it took me a second to remember that bitter is how the Japanese call dark chocolate. They didn't just decide to take some rotten and bitter strawberries and make a new Kit Kat. (Although maybe that will be later.) This ploy, of course, was why I couldn't resist this one. I can say no to white chocolate Kit Kat but a dark one? Never!

The Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat is made with dark chocolate and comes in the Big Kit Kat bar with 242 calories. I'm not a huge fan of the Big Kit Kats. I find them to be drier than the regular sized or minis due to the higher wafer to creme ratio but this one while still dry was pretty good. It smells of fake strawberry (I don't think they'll ever get the smell right) and reminded me of Capn Crunch crunch berries. The bitterness of the dark chocolate balanced nicely with the sweetness of the strawberry creme. Really the only thing that would make this better would be to release it in a smaller size so we lose the dryness of the Big Kit Kat. I liked it. I would eat it again. If Nestle is going to insist on releasing Strawberry flavors then this one is near the top of the pack.

Final Score: 8

Contest!

2011-09-16T09:00:00.003-04:00

Nestle Japan is offering to bring back one past favorite flavor in December based on internet votes at their website. The winning flavor will come back in December. You can vote up to three times a day for your favorite flavor. You can vote for the following 20 flavors:

Almond Kit Kat
Strawberry Kit Kat (dear God, please no!)
Orange Kit Kat
Green Tea Kit Kat
Lemon Cheesecake Kit Kat
White Kit Kat
White Maple Kit Kat*
Cherry Blossom Kit Kat
Azuki Bean Kit K atVanilla Bean Kit Kat*
Kinako Kit Kat
Caramel Pudding Kit Kat
Salt & Vanilla Kit Kat*
Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat
Pudding Kit Kat
Tiramisu Kit Kat
Salt & Caramel Kit Kat
Cocoa Kit Kat*
Strawberry Cake Kit Kat
Black Sugar and Kinako Kit Kat

This has inspired me to host a comment contest of my own. Let me know in the comments which flavor you'd like to see come back. Once the Nestle contest ends I'll select a random comment and send that person whichever throwback flavor Nestle brings back (and maybe a few more from my collection.)

And go vote for your favorite flavor at the Nestle Japan website! There are two Strawberry and two Pudding flavors in there - we can't let them re-release those for the 21323423th time!

*Haven't been reviewed on this blog so I'll be voting for these.

Cafe au Lait Kit Kat

2011-09-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

I have to admit that this is one that has been sitting on my desk for a long time so if you read this and hope to eat it then I'm afraid it might be long gone by now. I went through a phase this last year where Kit Kats simply didn't interest me. Do you blame me? I've eaten a LOT of Kit Kats in the last two years. But I finally got back to some really great Kit Kats again this summer, including the Cafe au Lait Kit Kat.

I've tried, and really liked, other coffee Kit Kats in the past. The Cafe Au Lait Kit Kat promises to be extra special since the Lait in this Cafe au Lait is from Hokkaido. If you want to sell anything to do with dairy in Japan the best way to do it is to promise it is from Hokkaido. They have very happy cows up there producing the best butter, milk, and cheese in the country.

The Cafe au Lait is a mini Kit Kat and has 69 calories. It is made with white chocolate although it has a light brown tint to it. It smelled strongly of coffee. The coffee flavor was in both the chocolate and the cream, giving it a nice bitter bite to the sweetness of the white chocolate that I loved. It tasted just like a cafe au lait, although with more cafe than lait. I loved it the first time and I loved it again with the Hokkaido milk. I heartily suggest this Kit Kat to any coffee lovers out there.

Score: 9

Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat

2011-09-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

Why oh why does Nestle keep making Strawberry Kit Kats? Probably because despite my promising not to buy anymore I still find myself buying them all. The latest strawberry incarnation I've tried is the Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat. At least there was something other than just strawberry going for it. At least that's what I told myself as I paid for shipping and handling for yet another strawberry Kit Kat.

Like the Cookies and Cream Kit Kat, the Strawberry Hazelnut Kit Kat comes in a box of 6 petits each with 25 calories. Hazelnut and chocolate is a no-brainer. Anyone who loves Nutella can attest to that. And strawberry and chocolate is Nestle's trusty standby, so I knew that despite it being yet another strawberry Kit Kat that this was something I looked forward to.

Upon opening the wrapper there was a strong fake strawberry smell. The chocolate itself is strawberry flavored with the hazelnut in the creme. The creme was very creamy and the hazelnut flavor kept the strawberry chocolate from being overwhelming. In truth this might as well have been named the Hazelnut Strawberry Kit Kat since there was more hazelnut than strawberry in my opinion. The small bites also prevented it from being too sweet since there was little danger of overdoing it. Overall, it was a great tasting Kit Kat. If you're going to try a strawberry version, I would recommend this one for sure.

Final Score: 7

Another lover of Kit Kats

2011-08-31T10:00:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note encouraging you to check out fellow Kit Kat blogger haikugirl at My Kit Kats. She has several varieties of Kit Kat I haven't tried including Kit Kat ice cream, Kit Kat in yogurt, and a Kit Kat branded daruma.

Cookies and Cream Kit Kat

2011-08-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

Although I'm obviously a fan of chocolate candy bars, Kit Kats especially, my real weakness are cookies. I always request a cookie cake for my birthday. My favorite ice cream flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough and cookies and cream. So I really appreciate it anytime Nestle decided to put the two things I love - Kit Kats and cookies - together, this time with the Cookies and Cream Kit Kat.

The Cookies and Cream Kit Kat are really petits. Very small, no more than just a bite, and only 24 calories each, they are made with white chocolate with bits of chocolate cookie mixed in. The cookies are obviously meant to be Oreos although it's not explicitly stated since there appears to be no tie in with Nabisco. The cookie bits are good and give the bar a little extra crunch. They actually taste just like cookies and cream ice cream but in candy bar form. Although they might be better straight from the refrigerator, I haven't tried it cold yet. It did make me want some ice cream so this could be a pretty good substitute if you aren't near an ice cream shop.

There are 6 small bites in each box so you can eat all six with a little guilt or just eat a few at a time with none at all. I ate two and plan on putting the others in the freezer to see if getting them cold doesn't make them even more like cookies and cream ice cream.

Final Score: 8

New(ish) Kit Kats

2011-06-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

There are several new...ish varieties of Kit Kats out there to track down and try...if you've just started eating Japanese Kit Kats. If you've been at this awhile, and I have, then you will recognize some of these as regional varieties who are getting some time on the main stage. Some of them are just getting their second (or fifth or sixth) chance at it.

If you missed the regional varieties because you don't have an awesome friend named Marie who traveled to Hokkaido to bring you back Kit Kat then this is your chance to try them. I'm not sure there's any urgency on the Pudding Kit Kat. I can guarantee that will be back again, but the Tiramisu might be worth a try. Either way, I won't be reviewing them again but I've linked to my first reviews below.

Edamame Zunda Kit Kat (once a regional Kit Kat from Tohoku.)

Yubari Melon Kit Kat (once a regional Kit Kat from Hokkaido.)

Custard Pudding Kit Kat (released several times various ways and only strawberry beats it in the so tired of it category.)

Tiramisu Kit Kat (I reviewed this one once before very early on and I'm still on the fence whether to try it again. In the meantime you can laugh at my early attempts at blogging or wish for the days when I was less verbose and got on with the chocolate reviewing.)

And because I'm trying to stick to my no more Strawberry Kit Kats rule I am definitely not reviewing the Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat even if it does look slightly intriguing. Instead I will point you to someone who isn't forced to pay international shipping for the pleasure of yet another Strawberry Kit Kat. Check out Orchid64's take on the Bitter Strawberry Kit Kat at her blog Japanese Snack Reviews.

That's all for now! If you've seen anything I've missed let me know!

Strawberry Cake Kit Kat

2011-06-07T16:46:00.000-04:00

It's summer in Ohio and that means big red smokies, baked beans, corn on the cob and my favorite - strawberry short cake. In Japan it's not the time for strawberries or strawberry cake - that would be at Christmas which explains why this Kit Kat has been out for awhile. However, I'm on a Midwest America schedule so that's my excuse for why I've just gotten around to trying it. Also because I just can't get excited about another strawberry Kit Kat.

This incarnation - the Strawberry Cake Kit Kat - comes in minis that have 68 calories each and are made with white chocolate. They smell faintly of strawberry and are alight pink color. The idea is that they should taste like strawberry cake - the very sweet confection that the Japanese eat at Christmas. There isn't much of a "cake" taste per say, unless you count the wafers but the strawberry is muted and there is a definite hint of whipped cream in there. It's not bad. Actually it's pretty good. It's just that we've seen strawberry time and time again and I'm running out of things to say. If you get the chance to try - go for it. If you've tried the other million strawberry Kit Kats Nestle has put out then you won't miss anything by giving this a pass.

Final Score: 7

Mikan Big Little Kit Kat

2011-03-31T17:57:00.000-04:00

It's getting harder and harder for me to buy Kit Kats. When I was in Japan I could rationalize purchasing just about anything. I would buy Strawberry Kit Kats with only the slightest of variations if I found them in the 7-11 across the street. Purin Kit Kats in different incarnations - Chunky, Little, Mini, Regular from the Sunkus next to Toyohashi Station were a snore after awhile but they were there so why not?

Now that I'm back in the States and buying my Kit Kats online the thought of paying shipping for yet another Purin or Strawberry Kit Kat isn't as easy to rationalize. The latest craze in the Kit Kat world is releasing existing flavors but as Big Little Kit Kat. Big Little is pretty much the definition of an oxymoron and not enough of a twist to convince me to spend the money on international shipping. I did shell out for the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat but it will be my last. Only truly new flavors from here on out - or until I go into Kit Kat withdraw.

I did break down and buy the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat even though I've had other orange Kit Kats before. I rationalize it by telling myself I haven't had mikan yet. But still, it's really nothing very new. I challenge Nestle to wow me with some truly new flavors that I can get excited about.

But until then...the Mikan Big Little Kit Kat has 224 calories. In my little pack I got 9 large milk chocolate cubes. It's hard to tell if these are really bigger since I don't have a Little Little Kit Kat to compare too but I'd say the difference is minimal. They smelled orange-y although it was more of a kitchen cleaner citrus smell than of a ripe juicy mikan (mandarin orange). The taste was less artificial and really more of an afterthought rather than a dominant flavor, which I actually approved of. The cream was very creamy. The milk chocolate paired nicely with the orange flavor for an overall great tasting snack.

I've had other orange incarnations but this might be one of my favorite. It actually makes me wonder if I shouldn't go ahead and just buy more of the Big Little versions after all. Thoughts?

Final Score: 7

This is my first post since the quake and tsunami in Japan. I hope that any of my readers living in that area are safe and sound. Personally, I'm relieved to report that all friends and acquaintances are safe. My thoughts and prayers are with those in the quake zone and I encourage you to donate to the relief effort, specifically to the Japanese Red Cross.

Kawagoe Baked Sweet Potato Kit Kat-regional limited edition

2011-02-07T17:55:00.000-05:00

I have an announcement to make.

Drumroll please...

dundundundundun

I have tried every Regional Limited Edition Kit Kat available.

That's right. Thanks to extensive travel this past year, helpful friends, and the internet I have tried every specialty flavor from Annin Dofu to Shinshu Apple to Yubari Melon. I think I missed the Intense Kinako from the Tokyo area but it's no longer available so I'm not counting it. I've ftried every one on the page today, Finishing up with the Kawagoe Sweet Baked Potato Kit Kat today.

The Kawagoe Sweet Baked Potato Kit Kat is the third time I've tried a sweet potato Kit Kat but so far it's been the best. Someone at Nestle heard my plea that they should make a Kit Kat that tasted like my mom's sweet potato casserole she makes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Sweet Baked Potato Kit Kat has 69 calories in each mini bar. I bought mine from NapaJapan but if you're traveling in Japan you can find it in the Saitama area. The bar was made with white chocolate and was a light yellow color. It smelled like brown sugar and while it tasted like sweet potato it was heavy on the brown sugar in the flavor department as well. Not that I'm complaining. Like I said, it tastes just like my mom's sweet potato casserole. While I don't mind the purple sweet potatoes, the color for is enough to make me smile while eating them, I still prefer the orange yams. And this Kit Kat tasted more like them than the purple sweet potatoes.

Too bad that these are expensive to order online - one cost $2.49 because I would have loved to try more. I recommend trying them if you can get your hands on them.

Final Score: 8

Relaxing Chocolate Kit Kat

2011-01-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

Relaxing Chocolate is a strange name for a Kit Kat but there is a woman lounging about with some chocolate on the package. Per its name this will be a pretty relaxed review. But really that's because there really isn't much to say about it.

The Kutsurogi Kit Kat is made with slightly darker chocolate than a regular Kit Kat. They have 72 calories each. It had a nice melt and was a great break from some of the more crazy flavors but I don't know if I would recommend spending the extra money to order it from Japan when a regular Kit Kat is nearly the same. Still if you get the chance sit back and relax and enjoy a Relaxing Chocolate Kit Kat.

Happy Monday!

Final Score: 8

Le Lectier Kit Kat - Niigata Limited Edition

2011-01-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Le Lectier Kit Kat is another example of how Japanese people like to randomly throw French phrases around. Although if you sound out the katakana next to it on the packaging you come out with "lu le ku chi e" which sounds nothing at all like French. Although to be fair my own French accent was mocked first in French class and later in France so I can't judge. Also I'm going to stop saying The Le Lectier Kit Kat because that's redundant n'est ce pas?

Anyway for those not in the know Le Lectier is a popular pear grown in Niigata making it a prime candidate for a regional limited edition. This one is not sold in the Nestle E-shop so the only way to get your hands on some is to make your way to Niigata or hope that napaJapan has some in stock. (I'm in Ohio so I got mine from napaJapan.) When it comes to fruit the pear is pretty near the bottom of the list of favorites and I never could get excited when we got pear halves with school lunch in Tahara but I tried not to let my pear hating ways get in the way of enjoying this Kit Kat.

Le Lectier Kit Kat has 69 calories and is made with white chocolate. Upon opening it there was a strong artificial pear smell. Fortunately the artificial only extended to the smell and not to the taste. This mini had a nice smooth pear flavor to it that was pretty tasty. It was concentrated in the chocolate but it was there in the wafers as well. It was very sweet but not sickening. I'm not a huge fan of white chocolate but this one was definitely better than some of the other incarnations. I can wholeheartedly recommend Le Lectier if you can get your hands on it. And if you've tried a real le lectier pear let me know if they're truly better than your standard pear. I'm curious.

Final Score: 8

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T16:10:00.001-05:00

Or akemashite omedetou as they say in Japanese. 2010 was a good year in many respects and by my count I tried 40 new and different Kit Kats.

I have 4 flavors waiting in the wings and we're heading into testing season in Japan which always leads to lots of new flavors as Nestle tries to convince parents that they should buy their beleaguered students a Kit Kat as a token of encouragement. In the meantime start the new year off right by checking out the reviews below from some of my fellow snack bloggers.

Ebidebby at Snack Love reviews the Kokutou and Kinako Kit Kat.

Candyblog reviews the SemiSweet and Bitter Almond Kit Kats.

And for a few versions I won't be trying- Orchid64 at Japanese Snack Reviews gives her take on Little Big Kit Kat Mikan (isn't little big contradictory?) and also a crispier version the Otoshidama Kit Kat.

Here's to 2011 and what I hope will be many more inspired flavors from our friends at Nestle Japan!

Black Sugar and Kinako Kit Kat

2010-12-16T20:29:00.000-05:00

I never made it to Okinawa in the three years I lived in Japan and recently I've really regretted that. First my friend "Sue" posted pictures of her recent trip there in all their blue watered and palm tree glory which I viewed during the first big snowstorm of the winter season here in Ohio and second I finally got around to trying the Black Sugar and Kinako Kit Kat I ordered awhile back, the black sugar being famous in Okinawa. Apparently this flavor has been around before and is just being re-released but it's the first time I've seen it. I wouldn't mind if it stuck around. Other than Strawberry my favorite flavors don't get recycled very often.

These two minis have 68 calories each and are made with milk chocolate. As soon as you open the wrapper there is an intense aroma of brown sugar. That's the Kokutou or Okinawan black sugar. I've never had any other sweet made with this sugar but after sampling this Kit Kat I would love to try some more. The closest thing I've had to it is the hardened brown sugar crust that my mom bakes on top of her sweet potato casserole.

The black sugar perfectly complements the milk chocolate and really the kinako with its subtle nutty taste was lost among the black sugar. Supposedly it was hiding between the wafers but even there I noticed the stickiness that the black sugar added. It was really sweet but not too sweet which is something you get with darker sugars. Sweetness without going too far it makes your mouth hurt.

I don't know if this is still available in Japan but if you happen across it then I definitely suggest giving it a try. But if you live with other people I recommend getting several. I instantly regretting sharing the second of only two mini bars with my dad.

Let me know if you have tried other Kokutou (black sugar) treats because I'd love some recommendations of things to try.

Final Score: 8

Petit Cheese Kit Kat

2010-12-04T12:30:00.000-05:00

I was not looking forward to the Cheese Kit Kat. Last year while in Tokyo my friend Kristin and I went to the Meiji 100% Chocolate Cafe where we tried an atrocity against chocolate - the cheese chocolate. But I have committed to try every crazy flavor of Kit Kat there is and if I can survive the Rose Kit Kat and the Corn Kit Kat then I could suck it up and try this one.

So I did. And it tasted just as bad as I remember the Meiji version but with wafers. The only upside to this Kit Kat was that it was smaller so there was less to force down my throat. They came in a box with five small one finger Kit Kats, each with only 25 calories. The Cheese Kit Kat is made with white chocolate which I think is too sweet for this combo but I'm not sure milk or dark chocolate would necessarily improve upon it. You would need to change the cheese used which as far as I can pinpoint is a white cheddar. A cream cheese would make more sense to me. Chocolate cheesecake is evidence that the cheese/chocolate combo can be delicious.

I knew it wasn't cream cheese from the picture on the box. The smell of cheese coming off the small bar didn't smell like anything from Philadelphia either. The first thing I noticed was the sweet taste of white chocolate but then the cheese hits you. They didn't mix well and I ended up with the lingering aftertaste of cheese. I had to drink some ginger ale to get rid of the taste.

If you have tried other cheese/chocolate combos and liked them then you might try this one. Otherwise, this is not a Kit Kat flavor I can endorse. I want to like the idea of cheese chocolate and I still have hope that someone has done it well (let me know if you've had a good cheese chocolate) but Nestle failed just as badly as Meiji.

Final Score: 3

Adult Kit Kat

2010-11-12T19:19:00.000-05:00

No this isn't a triple X Kit Kat - it's just Nestle's latest marketing scheme to convince those of us who no longer need to buy Kit Kats for good luck on our exams that there are still Kit Kat bars especially for us. Adults are more serious so we need a serious chocolate bar made with dark chocolate. We also have a serious spokeswoman Meisa Kuroki who wears black. If you want to have more fun you should stick with Meisa Akagi who prefers milk chocolate and wears red.

Now that I'm back in the States and I'm back to being a serious, suit-wearing, business woman this is the Kit Kat for me. Also I love dark chocolate. However, there really isn't much to review on this one. It comes in a box of two - each with 95 calories. The chocolate is dark (not that dark though) and has a little more snap to it than a regular Kit Kat. The addition of the wafers maintains a level of sweetness you don't usually get with a regular dark chocolate bar and I think I've decided I prefer my dark chocolate dark and my Kit Kats with milk chocolate. Not much more to it than that. The most interesting part of this Kit Kat is the ridiculous campaign that goes with it. You can see more of the new campaign here.

Final Score: 7

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T22:14:00.001-04:00

I hope you've all dressed up and eaten too much candy. My favorites are smarties, Reese's and of course Kit Kats.

My treat for you tonight is a link to a website here in the States that sells Japanese Kit Kats. They are in San Francisco so the shipping is likely to be better from NapaJapan. The only downside is that they don't appear to get the newer flavors as quickly but if you're just getting started or willing to wait then I encourage you to check out AsianFoodGrocer.com.

Roasted Tea Kit Kat - Kyoto Limited Edition

2010-10-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

I drank tea before I went to Japan but living there really upped the ante for me when it came to tea-drinking. Now that I'm back in the States I drink a lot more coffee than anything else. I miss the always available pot of green tea in the teacher's room. But luckily I have tea flavored Kit Kats to remind me of better times. Although to be honest I have never had this type of tea. Hochija tea is made with roasted green tea leaves and is a specialty in the Kyoto region. Although I like green tea I don't usually like green tea Kit Kats. This one however was an exception.

The Hochija Roasted Tea Kit Kat is 69 calories and is a regional special limited edition from in and around Kyoto. I assume you can buy it only in that region or you can do what I did and get it on NapaJapan. It is made with white chocolate that is tinted a light brown. It smells like tea and the chocolate tastes like somewhat like tea but when you add in the wafers it tastes just like a chocolate wafer cookie.

You know what I'm talking about - those wafer cookies that have creme between them and come in vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. My grandpa loves them. Well this Kit Kat tastes just like a chocolate wafer cookie so either the wafers in those cookies taste just like Hochija roasted tea or Nestle didn't do a great job of replicating the taste. Since my tea experience doesn't extend to Hochija I can't really say.

What I can say is that it was a pretty good Kit Kat and definitely the best of any tea flavored ones I've tried. If you're a fan of the Green Tea Kit Kats then this might not be your cup of tea (did you see what I did there?) but otherwise I recommend you try them if you can.

Final Score: 7

Kit Kats turn 75

2010-10-18T07:10:00.000-04:00

Annin Dofu Kit Kat - Yokohama Limited Edition

2010-10-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

I'm baaaaack! I missed snacking on strange Kit Kats but thanks to napajapan I can order them online. My first purchase from this side of the world was a few new regional limited editions.

To start with we have a new flavor from Yokohama, highlighting its famous and very large Chinatown. First off let me say that I already miss the Chinese food in Japan. I don't know if it's the closer proximity to China or that Japanese people are more willing to eat more authentic Chinese food but it just doesn't compare to what we can get here in the States. I know I've never seen annin dofu on a menu here but maybe that's because I live in Ohio and most people turn up their noses when I tell them what I've eaten in Asia. The idea of tofu for dessert (or tofu at all for that matter) just doesn't sit well here. Which is too bad because it's delicious. I love me some sweet tofu!

So I was excited to try the Annin Dofu Kit Kat. Each mini has 69 calories and is covered in white chocolate. Straight out of the package they smell just like the Chinese dessert. I took one bite and I declared this one a winner. It tastes just like annin dofu. It is sweet but not overwhelmingly so. It has a nice spicy note to it and bear with me because I suck at identifying spices but I'm going to go with nutmeg.

So there you go. Review over. Mission accomplished. If you like annin dofu then you'll like this Kit Kat. If you haven't tried annin dofu before then try it and then try this Kit Kat. I only wish I could have afforded to buy more of these.

Final Score: 9

The future of this blog

2010-08-25T19:26:00.001-04:00

If you've been reading this blog for the last couple of months or if you follow me on Twitter then you know that this was my last year in Japan. I came home to Ohio two weeks ago and as of now I have no immediate plans to return to the land of crazy Kit Kat flavors.

I am both sad and happy about this. I'm sad because I loved my inaka town, my Japanese friends, and hunting for new Kit Kats. I'm happy to be home because I missed my parents, my adorable nephew, and my American friends. But besides general homesickness I had a really good reason to come home and that is because both of my sisters are pregnant! This winter I will have a new niece and a new nephew.

Blah, blah, blah, who cares about babies right? What about the chocolate? you're asking. Well don't worry just because I can't scour the shelves of my local conbini for Kit Kats doesn't mean I can't keep up this blog. I hope to keep the Kit Kat love alive by ordering them online. That does mean that I probably won't be updating quite as often as I have in the past but keep your eyes peeled because there will be new reviews.

Until then let me know what Kit Kats you are trying and what you think of them!

Contest Winner Speaks Out

2010-08-17T08:29:00.000-04:00

Back in May I hosted a contest where if you commented you had the chance to win some of the Kit Kats featured on the blog. In June Kate won the contest and sometime in July I finally got my act together and sent her the chocolate.

It didn't take her nearly as long to eat them as it took me to mail them and she kindly emailed me her thoughts. With permission I am posting her reviews here. Enjoy!

Aloe Vera Yogurt KitKat

I was a little scared of this one. Like you I always associated aloe with either a funny looking houseplant or a sticky green gel you rub on sunburns. Either way, I'd never been tempted to snack on it. The KitKat wasn't bad though. Mostly I just tasted the white chocolate, which I really like, and a hint of something that reminded me a little bit of raw cucumber. A little odd, but tasty in it's own way. Don't think I'll be ordering more of these or rushing out to munch on an aloe plant though.

Mixed Juice KitKat

This was probably my least favorite. The first thing I smelled was fake banana flavor, which is something I've never liked. There wasn't as much banana flavor as I expected given the smell, but all I could really taste was sweetness with a hint of banana aftertaste.

Calpis KitKat

I have no idea what actual Calpis tastes like, but the KitKat version gave me flashbacks to snack time at Bible School. And every other church activity I went to as a little kid, for that matter. They tasted exactly like the vanilla sandwich cookies that seemed to be a staple of church kiddie snacks, along with red Kool-Aid and M&Ms. Much as I enjoyed the trip down memory lane, I don't think I'll jump at the chance to try Calpis. A couple bites of candy was good, but an entire drink with that flavor would just be too much.

Strawberry KitKat

I love white chocolate. I love strawberries. It didn't take much for me to figure out I was going to love this KitKat. And I did :) Even the little bit of tartness just made it interesting and kept me from feeling like I was eating straight sugar.

Citrus blend KitKat

I agree with your take on this one. It tastes a lot like a UDF orange freeze (my mom's from Cincinnati, so I know my Ohio treats). Very tasty :). Of course, if they're going to make orange KitKats, there should definitely be a mimosa flavor.

Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bar

2010-08-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

New Kit Kats have been thin on the ground recently so I was pretty excited to find this Salt and Caramel Kit Kat at the train station Sunkus. I reviewed the Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites previously, giving it the high score of a 9, so I expected that I wouldn't be disappointed with this latest incarnation.

Except that I kind of was. My first problem was that I put it in the refrigerator to keep it from melting in the ridiculous heat we've been having here in Japan so the milk chocolate that normally melts in my mouth did not. I think next time I will let it get a little melty before I try eating it. The other thing, something I am coming to realize after eating a LOT of Kit Kats, is that the Kit Kat Bar and the Kit Kat Little are two different animals. Just because you have the same flavor in both forms does not mean that it tastes the same. With a Kit Kat Bar the flavor is more diffuse while the Kit Kat Little has a very concentrated flavor. This bar had the same great salty caramel taste to it but the coldness of the bar (my fault) combined with a less concentrated flavor led to a less enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

I liked it, don't get me wrong, but my anticipation did not match up with the eventual outcome. Just like I preferred the Strawberry Kit Kat Little I also prefer the Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites. But alas, you can't get the bites anymore so you have to take what you can get which is this pretty delicious bar. Just don't eat it all in one go if you are on a diet or used to eating the minis - it has 234 calories of salty caramel goodness.

Final Score: 7

Cola and Lemon Squash Kit Kat

2010-07-22T03:45:00.000-04:00

Sorry to not be posting much but there have been fewer Kit Kats to review and now that rainy season is over and summer is finally here I've been enjoying more summer appropriate treats (as in ones that don't melt all over me in this 35 degree heat.) I highly recommend Lotte Peach Ice Cream and Pure Apple Gummies. But enough about other snacks, let's talk Kit Kats shall we?

This is a two-fer review. Two reviews in one because with this Kit Kat you get two different Kit Kats in one box. That made it a bit of a challenge for me actually because I generally like to eat two of any Kit Kats I review so that I can get a good idea of the flavor. So if you try these and wonder where on earth did I come up with this review then that's my excuse. (I think some of you think that anyway heehee.) Unfortunately, these were not good enough to warrant buying a second box to make sure I was fully appreciating all the nuances but here's what I got.

First up: Cola Kit Kat - 100 calories made with white chocolate but colored a light brown color to suggest cola. It smelled kind of like cola but really more like bubblegum in my estimation. The chocolate itself is cola flavored and there is more of that "soda" powder between the wafers. The same "soda" powder that was in the Ramune Kit Kat and it gave it that same bubblegum/Fruity Pebbles twist. Sadly this addition ruined it for me. The chocolate itself was not too bad, a little on the sweet side, but actually tasted like cola. A little less "soda" powder and it would have been an interesting snack. I think I'd still prefer a real glass of coke though.

Next up: Lemon Squash Kit Kat - for those of you not in the know Lemon Squash is a kind of soft drink sold here in Japan. This bar was also 100 calories and made with white chocolate. It was colored yellow and smelled like lemon. The chocolate had a nice lemon flavor to it. This, too had the "soda" powder between the wafers but it worked better here. The powder has a bit of sour kick to it that went nicely with the lemon. This was definitely the better of the two but it still wasn't something I would choose to eat again. If you're a regular reader of this blog you'll know that I have mixed feelings about chocolate and citrus together and this was another example of that. It was good but not my cup of tea.

Overall this was more fun for the novelty factor rather than the flavor factor. I'm always happy to try new Kit Kats but this isn't one I can enthusiastically recommend or one I will buy again. They weren't bad but they weren't that good either.

Final Score: 5

Aloe Vera Yogurt Kit Kat

2010-07-11T01:06:00.000-04:00

Until I came to Japan the only thing I knew about aloe vera was that it's good for sunburns but apparently you can eat it. They put it in yogurt here in Japan, sometimes by itself and sometimes chunks of aloe mixed in with your regular fruit yogurt. I've always shied away from eating it because, well, the idea of eating something I previously only thought of as a topical medicine didn't sound appealing. It still didn't sound appealing even after I saw the latest Kit Kat mini - the Aloe Vera Yogurt Kit Kat. They sat in my kitchen while I ate every other Kit Kat and snack I had while I worked up the courage to try it.

The Aloe Vera Kit Kat comes in a bag of 12 minis. Each is 69 calories. They are tinted a greenish color and smell like a bad sunburn. I didn't get a good sense of any yogurt, which is too bad. Mostly it had a very sweet white chocolate flavor with a hint of something else. Since I don't eat aloe vera often I'm assuming that's what it was. It had a sharpness to it and tasted slightly medicinal although that could be my preconceptions of aloe vera getting in the way. It wasn't bad but it wasn't something I want to try again, especially since the aloe vera hung in my mouth long after I finished the bar.

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unless you are accustomed to and like eating aloe vera or you are feeling adventurous.

Final Score: 4

Blueberry Kit Kat

2010-06-29T03:56:00.000-04:00

One of the foods I miss the most in Japan is blueberry pancakes. I suppose I could make my own but blueberries (like everything else) are expensive here and unless I have blueberry syrup from Cracker Barrel to go on them it's just not the same. To make up for the lack of blueberry pancakes though I do have some pretty fantastic blueberry honey (also expensive but worth it) that I slather on home made biscuits, which for the record are almost as good as Cracker Barrel's. Man, I miss Cracker Barrel.

Anyway, all of this is to say that I was excited to see some Blueberry Kit Kat minis and that I'm still avoiding the Aloe Vera Yogurt Kit Kats sitting in my kitchen going on a month now. I found these minis in a mix pack at the 7-11 that also came with regular chocolate and what else but some more Strawberry Kit Kats. I did notice a bag of nothing but Blueberry at the grocery store yesterday so if you'd rather not have more Strawberry Kit Kats (understandable) I suggest looking for that bag instead.

Each Blueberry Kit Kat mini is 66 calories. They are made with a very creamy milk chocolate. That or they melted a bit when I left the house and turned off the air conditioner. It has been pretty hot here when it's not raining. Either way, even if it was messy, I liked it. They have a blueberry smell and a nice blueberry flavor in both the chocolate and the creme. It could be a little more but it's better than the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat where I struggled to find the blueberry taste.

I'm a big fan of Nestle's fruit/milk chocolate combinations and this is just one more example to add to a list that include the Yubari Melon Kit Kat, Banana Kit Kat, and Strawberry Kit Kat. They do a better job of sticking to the natural flavor when they use milk chocolate versus white. Then again I don't like white chocolate that much so take that as you will.

Overall it was a really good snack but it's still not as good as some blueberry cheesecake ice cream! Especially in the summer heat. But if you don't mind a little chocolate melting on you then I would recommend picking these up.

What are your favorite blueberry treats? Muffins, pancakes, cheesecake, ice cream, jam? Are there better blueberry chocolates out there I should try? Let me know in the comments!

Final Score: 8

Strawberry Kit Kat Little

2010-06-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

I'm going to be honest. I don't buy EVERY Kit Kat that I find. I passed up a Green Tea Kit Kat Bar last month because I'm not really a huge fan of Green Tea Kit Kats and I've already tried three or four different varieties. It wasn't on the Breaktown website so I assumed it wasn't new.

But despite having tried more Strawberry Kit Kats than any other flavor I still find myself picking them up. This isn't even the last one! I just bought a mixed bag that had more Strawberry Kit Kats in it (although to be fair I bought it mostly because it had Blueberry Kit Kats too.) The only thing I can say is that even though Nestle overdoes it with the Strawberry variations there must be a reason why...people like me keep buying them.

I am however getting a little tired of writing about them so this review is going to be short. Here we go...The Strawberry Kit Kat Little(s) consists of a handful of cube shaped milk chocolate "balls" with 186 calories. The strawberry taste in these chocolate cubes is almost identical to that of the earlier Strawberry Kit Kat mini. The main difference is that with the Kit Kat Little that flavor is more concentrated. I actually prefer the stronger flavor and so these consequently are my favorite of the many different Strawberry Kit Kats I have tried.

If you do happen to come across these and liked the Strawberry Minis and don't mind to have another Strawberry Kit Kat and you also don't mind cube shaped chocolate that melts in your hand then definitely pick these up! There you go, another Strawberry review in the bag. I'm getting to where I can write these in my sleep.

As some of you know, my contract is ending soon and I'll be heading back to Ohio - land of boring Kit Kats. I hope to keep this blog going however by ordering Kit Kats via sites like NapaJapan. What does this mean for the Strawberry Kit Kat? Well, it will be more expensive to have them shipped from Japan rather than picking up a bag while in 7-11 to pay my internet bill so this might very well be the last impulsive Strawberry Kit Kat purchase. Nestle will have to really reinvent the Strawberry Kit Kat for me to buy it again. (I say that now...I'll guess we'll see though.)

Final Score: 9

Contest Winner!

2010-06-18T05:19:00.000-04:00

I had lunch with the 8th graders today and after a halted explanation in a mix of Japanese and English about this blog the always genki Honoka chose a winner for the anniversary contest. I asked her to write down any number from 1-67 (the number of comments on the contest post) and then give me the number. She chose lucky number 7. That means Kate you are my winner! Please email me your address at jenken04 @yahoo.com so I can send you your fabulous prize.

To everyone else thanks for participating! I loved reading your ideas for future Kit Kats. Who knows maybe Nestle can take some inspiration and save us from anymore Strawberry Kit Kats!

Bitter Almond Kit Kat

2010-06-17T04:13:00.000-04:00

Nuts and chocolate go together. Beauty salons and Kit Kats...well I don't see the connection there but I'm not going to complain because Nestle and its latest partner Tokyo Beauty Clinic came up with a pretty good Kit Kat. I was so excited about this one, especially since the other TBC sponsored Kit Kat is Aloe Yogurt (not a flavor I'm looking forward to frankly) that I broke into the box before I remembered to take a picture.

The Bitter Almond Kit Kat comes in a box of two. Each bar is 99 calories and made with dark chocolate. Because of the way a Kit Kat is made - chocolate covered wafers - it makes putting whole almonds into the mix a little tricky. So instead they are ground up and mixed with the chocolate. You can see flecks of beige in the chocolate and the bar gives off a nice almond smell. The chopped almonds give it a more diffuse flavor and it's really the dark chocolate that shines through on this bar. I'm a big fan of dark chocolate so this bar was a huge hit. It was bitter but not too bitter and combined with the almonds and wafers it made for a great snack.

Like I said before nuts and chocolate are a no brainer. And dark chocolate is always a winner in my book so while this isn't one of the more exciting Kit Kats I've tried, it is one of the better ones.

Final Score: 8

Reminder

2010-06-14T04:05:00.000-04:00

My anniversary contest is still running but it will be closed on Wednesday, June 16th! So if you haven't entered yet hurry on over and comment.

http://jenkenskitkatblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/contest.html

Yawata Five Spice Kit Kat - Nagano Limited Edition

2010-06-08T05:18:00.000-04:00

Nestle does not make it very easy to get my hands on some of these regional limited edition Kit Kats. I travel quite a bit but I'm loathe to plan according to my Kit Kat needs. Lucky for me though I have friends who also travel and are kind enough to bring me back Kit Kats as omiyage. That's how I got my hands on this chili flavored Kit Kat from Nagano. You can buy the Nagano Apple Kit Kats online but this offering is only for those traveling through the region. My friend Marie happened to be there back in March and brought me back a mailer box.

The best part about this Kit Kat? It's not that it's dark chocolate although that is a bonus. No it's the name which when I plug into babelfish comes back as "The Five Conspirators." Not one, not two, but five different spices have conspired to bring you this hot Kit Kat. This is a candy bar for spies or corrupt Japanese politicians.

The Five Conspirators Kit Kat comes in a box of 5 minis (or a larger box of 12) and each is 67 calories. They are made with dark chocolate and like the Chili Kit Kat balls they don't smell like anything other than chocolate. The spicy kick is lurking beneath the surface. It's there though. It comes on slow, building in heat. I liked these better than the Chili Kit Kat balls though. The dark chocolate is a better compliment to the spiciness. I've also found that the Kit Kat Little are more concentrated in flavor so my sensitive palate handles the heat better when it's more diffused throughout the larger Kit Kat mini.

In the end I really enjoyed these minis. If you are ever in the neighborhood of Nagano then I wholly recommend searching these out. Or if not there's always hope that maybe someone will offer them online.

Final Score: 8

Cherry Kit Kat - Yamagata Limited Edition

2010-06-01T03:28:00.000-04:00

From what I can tell the Cherry Kit Kat is less common than a Strawberry Kit Kat but only slightly. I missed the Cherry Kit Kat season last year but I did like the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat released earlier this year.

There are two cherry seasons here in Japan. The first is in April when everyone has flower viewing parties and gets drunk under the cherry blossoms. Later comes the cherry-eating season. Now is the time to get cherries. I think the cherry blossoms are beautiful but I much prefer to eat cherries and I spend a lot of money this time of year buying them. (Fruit is soooo expensive here!) When I saw that there was a Cherry Kit Kat I was both excited and wary. I like real cherries too much to waste time with fake cherry flavoring.

I bought these two precious minis online. For the longest time they were listed but out of stock but with regular and diligent checking I was finally able to score some. You can't buy these from the Nestle E-shop. You have to hope Napa Japan has some in stock or make your way to Sendai in order to try this one.

Each mini is 69 calories. They are made with white chocolate and colored a dark pink color. They have an artificial cherry smell to them. Upon tasting them, the chocolate itself has a slight cherry taste to it. If it was just that it would be too sweet to be good but the cherry creme between the wafers has a tartness that rounds out the sweetness of the chocolate. It is an artificial cherry taste to be sure but it's not so bad. It reminds me of a cherry icee but without the awkward red lips afterward.

Although I would rather have the real thing over this Kit Kat bar it was nice to finally try a Cherry Kit Kat. If you can get your hands on it then I recommend giving it a taste but I wouldn't go all the way to Sendai just to try it.

Final Score: 6.5

Framboise Kit Kat

2010-05-26T07:18:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things to do during lunch is read my student's ridiculous t-shirts and pen cases that are covered with either French or English. I don't speak French very well but I can read enough to know that the Japanese mangle it just as much as they do English. It's hard to mess up one word though. I'm thankful that Nestle decided to just go with Framboise Kit Kat (that's French for raspberry by the way) and stuck with Japanese for the rest of the box.

The Framboise Kit Kat came in a box of two. Each pack is two fingers and has 97 calories. There is no picture on the packaging to indicate what kind of chocolate is used so I was expecting white chocolate but to my surprise it was actually milk chocolate. It had a faint raspberry smell to it. The chocolate itself had hints of raspberry but most of the fruity flavor was concentrated in the creme. The raspberry flavor was nice and a little tart - as close to authentic as you get with something like a Kit Kat (which is to say not very authentic.) The milk chocolate was creamy and reminded me why I love milk chocolate Kit Kats. There's something about them that just doesn't come through with a white chocolate or even (gasp!) a dark chocolate bar.

Like with other milk chocolate varieties, (I'm thinking mainly Yubari Melon Kit Kat) the fruit doesn't overwhelm the chocolate but works with it to make a very enjoyable snack. I only wish that my 7-11 stocked it. I am making a trip into the "big" city tomorrow so maybe when I'm picking up essentials like Starbucks coffee and guacamole mix I'll get another Framboise Kit Kat.

Final Score: 8

Contest!

2010-05-19T08:11:00.000-04:00

Around the end of April last year I mentioned offhand to a friend back home that Japan had some crazy flavored candies, Kit Kats in particular. Her response was immediate and enthusiastic. I had to try them all and then tell her about them. And thus the idea for Jen Ken's Kit Kat Blog was born.

In fact my first post was one year ago today! In the past year I have posted 73 entries and tried 55 different Kit Kats. I don't even want to contemplate how much money I've spent on chocolate. What's funny is that at the beginning I considered reviewing other snacks as well because I was certain there wouldn't be enough Kit Kats to keep me busy. Boy, was I wrong! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with how many are in my kitchen waiting to be eaten (currently 3).

In just a year this blog has grown from just a few friends and family reading it to over 60 followers, a comment and a link on Twitter from a famous American musician, and links around the net from other snack bloggers. I just want to say thanks to everyone for reading and commenting. You have made the past year really fun!

To celebrate my one year anniversary I am having a contest. The rules are simple. Just leave a comment here telling me your favorite crazy flavored Kit Kat or if you haven't had the chance to try any then which ones you're dying to eat. And what flavor Kit Kat do you want to see? The crazier the better! After one month I will have one of my adorable students pick a number and that number comment will win some delicious (and some not so delicious) Japanese Kit Kats.

Fabulous prize

So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment-win some Kit Kats!

EDIT: The contest is now closed. I'll announce a winner later this week. Thanks everyone who commented!

Zunda Kit Kat - Yamagata Limited Edition

2010-05-17T07:48:00.000-04:00

In the States the idea of a good dessert is something very sweet and chock full of calories. We like chocolate, ice cream, cakes, and frosting. You would never find a dessert in America that consists of a paste made by smashing up boiled soybeans and then putting that paste on balls of rice that have been beaten into a sticky consistency. But in Japan that's called Zunda Mochi. Sounds delicious, right?

I have never had Zunda Mochi or zunda anything for that matter although some light internet research shows that there are more zunda flavored products to be had. I will say that after eating the Zunda Kit Kat I am intrigued. I want to try more zunda if for no other reason than that zunda is really fun to say. Try it. Zunda! Zunda! Zunda!

Right, ok. So onto the review. The Zunda Kit Kat is a regional special edition hailing from Yamagata. I was resolved to try this before I left Japan even if that meant I had to hop a shinkansen to Sendai in order to get it but luckily NapaJapan saved me the trouble and finally got some in stock. Each Kit Kat mini is 68 calories. They are made with white chocolate and are a light green color. They smell very interesting, like edamame, salt, and chocolate.

But while the smell was intriguing the taste was underwhelming. The Zunda Kit Kat tasted mostly like white chocolate with only a hint of edamame. The edamame is there but the sweetness of the white chocolate overwhelms it. As I said before I've never had zunda so maybe some of the flavor of the edamame is lost when it's been smashed into a paste and maybe, just maybe, it's a good thing that the taste is subtle because a soybean flavored Kit Kat might be a bad idea but I was expecting more.

Overall, I was glad that this strange flavor didn't go the same route as the Corn Kit Kat and while it has sparked my interest in a traditional Japanese treat it's not something I would really want to eat again. What do you think? Have you had zunda or other zunda flavored snacks? Did you like it?

Final Score: 5

Interesting promotion

2010-05-14T04:51:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure where this came from exactly but I like it...a lot.

Semi-Sweet Kit Kat

2010-05-11T03:18:00.000-04:00

My mom doesn't make cookies very often but she does do a pretty good job of always having a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the kitchen cupboards. Sometimes there's more than one bag of chips even. As a teenager I would sometimes eat them straight from the bag if for some reason we were running low on other snacks (the main reason being 3 teenagers in one house.) I didn't use to like anything other than milk chocolate back then so eating chocolate chips meant for baking was an act of desperation. These days though dark chocolate reigns supreme. Since most of the more exotic flavors come in white chocolate I'm always excited to see some darker chocolate Kit Kats like the recently released Semi-Sweet Kit Kat.

Isn't the box nice?

The Semi-Sweet Kit Kat comes in a box of two bars, each with two fingers that have 97 calories. While it's not technically dark chocolate it's still darker than the classic milk chocolate Kit Kat bar and it smells great. It has a nice bitter taste and the chocolate is better than the Mild Bitter Kit Kat I sampled a few months ago. It doesn't have quite the melt in your mouth quality of a classic Kit Kat and it seems to be lacking some creme between the wafers, making it a little on the dry side, but otherwise it was a nice variation on the regular Kit Kat. If the recent Mixed Fruit Kit Kat was meant for kids then the Semi-Sweet is meant for adults (it even says so on the box!)

I still prefer Dars Bitter when it comes to cheap dark chocolate but if nothing else the Semi-Sweet Kit Kat is better than eating chocolate chips straight out of the bag. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who prefers their chocolate a little darker.

Final Score: 8

Check out some more dark(er) chocolate Kit Kat reviews:

Kit Kat Dark
Mild Bitter Kit Kat
Melt In Your Mouth Kit Kat
Raspberry Passion Fruit Kit Kat

Mixed Juice Kit Kat

2010-04-30T03:31:00.001-04:00

Nestle's latest Kit Kat brought back memories of childhood where the ideal snack was cookies and juice. Was it just me or did anyone else bite off the heads off their animal crackers and dip them in your red Kool-aid and then make animal in pain noises? The picture on this bag of minis is yellow though. I'm pretty sure that any juice cocktail I ever drank as a kid was red but maybe Japan is different. It makes for a lot less fun with animal crackers though. (Do they even sell those here?)

I wish I could say the Mixed Juice Kit Kat was as much fun as juice and cookies as a kid but that would be a lie. These came in a bag of 13 minis and each Kit Kat is 69 calories Made with white chocolate, they are a troubling orange color. The bag hints that there might be strawberry, banana, and peach flavors involved and it certainly smells fruity. It tasted fruity too but it proved difficult to really pinpoint exact flavors. There was definitely some peach in there. And it had a banana aftertaste. I didn't really get a sense of strawberry but it's possible I just missed it in the overwhelming sweetness.

Overall, the Mixed Fruit Kit Kat was much too sweet for my taste and the flavor was too nondescript for me to really enjoy it. It's a step up from the Vegetable Juice Kit Kat though. I'm not sure that's really saying much. So far juices and Kit Kats have been a bit of a bummer.

Total Score: 4

Strawberry Kit Kat - Tochigi Limited Edition

2010-04-20T04:24:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I took a trip up to Nikko where I ran across yet another regional limited edition. Usually I get excited about finding rare and hard to get Kit Kats when I travel but this time I actually questioned whether I should buy these or not.

Why? Well because this will be the FIFTH strawberry Kit Kat I have tried since I started this blog. This blog is still pretty young. It's been less than a year since I started on my crazy quest to try every Kit Kat Japan has to offer and already I have tried four other strawberry versions. But in the end I did buy them because you can't buy them online or find them in regular shops so if I was going to do it then it had to be while I was in Tochigi Prefecture visiting Nikko.

As a regional limited edition this particular Strawberry Kit Kat came in a box of 12 minis that cost 810 yen. Each mini is 68 calories. They are made with white chocolate and have an artificial strawberry scent to them. The taste is also artificial and this incarnation lacked the sour note on the end that redeemed the white chocolate versions that came before it. Without that little bit of sourness this bar was too sweet for me and because of the plethora of other strawberry Kit Kats out there this one was underwhelming.

I wholly suggest visiting Nikko but while there you should pass on the Strawberry Kit Kats and instead try the age yuba manju (a more traditional Japanese treat that is crispy, salty, and sweet all at once.)

Final Score: 5

Check out my other Strawberry Kit Kat reviews here:

Strawberry Kit Kat (circa May 2009)
Strawberry Cheese Cake Kit Kat
Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat
Strawberry Kit Kat (circa January 2010)

Banana Kit Kat Bar

2010-04-12T04:52:00.000-04:00

I'm back and with another Banana Kit Kat review. Don't confuse this with the Banana Kit Kat which I only reviewed back in February. I'm not sure what the rationale was behind releasing two different Banana Kit Kats so close together but it mirrors the same thinking with the Strawberry Kit Kat and the Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat being released together. I don't try to understand the same minds that came up with the Rose Kit Kat or the Corn Kit Kat.

The Banana Kit Kat Bar is made with white chocolate and is colored a bright yellow. It has a very strong and very fake banana smell. Despite my love for bananas I don't really like banana flavored treats and just the smell of this made me cringe. I dreaded eating it, but I did because I knew it couldn't be worse than the Corn Kit Kat and it wasn't, but that's not really saying much.

The chocolate by itself has an overwhelming fake banana flavor that really put me off. But the wafers have a vanilla creme between them that together with the chocolate made for a more acceptable taste. However, it's still really sweet. With 243 calories it is not really diet friendly as say a Kit Kat mini but it was so sweet that I could only stomach half of it making that more like 122 calories. I'm not sure when or if I will ever finish the other half. There are too many other worthier sweets awaiting my attention. So the final verdict when it comes to Banana Kit Kats? I prefer the milk chocolate mini to this too sweet monstrosity. And I think any banana lovers out there will agree with me.

Final Score: 4

Where to find Kit Kats

2010-04-06T05:04:00.000-04:00

I've been traveling recently and when not doing that I've been gorging myself on all the Easter candy my mom brought me from the States. (I have the best mom ever!) So no reviews at the moment. Sorry!

In the meantime though I'd like to answer a question that I get a lot and that is "where do you get all of these crazy flavored Kit Kats? And more importantly where can I get them?"

The obvious answer is Japan. I live here, way out in the cabbage fields yes, but I still have a 7-11 across the street from my apartment so that's where my search usually starts. If you are lucky enough to also live here then you should start by looking in your neighborhood conbini.

Be aware though that not every convenient store will have each variety of Kit Kat. I've determined that my 7-11 only carries every other special edition Kit Kat so I also check the three conbinis near the train station in the next town over. (I go there once a month or so to meet friends for drinks and to hit up the international food store.) I've gone in one store and found one variety only to visit the next and found a different one. You have to be relentless in your search if you want to try every Kit Kat out there. They certainly don't make it easy.

I usually check the Nestle website to keep track of what I should be looking for. They change flavors every 6 weeks or so, so don't pass up a flavor thinking you will buy it later. A lot of what you see on this blog is already gone.

Regional Special Editions such as the Wasabi Kit Kat, Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat, or the Citrus Blend Kit Kat stick around a little longer and can be bought in the regions they come from, usually in the train station or in shops selling omiyage. Some of them can be purchased online but not all of them. In fact, I'm planning a trip to Sendai in part because I really want the Zunda Kit Kat and the Sakura Kit Kat and they aren't offered anywhere online that I can find.

But what if you don't live in Japan? You can also try crazy Japanese Kit Kats but there's less skulking in conbinis to do. My favorite site to order through is napaJapan. They are pretty good about having up to date Kit Kats and if I really can't find something in the stores then this is my next stop. Their prices are very reasonable and they ship internationally.

I've never ordered from them but the other site that I see recommended a lot is jlist. They have a variety of products from Japan - including recent Kit Kat flavors. You might also try any Asian grocers or international food stores in your area. If they don't offer any then try asking if they could start.

If you are my sister or best friend then you get your Kit Kat fix through me sending Kit Kats through the mail. So if you don't live in Japan but know someone who does then try asking them to send you some. (But not me because all of my extras go to the aforementioned best friend and sister.)

So there you have it. That's where I get my Kit Kats. Where do you get yours? Does anyone have any other suggestions for places to look? Say for example where I can get Zunda Kit Kats without schlepping all the way to Sendai?

Citrus Blend Kit Kat - Shikoku Limited Edition

2010-03-23T06:46:00.000-04:00

We have these convenient stores in Ohio called United Dairy Farmers (or UDF for short) that also have ice cream counters that sell UDF brand ice cream and a variety of malts and shakes. My favorite is the Orange Freeze - orange sherbet and orange juice. It's also the reason why I tend to gain 5 pounds whenever I go back to the States. I used to make a similar version in my college cafeteria with orange sherbet, orange juice, and a little bit of Sprite. It's a great summer treat - cold, sweet, and refreshing.

So why am I waxing nostalgic for UDF Orange Freezes? Well, if you put one of the Citrus Blend Kit Kats in the freezer and then ate it then you would have an Orange Freeze in Kit Kat form. I didn't expect to like these as much as I did, but eating one (or 3) made me really wish they had UDFs in Japan.

The Citrus Blend Kit Kat is a regional limited edition from Shikoku. Although I have been traveling around quite a bit lately, I still haven't made it to Shikoku but lucky for me this was offered online at the Nestle E-shop. For 840 yen I received a box of 12 mini Kit Kats. They are made with white chocolate and are colored a bright bright orange despite the fact that they are flavored not only with orange but with lemon and lime. Each mini is 69 calories. They have a generic citrus smell to them and the chocolate itself only has a very mild orange-y flavor. Most of the punch comes in the creme and the wafers. The orange flavor is not authentic but it's not bad either. Although orange is the dominant flavor, it remains true to its name and lemon and lime are mingled in there as well. They mix well in your mouth and then it ends on a sour note that is very refreshing in its own way.

I'm still not a huge fan of the citrus-y flavored Kit Kats but if I had to choose my favorite of the bunch then this would definitely be it. I've said this before but I seem to like the citrus with white chocolate over the milk chocolate. I think the sourness of the citrus blends better with the sweetness of the white chocolate. So even though I won't tear through this box of Kit Kat minis but I don't think I will have trouble finishing them off eventually. I'd rather have an orange freeze though...

Final Score: 7

Apple Kit Kat - Shinshu Limited Edition

2010-03-16T02:50:00.001-04:00

Recently I went back online to the Nestle E-shop and picked up some more regional special editions - this time from Shinshu. I should note that there are a lot more regional special editions out there that are NOT offered anywhere online. The only way I am going to get them is to get off this peninsula and buy them wherever they are offered locally. So Sendai and Nagano have suddenly made my list of places in Japan I want to see so I can pick up the Sakura Kit Kat, Zunda Kit Kat, and what I can only determine is another spicy Kit Kat.

But until I make more travel plans then I will make do with the ones I can find online, starting with the Apple Kit Kat. This one comes from Shinshu, which after some very superficial internet research I learned is the old name for the mountainous region in Nagano. The regional special edition Kit Kats come in a box of 12 which looks very nice opened and plays very well into the Japanese idea of omiyage or bringing food back to the office for those poor suckers who had to stay behind and work. They tend to try to take the region's specialty food (and every town has one even my small town has its special omiyage - clam flavored rice crackers) and turn it into a Kit Kat flavor.

Nagano is known for apples and so it makes perfect sense that their regional special edition Kit Kat would be apple flavored. The Apple Kit Kat is made with milk chocolate and has 66 calories. I was already inclined to like it because of the milk chocolate but the subtle apple flavoring made this a truly enjoyable snack. Both the smell and the flavor are mellow and mix well with the chocolate. The apple taste is similar to that of the Apple Vinegar Kit Kat but without the sour note on the end. Since these are made with milk chocolate rather than white the sour end note isn't really needed. The taste is somewhat artificial but of all the different fruity varieties I have tried it comes the closest to the real taste of an apple. If you are a true apple aficionado then you might prefer the Apple Vinegar since the apple flavor shines through more with that bar but for me I prefer this more subtle milk chocolate version.

Final Score: 7.5

Check out the list of Regional Special Edition Kit Kat varieties here!

Sakura Matcha Kit Kat

2010-03-09T05:06:00.000-05:00

Nestle is really hitting the "give a student some encouragement, give them a Kit Kat" campaign hard this year. First we had the lucky 5 sided mug. Then the Milk Coffee Kit Kat with random sakura design. And then they released bags of white and milk chocolate Kit Kat minis also with more sakura design (not reviewed because plain white and milk chocolate is boring.)

And now there is the Sakura Matcha Kit Kat with a convenient space on the back for you to write and encouraging message to those students studying themselves silly trying to get into the best high school/college. I like the crazy flavored Kit Kats and all but it's enough to make me eternally grateful that my parents were cool with me getting Bs in school.

The Sakura Matcha Kit Kat is 100 calories and made with white chocolate. The chocolate itself is green tea flavored and is very similar if not the same as the special edition from Kyoto I tried earlier. What makes this one different is the addition of the sakura flavor in the creme. It is very definitely a fake cherry taste but I think that authentic cherry flavoring is very hard to come by so I will forgive Nestle this time. Besides it reminded me of the berries in Cap'n Crunch with Berries cereal so it was both natsukashii* and oishii**. (Am I the only one who used to get mad at their mom for buying plain Cap'n Crunch with no berries because it's no good without the berries!)

Overall I was very pleasantly surprised. I've given a begrudging thumbs up to other green tea varieties but this one is by far my favorite of the lot. If you're looking for something to encourage a poor overworked student then I suggest giving them some fish sticks (it's better brain food than chocolate after all) and keep this Kit Kat for yourself.

Final Score: 8

*nostalgic
**delicious

Chili Kit Kat

2010-03-04T06:05:00.000-05:00

For Christmas this year my mom sent me a huge package that contained all the fixings for "her" chili because I had made an offhand comment about really wanting some of her chili now that the cold weather had settled in. Unfortunately the box of chili powder exploded en route and I wondered for a moment if she hadn't poured red glitter in the box in an uncharacteristic bout of holiday cheer. Then I started sneezing and realized what had happened. I spent the next week vacuuming up red chili powder. Some of it apparently made its way into my Kit Kats as well. And let me tell you that chili powder with beans, onions, and hamburger is not the same as chili powder with chocolate and wafer cookies.

This isn't the first spicy Kit Kat incarnation I've tried and I'm very slowly coming around to the idea that hot and spicy and chocolate can go together. The Wasabi Kit Kat was a little overwhelming but the Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat was one of my favorites. The Chili Kit Kat, however, left something to be desired.

The Chili Kit Kat are really Kit Kat mini balls. Upon opening there is no real smell other than the generic sweetness of chocolate-no hint of the fire to come. (This by the way makes it the perfect thing for older siblings to innocently offer to younger siblings...not that I would ever ever do something like that.) There is no real chili taste in the initial bite either...just chocolate and then... BAM! Hot balls of chocolate! It hits you! It's pretty hot and it took me a little time to get used to it but by the end I was sort of digging it. But don't be fooled. It's just heat. The chili adds no extra flavor and that is really disappointing. If you want a little extra spice in your Kit Kat then I suggest trying the Yuzu Kosho or the Wasabi first.

I probably wouldn't buy these again (even if I could find them because man it was hard to track these suckers down) but it was a nice novelty.

Final Score: 5

Chestnut Kit Kat

2010-02-25T03:49:00.000-05:00

I don't really know much about chestnuts except that you can roast them over an open fire and I only know that from that Christmas song that plays every year..."Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose." So I didn't really know what to expect when it came to the Chestnut Kit Kat. I just hoped Jack Frost would stay away while I ate them. My nose is cold enough with the strong winds here in Tahara.

The Chestnut Kit Kat is a mini Kit Kat and has only 65 calories in each small bar. I'm happy to report that this is another milk chocolate variety. It had a nice nutty smell that carried over into the flavor as well. Having never really eaten chestnuts before I can't really attest to how close this Kit Kat comes to a true chestnutty flavor but I will say that it was both nutty and delicious. But then that's no surprise since nuts and chocolate have had a long relationship together. Both the chocolate and the creme had a chestnut taste to them but despite the double whammy it was still subtle enough not to overwhelm the chocolate. This was another delicious Kit Kat and it makes me wonder if I shouldn't be trying more chestnut flavored treats. What are your favorite chestnut flavored snacks? Recommendations please!

Final Score: 7

Chocollabo Kit Kat

2010-02-22T03:35:00.000-05:00

If a regular Kit Kat is too boring for you don't worry because Nestle has you covered. Oh, you don't like crazy flavors like Rose Kit Kat or Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat? Well, that's okay too. Even if you do here are some Kit Kats that are personalized by you for any special occasion. They probably work for random days too but they're kind of expensive. In the Nestle lab (by which I mean the internet) you can create your very own Kit Kat box with pictures, stamps, and cutesy writing. It's like purikura but on a Kit Kat box!

The site is all in Japanese and they charge 2,100 yen for a box of 10 Kit Kats. If those are the larger boxes with two packs inside then that's a pretty fair price. If it's a box of 10 minis then I might balk. It's a super cute idea for party favors I think and I'm soooo tempted but I don't have any special occasions to warrant buying them. Maybe when I leave Japan I could give them as goodbye presents. Until then you'll find me perusing the pictures of Kit Kat boxes featuring newlyweds, babies, and small dogs.

Check it out - Chocollabo Kit Kat.

Banana Kit Kat

2010-02-20T02:29:00.000-05:00

I love bananas. I was really irate during the ridiculous banana diet fiasco in Japan where for about three months it was impossible to buy bananas because some empty-headed TV personality mentioned that she had lost weight eating nothing but bananas and every obachan in the country went out and bought up all the bananas by twelve each day. I like them because they are delicious and because they're usually the cheapest fruit in a country where apples are over a dollar a piece and melon prices can soar as high as $200 a pop. But I am a banana purist. I don't tend to like banana flavored things. Banana splits are only so-so. Even banana bread doesn't rank that high with me. So while a Banana Kit Kat sounded tempting I wondered if I would really like it or not.

The Banana Kit Kat minis are 66 calories each and are milk chocolate. They have a faint artificial banana smell to them that also extends to the taste, but it's mild enough and mixes well enough with the milk chocolate that I didn't really mind that it wasn't "natural." The chocolate seemed creamier than normal or maybe it's just that milk chocolate has a lower melting point than white but either way I liked it.

Overall it was a pretty tasty Kit Kat and it illustrates perfectly how I've come to feel about this crazy Kit Kat experience of mine and that is that I think Nestle does a better job when they try to create a flavor that complements the chocolate rather than overtakes it. A literal translation of a flavor in Kit Kat form does not always make for a delicious snack, the disgusting Corn Kit Kat is a perfect example. The Banana Kit Kat on the other hand is a nice blend of banana with chocolate.

Of course, it helps that bananas and chocolates go nicely together anyway. Chocolate fondue anyone? Banana Splits? Not true for apples and carrots, or roses, or corn on the cob and yet I've tried all of those. And I will keep trying them because who knows maybe Nestle will prove me wrong. I did like the Sports Drink Kit Kat. And the Melon Kit Kat. Neither of which I would have dreamed of making into chocolate bars. If you get the chance to try the Banana Kit Kat (and good luck trying because I think these are from last year) then I say go for it.

Final Score: 7.5

Sports Drink Kit Kat

2010-02-15T06:13:00.000-05:00

I'm way late to the game with this one. The Sports Drink Kit Kat came out in late summer while I was on vacation in the US and I just couldn't find it when I got back. When I went to make another internet purchase a few weeks ago I noticed that it was still available from napajapan.com so I went ahead and ordered it along with some other Kit Kat varieties that are no longer available in the conbinis. (Reviews forthcoming!)

The Sports Drink Kit Kat is a joint venture with JFA Dream Asia Project which has something to do with soccer (the site is in Japanese...sorry!) It's meant to taste like one of the many sports drink on offer here in Japan, none of which I have ever tried so I can't account for the authenticity of the taste. I don't like to sweat enough to ever warrant needing a sports drink.

I might have to try one though after having this Kit Kat. I was pleasantly surprised. Sports Drink just doesn't sound like it would make the most appetizing of chocolate treats but it really wasn't that bad. The Sports Drink Kit Kat is 100 calories and comes in a box of two. They are made with white chocolate and smell like grapefruit. The chocolate itself also has a citrus-y grapefruit taste to it and the back of the box advertises a refreshing tartness that comes through in the creme.

Citrus flavored Kit Kats are not my favorite but this was one of the better ones. Surprisingly, I seem to like citrus taste paired with white chocolate rather than milk. I almost never prefer white chocolate but I would rather have the Sports Drink Kit Kat or the Calpis Kit Kat over the Lemon Vinegar or Sour Orange Kit Kats, both of which were milk chocolate. The sweetness of the white chocolate balances better with the sourness of the citrus.

What do you think? Do you like white, milk, or dark chocolate with your citrus fruits?

Final Score: 6

Green Tea Kinako Kit Kat

2010-02-12T04:21:00.000-05:00

I've tried a Green Tea Kit Kat and I've tried a Kinako Kit Kat so why not a Green Tea Kinako Kit Kat? I don't know what prompted Nestle to try this combination - the picture on the wrapper is a little strange. Does anyone eat a small mountain of toasted soy flour with their matcha? Not the strangest flavor I'll grant you, I just wonder where it comes from. If anyone knows, please enlighten me.

The Green Tea Kinako Kit Kat was a Kit Kat bar with 242 calories. It's made with white chocolate and colored green so it looks like a bigger version of the Green Tea Kit Kat I sampled earlier this year. It smells different though, more like the Kinako Kit Kat, with a subtle nutty smell. The green tea flavor is mostly in the chocolate and the kinako is in the wafers. It's very sweet - too sweet for me actually. The mild nutty taste of the kinako flavor that I loved with the milk chocolate isn't enough to win me over this time.

The bigger bar means more white chocolate than with the smaller Green Tea mini and I think the sheer size contributed to the sweetness overload. If I were to try it again, I don't think I would eat the whole thing in one sitting. As it is I don't think I would try it again. I was very "meh" about the whole bar. I do think, however, if you are a big fan of the Green Tea Kit Kat then you might really enjoy this reincarnated version of it.

Final Score: 5

Bananas or Kit Kats?

2010-02-09T17:03:00.000-05:00

BBC News has put together a nice little pros and cons list of bananas vs. Kit Kats. Personally, I like them both and I even have a Banana Kit Kat to review soon so maybe this will all be moot.

So what do you think? Bananas or Kit Kat in a snack stand-off - which wins?

Maple Kit Kat

2010-02-08T05:50:00.000-05:00

With the Winter Olympics approaching Nestle decided to release a special Kit Kat. Not that they need a special reason to release a new Kit Kat but it does help in deciding which flavor to release next. The Maple Kit Kat is in honor of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and features real maple syrup from Quebec. Although someone should let them know that Vancouver and Quebec aren't really that close - almost opposite ends really of a very large country. But still it's a fun theme for a Kit Kat.

I like maple syrup and can often be found eating pancakes or french toast smothered in maple syrup on the weekends. At home I buy the cheap stuff like Aunt Jemima's that's made with corn syrup and other artificial flavoring but here in Japan there's no cheap alternative so I'm forced to spend 1,100 yen on a bottle of 100% maple syrup straight from Canada. But even though I like maple syrup I'm not usually a fan of maple flavored things. Pancakes are one thing but chocolate is another ball game all together. So I wasn't sure how I would like the Maple Kit Kat.

I bought my Maple Kit Kat minis individually at the 7-11 near my apartment for 40 yen each. Each mini is 69 calories. They are made with white chocolate and smell faintly of maple syrup. Ebidebby jokingly wondered if the Maple Kit Kat tasted like Soy Sauce and I will say that it did have a similar taste to the Soy Sauce Kit Kat but the resemblance was only slight. It did taste maple-y but it wasn't overpowering and balanced nicely with the white chocolate. What I liked the most about it was that the chocolate seemed extra creamy and I suspect that there is real maple syrup between the wafers that gives it a boost of moistness you don't usually find in other Kit Kats. It was definitely worth trying although I think I will stick with maple syrup on my pancakes rather than in my chocolate.

Do you like maple flavored treats? What are your favorites?

Final Score: 7

Custard Pudding Kit Kat Bar

2010-02-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

I could also call this entry Custard Pudding Kit Kat - Take Two. Or Return of the Custard Pudding Kit - bigger and better than ever before. Because I did try Custard Pudding Kit Kat minis back in June. This is just another example of how Nestle is able to constantly release new Kit Kats - they don't actually release that many new Kit Kats rather just slightly tweaked versions of past Kit Kats. But I will say that I like this incarnation better than last so no complaints here. (Also, I would run out of things to blog about if they only released uniquely new flavors.)

The Custard Pudding Kit Kat is a bar this time round with 239 calories in each large finger. Unlike the Custard Pudding minis that were made with white chocolate, this latest version is made with milk chocolate. And it is all the better for it. My main complaint with the minis was that they were too sweet but with milk chocolate this problem is solved. The chocolate was creamy and the custard flavor was mild. There were notes of the pudding itself with a slight bitter finish of the caramel sauce. Because it was a bigger bar and also possibly because it was milk chocolate the flavor was not as concentrated as it was in the minis so if you really like custard pudding and would rather have a strong flavor then you are better off with the minis versus the bar. If not, then this makes an ideal snack.

Final Score: 7

Azuki Kit Kat

2010-02-04T05:36:00.000-05:00

I've had a tumultuous relationship with azuki beans here in Japan. The first time I had them was in a bowl of zenzai - which is sweet red bean soup with big globs of mochi in it. I had just arrived in Japan and so I saw what I thought was a hearty bean soup that back home would have been salty. Imagine my surprise when it was sweet. I almost spit it back out into the bowl. Two years later and I still won't eat zenzai. I could probably stomach it now but the thought of eating something so sweet for lunch is unappetizing. It's the only school lunch menu I won't eat.

Over time I have come to realize that it isn't the beans in traditional Japanese sweets that I don't like but the mochi. I am perfectly happy to eat red bean paste in a cake or donut. And if a little old lady offers me a bowl of straight up azuki beans I can eat it without wanting to spit it out. So an Azuki Kit Kat didn't make me nervous like it might have two years ago.

The Azuki Kit Kat was released in honor of Setsubun. This Japanese holiday is celebrated on February 3rd as the changing of the seasons. People throw soy beans at friends or family dressed up as an oni or devil and say something to the effect of "out with the devil and in with good luck." It doesn't really make sense to me but then neither does Groundhog Day. I didn't throw beans yesterday but I did have some with school lunch and I ate my Azuki Kit Kat decorated with its own red oni.

The Azuki Kit Kat is a Kit Kat Bar and has 237 calories. It's made with milk chocolate and right away I could smell the red beans. The actual azuki taste is mild and concentrated mostly in the creme but it does mix well with the chocolate. Maybe if I had tried it first in a Kit Kat rather than in zenzai I might have liked it from the beginning. The only thing I didn't like was the pretty strong aftertaste of azuki it left in my mouth for quite a while after I finished the bar. Still it was a nice snack and a great way to celebrate Setsubun since I didn't have anyone to throw beans at.

Final Score: 7

Raspberry Passion Fruit Kit Kat

2010-02-02T05:28:00.000-05:00

Valentine's is drawing near and Japanese shops are filling up with chocolates. In Japan women give chocolates to men and then we have to wait a month before we get any reciprocal gift and even then it's cookies not chocolates, which is really unfair if you ask me. Although I guess with a Kit Kat you really get both so it's a win-win.

The latest Kit Kat is Valentine's Day themed with two different boxes to choose from - one pink and one brown. They are cute enough on the outside but they get even cuter once you open them up. The inside of the box is covered in hearts and the individual Kit Kat wrappers are as well. So they look nice, but how do they taste?

The Raspberry and Passion Fruit Kit Kat are made with dark chocolate so right there I am already very happy. These are not minis so each bar is 98 calories. They smell like raspberry and remind me of the Dark Chocolate Raspberry Lindt Truffles I used to buy all the time back in America. The chocolate is plain dark chocolate. There are no added flavors there. Instead it all comes through in the creme. In fact, if you take a close look you can see that the creme is pink. The raspberry tastes as strong as it smells but its sweetness contrasts so nicely with the darker chocolate. There is a very slight touch of sourness at the end so I assume that is the passion fruit coming through but I don't really know since I've never eaten passion fruit before. Are they sour?

This is a fantastic Kit Kat. I love the darker chocolate and both the sweetness and tartness of both the raspberry and passion fruit combine to make this a truly wonderful snack. This is one of the more luxurious Kit Kats I have tasted so far. I wish I didn't have so many Kit Kats in my kitchen waiting to be eaten or I might just buy some more of these. Who knows maybe I will anyway. Or there's always the hope that one of my friends will give me some tomo-choco for Valentine's Day!

Final Score: 10!!!

Corn Kit Kat - Hokkaido Limited Edition

2010-01-31T04:12:00.000-05:00

I like corn. I like corn a lot and corn on the cob is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer. It's also one of those things that is strangely more delicious here in Japan. I'm still not sure what they put on it but whether I'm buying it at a festival booth, out of the back of an old lady's van, or eating it in school lunch, I love love love corn.

And since the Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat was surprisingly good I had pretty high hopes for the Corn Kit Kat. Corn is sweet. It's delicious. Thus it should be good as a Kit Kat. I would be very very wrong.

I got this box of Kit Kats as omiyage from my Japanese friend Marie (mah-ree-ay) who bought it in Hokkaido. It's another mailer box that came with 5 Kit Kat minis and let me say that that was four Kit Kats too many. Each one is 68 calories. They are white chocolate but colored a nice buttery yellow color. They smell very nice - a mix of white chocolate and sweet corn.

But as nice as they smell, they taste horrible. I gagged on the first bite. It was all I could do to finish one mini. Normally, I eat at least two when I'm writing a review but the thought of eating another one was unthinkable. It tasted exactly like buttered corn. There's even a hint of salt at the end. And while that sounds good when I'm thinking of summer barbecues it is not good when I'm thinking of chocolate. The texture was all wrong. My brain tasted buttered corn and expected crunchy goodness and instead it got creamy chocolate with wafers. In this instance, Nestle went too literal with the taste, way way too literal. I think a milk chocolate bar with a hint of sweet corn might actually taste good but the Corn Kit Kat went too far. I cannot recommend this Kit Kat to anyone and now I have four Kit Kats sitting in my kitchen that I will NOT be eating.

Final Score: 2

Kit Kat Gokaku Mug

2010-01-29T23:19:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before the play on words that make Kit Kats a popular item to give students around exam time. Kitto katsu in Japanese translates to surely you will win. So a gokaku mug or pentagon shaped mug is a fitting promotion. Gokaku is a play on words that translates to luck. Since it's exam time here in Japan for stressed out junior high school students trying to get into a good high school as well as stressed out high school kids trying to get into a good college a good luck mug with a packet of Nescafe Cafe Au Lait and a Kit Kat bar makes for a nice encouraging gift.

If I didn't have around 400 students getting ready to graduate and move up to high school then I might buy them all one. Instead I will sit in my apartment, sipping Nescafe, and thanking God I'm no longer in school.

Calpis Kit Kat

2010-01-28T05:46:00.000-05:00

I don't like Calpis. In part because it tastes like flat Fresca, but also because it looks suspiciously like skim milk despite claiming to be a soft drink. But mostly I don't like it because Calpis sounds like cow's piss and who would want to drink something called that? I do giggle every time my friend Miwa orders it though. And she gives me a strange look every time too. It's our tradition.

Usually I comment on how a particular Kit Kat is good but not as good as the real thing. But this time is different. The Calpis Kit Kat is a huge improvement over the real thing. I can say with confidence that I would rather have a Calpis Kit Kat than drink cow's piss...I mean Calpis.

They came in a bag of minis bought at my local supermarket and each mini is 69 calories. The Calpis Kit Kat is made with lemon smelling white chocolate. The chocolate itself has a nice mild lemon taste to it and the creme gives the bar a nice sour finish. Really other than the wrapper there is very little to indicate that this is a Calpis Kit Kat in particular. If you had blindfolded me and asked me to name that flavor I would have guessed lemon. Calpis has more of a lemon lime flavor to it. It's like a flat Seven-Up. But there was little hint of lime in the Calpis Kit Kat - more lemon than anything else. I'm not a huge fan of citrus-y flavored chocolate so this isn't going on my list of favorites but it was a decent Kit Kat. If you like lemon with your chocolate then I suggest checking it out.

Final Score: 6

Yubari Melon Kit Kat - Hokkaido Limited Edition

2010-01-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

Japan is obsessed with brand names. Even certain fruits and other food items can be more expensive if they have the right name on the label. And I'm not kidding when I say expensive. A friend of mine tried strawberries that cost $10 a piece this weekend. I've seen mangoes advertised at 8,000 yen for one mango. That's $80! A melon from nowhere, Japan will sell for a lot cheaper than a melon from Yubari, Japan. The average price for the Yubari label is $60-$150. More expensive ones will set you back $200. The record price for a Yubari melon...$20,000!!! I sure hope it was covered in platinum.

The truth is that I never used to be a big melon fan. I would eat cantaloupe when my mom would buy it but too often it was pretty dry and disappointing. And I never touched the honeydew melon that was completely void of any taste that came in institutional fruit salads. But that was before I came to Japan - land of $200 melons. If you are going to charge 20,000 yen for something it better be good...damn good in fact.

Actually even the 1,000 yen ones are pretty amazing. It helps that my town is famous for melons. If you feel like spending some serious cash on a melon you can get one that was grown in a box so that it comes out square. Or if you're like me you're content with the round ones as long as it's so juicy you have to eat it standing over the sink (and they usually are.) I usually get a couple free during melon season thanks to my many farmer friends. I've even become a huge fan of Suntory's melon soda even though I've been informed that only kids drink it. Japan's melons are sugoi oishii.

That being said, I've never had a Yubari melon and because I'm frugal and don't think laying out a $100 for some melon is a good idea I'm going to guess that the closest I'm ever going to get to eating one is this regional limited edition Kit Kat. Too bad too because if they are anything like Tahara melons then I would be very happy to eat one. As it was the Yubari Melon Kit Kat was an okay substitute.

I got this box as omiyage from a friend who went to Hokkaido during winter vacation. It's another box designed to be sent through the post with five minis inside. Each mini is 66 calories. The first thing I noticed about them was that they are made with milk chocolate. If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know that I much prefer the milk chocolate over white so combined with my new found love for melons I was very excited to try this Kit Kat.

Upon opening the wrapper I could instantly smell melon. It smelled slightly artificial - like a melon soda - but it wasn't off putting. It had a very strong melon taste - more like cantaloupe than the green melon flavor you get with soda or other melon flavored sweets, which makes sense since Yubari melons are very similar to cantaloupes with an orange flesh rather than a green one. The chocolate has only a very slight melon flavor so I assume most of it is concentrated in the creme. I did note that the chocolate was nice and creamy in these bars, much more like a classic chocolate Kit Kat. Overall the bar was not too sweet. It was just the right balance of melon and chocolate.

I'll admit right now that I ate all 5 minis in one sitting. In part because I've just started working out again and that usually sends my appetite through the roof and in part because they were so delicious. It makes me sad actually to think that I don't have any more left to try, (until I remember the four Kit Kat varieties in my kitchen and several more recently ordered via the internet.) If you get a chance to try these definitely take it. And if you ever try a real Yubari melon then let me know! I want to know what a $200 melon actually tastes like.

Final score: 8.5

Purple Sweet Potato Kit Kat - Okinawa Limited Edition

2010-01-22T03:38:00.001-05:00

I've mentioned before that one of the best parts about having a candy review blog is not only that you have a great excuse for eating a lot of chocolate (not that I've ever needed one) but that people start giving you candy. I recently got three boxes of Kit Kats as omiyage from friends.

This was another "mailer" souvenir box that came from my friend Kaoru. Although she delivered it by hand rather than mailing it since she just lives down the street from me. She got to go to Okinawa AND Hawaii this fall and was kind enough to bring me back souvenirs. The Purple Sweet Potato Kit Kat is a limited edition from Okinawa because these potatoes are native to that island. It's not exactly a unique flavor as you can see here and here, but it is a delicious one.

The box comes with 5 Kit Kat minis and is designed to be sent through the mail. Each mini is only 69 calories, made with white chocolate. Purple sweet potatoes really are purple - inside and out - and this Kit Kat strives to replicate that deep purple color. It's not quite the same hue but close enough. It smells strongly of sweet potatoes and with sweet potato flavor in the chocolate and creme it achieves a nice sweet potato taste as well.

I liked it. It was another great snacking experience from Nestle. But other than the color it was very similar to the Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat that I reviewed back in the fall. The Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat was maybe a touch sweeter than this one. It's hard to remember the finer details in taste, but in essentials this was the same flavor. You can do different variations on coffee and strawberry but there doesn't seem to be much to do with sweet potatoes. Maybe throw in some cinnamon and nutmeg and call it sweet potato pie? It makes me more confident than ever that I made the right decision not to buy the other sweet potato regional limited edition.

But despite the repeat in flavor it was one that I really liked so I don't think I'll have any problem finishing these off. Thanks again Kaoru for the great omiyage!

Final Score: 8

Strawberry Kit Kat (again)

2010-01-20T05:58:00.000-05:00

This reminds me of the enka song my friend Bob (not his real name) sings every time we go to karaoke. The chorus is mooooichido *clap, clap* mooooichido *clap, clap* something something mumble mumble mumble. Right, so I don't remember all the words (that's what the karaoke machine is for) but the moichido part translates to one more time *clap, clap* one more time *clap, clap*. So here we go one more time with another Strawberry Kit Kat. For past installations please see the first Strawberry Kit Kat, the Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat, and the Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat.

The latest Strawberry Kit Kat came from a bag of minis found at my local grocery store. Each mini is only 66 calories but what sets these apart from the pack is that they are milk chocolate rather than white chocolate. So right there I'm a little happier and more inclined to like them. There is a strong but fake strawberry smell to them and the taste is pretty artificial as well with most of the strawberry flavor centered in the chocolate. The Sparkling Strawberry and the first Strawberry Kit Kat I tried had a sour note that this Strawberry Kit Kat lacked and I can't say that I missed it. It's a nice snack but I only wish it could taste a little more like the strawberries grown here in Tahara and less like an artificial additive.

And that's why strawberry flavored candies are not my favorite; they can't ever live up to the real thing. If I had to choose between a chocolate covered strawberry and a Strawberry Kit Kat (even a milk chocolate one) I would definitely go for the real strawberry. This latest incarnation of the Strawberry Kit Kat, however, is the best I've tried so far. And I look forward to trying Nestle's next stab at strawberry (right around this time next year if I had to guess.)

Final Score: 6

A Random Combination

2010-01-18T05:02:00.000-05:00

I know the last time I had some mouth watering fudge I thought, "you know what would go with this? Some Camembert cheese!" Oh wait, that wasn't me, that was Nestle. I found this in a Lawson's in Aso and was so confused by the random pairing of Camembert and Fudge that I wasn't even sure that I was reading it right.

"Do you think this is cheese flavored Kit Kats or Kit Kat shaped cheese?" I asked my friend.

Turns out it was Fudge Kit Kats and Kit Kat shaped blobs of dehydrated cheese flavored sticks claiming to be Camembert. It might say "The Excellent" on the package but that would be false advertising. I'm not saying that cheese and chocolate can't go together (hello chocolate cheesecake!) but Japan has this weird thing about putting the wrong kinds of cheese with chocolate like the cheddar cheese chocolate I tried at 100% Chocolate Cafe in Tokyo.

It was, however, a good excuse to have some more Fudge Kit Kats. I just wish I could have had more of the chocolate and less of the fake cheese.

Milk Coffee Kit Kat

2010-01-16T03:36:00.001-05:00

I've tried the Espresso Coffee Kit Kat, Tiramisu Kit Kat, Cafe Latte Kit Kat and now comes the Milk Coffee Kit Kat. That makes four. Four! I have tried four coffee flavored Kit Kats in the nine months I have been buying and blogging Kit Kats. It must be hard to keep up the pace they do releasing new flavors all the time so they aren't opposed to tweaking existing flavors and re-releasing them. But as long as they stick with the more delicious ones and don't decide to extend the Rose Kit Kat into a longer campaign of various flower flavors then I guess I won't complain. Because the truth is I like coffee and I like coffee-flavored Kit Kats.

The Milk Coffee Kit Kat comes in a box of two that proclaims that soon the cherry blossoms will bloom. Er...in about three months maybe. Right now it's time for long underwear and pocket warmers, but talking about sakura around New Year's is something of a tradition here in Japan. No weirder than talking about groundhogs in February I guess. Although I'm still not sure what Milk Coffee and cherry blossoms blooming have anything to do with each other...

Anyway, each bar is 100 calories. They are white chocolate with just the slightest hint of brown. They smell faintly of coffee, but nothing like the overpowering smell of the Cafe Latte Kit Kat minis. The taste is milder as well. The chocolate has a milk taste to it while the coffee flavor is concentrated in the creme. It's definitely delicious but it's doesn't scream COFFEE!!! like the Cafe Latte Kit Kat did. The problem with releasing so many varieties of what is essentially the same flavor is that I become more critical because I have something to compare it with. The Milk Coffee Kit Kat is a great snack and goes nicely with a cup of coffee but it doesn't stack up to the Cafe Latte Kit Kat, which is still easily one of my favorites.

Then again I don't drink my coffee with milk. I like it strong and sweet so if you like your coffee white then you might prefer this coffee variety over the Cafe Latte.

Final Score: 7

Green Tea Kit Kat - Kyoto Limited Edition

2010-01-12T05:18:00.000-05:00

I've reviewed the Green Tea Kit Kat once before. That one came in a mixed bag of minis and wasn't my favorite. This one came from a box of Limited Edition Kit Kats from Kyoto. Now I know there are different kinds of green tea. There is the really thick kind that looks like pea soup and is served in a bowl and tastes bitter but goes well with sweets. And there is the less thick kind served in cups. But please don't ask me which is which when it comes to these Kit Kats because I have no idea. I've tried looking it up but my Japanese kanji skills are failing me. If anyone knows better than me then please chime in.

Like the other regional limited edition boxes this had 12 minis in it, each only 69 calories. My friend Kristin bought these in Kyoto Station when she was here visiting me and was nice enough to let me have two in order to review. (Apparently I am breaking a tie in her office as to whether these are good or not.)

I wasn't a huge fan of the first Green Tea Kit Kat I tried. It didn't really taste like green tea and it had a very unpleasant aftertaste. This one, however, wasn't as bad. It smelled of matcha and it had a darker green tint to it than the last one. Despite the extra green dye it had a milder green tea taste than the last one. It was very sweet thanks to the white chocolate and the matcha taste was very mellow. It almost smelled more like green tea than it tasted. There was none of the bitterness that I associate with a bowl of tea here in Japan. But that's not a bad thing. You always have a sweet with your tea and in a way you could say that Nestle has combined both the tea and the sweet into one package. I wish it had been a little bit more bitter but I feel that way about most of the white chocolate Kit Kat.

Overall, it was a nice snacking experience. I'm not sure I would buy another box and I'm glad I only had the two to eat but it was much better than the last Green Tea Kit Kat I tried so thanks Kyoto for another delicious Kit Kat!

Final Score: 7

Yuzu Kosho Kit Kat - Kyushu Limited Edition

2010-01-07T00:31:00.000-05:00

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

Mild Bitter Kit Kat

2010-01-04T05:28:00.000-05:00

I'm back from vacation in Kyushu and I find I have a backlog of Kit Kats to review. Some I've tried and just haven't posted and some others have been pushed aside in favor of holiday treats and the large package of Dark Chocolate Reese's my wonderful mother sent me for Christmas. I'll try to get back on track this week and should keep busy for several weeks more. Coming soon are Limited Edition Kit Kats from Kyushu, Okinawa, and Kyoto, random Kit Kat promotions involving cheese and coffee cups, and one more strawberry variety.

Today, however, is a special edition so special I figured I wouldn't ever be trying it because even though I am wholly committed to my Kit Kat mission I am not about to seek out the one store in Tokyo that carries it. But orchid64 over at Japanese Snack Reviews graciously sent me some to try.

These Kit Kat minis came in a bag of 14 sold only in Okashi Omachioka - a discount snack shop found around Tokyo. (I've mentioned I don't live in Tokyo, right? Because I don't. Not anywhere close. I live in the inaka out among the cabbage fields. I ride past a pig farm on my way to work. It's great, just not always conducive to finding the latest Kit Kat varieties.)

Each bar is 66 calories and covered in a darker chocolate than you get with a regular Kit Kat. The name Mild Bitter Kit Kat implies that the chocolate is dark but the real emphasis here is on mild. It is not a very dark chocolate - only slightly more bitter than the milk chocolate of a regular Kit Kat. I'm a huge fan of dark chocolate so you can take my assessment with a grain of salt, but I would have liked it to be darker. It promised but didn't deliver. The chocolate is a tad drier as well and overall the bar is a bit crisper, but overall the taste is not too far off a normal Kit Kat. It may be exclusive but it is hardly exotic.

Still, it was a good Kit Kat. I liked it. It was chocolate. There were wafers. And even if it wasn't as dark as I had hoped it was still a little less sweet than the white chocolate confections I usually get with crazy flavored Kit Kats. I'd still like a truly Dark Chocolate Kit Kat if I can ever find one. Until then I'll be snacking on the Dark Chocolate Reese's I have stocked away in my fridge.

Final Score: 8

And don't forget to check out the review of Mild Bitter Kit Kats at Japanese Snack Reviews!

Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat

2009-12-22T01:34:00.000-05:00

It's strawberry season in Japan. Well, technically it will be strawberry season in January but Nestle thinks that December is close enough so we have not one but TWO strawberry flavors out right now. I'll be reviewing the other one later. Today it's the Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat.

I'm not sure what is supposed to sparkling about these strawberries. The front of the box suggests something carbonated - I guessed champagne. And it did have some fizzy powder in the creme, similar to the Ramune Kit Kat, but it didn't really sparkle in the way I had hoped. No edible glitter or champagne flavored creme.

The Sparkling Strawberry Kit Kat is 99 calories a bar and comes in a box of two. It was white chocolate and pink colored. It definitely smelled like strawberries but it was the fake kind. The taste was also of the fake strawberry variety. The chocolate was a very tart strawberry flavor. It reminded me more of the strawberries I eat back home in America, that need a little sugar sprinkled on them, rather than the really sweet strawberries I get here in Japan. I prefer the sweeter variety so this extra sourness was not something I really enjoyed. The addition of the fizzy powder didn't do much in the way of making it fizzy but may have contributed to the sourness because I remember liking the Strawberry Kit Kat I tried back in May.

Overall, I give this one a lower score. It was too sour and there are several other strawberry Kit Kats out there that I like better. Now maybe if it had really sparkled...

Final Score: 4

Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat - Yokohama Limited Edition

2009-12-16T05:16:00.000-05:00

I recently took a trip up to Tokyo to visit a friend. I warned her before I came that I would be hunting Kit Kats so she wasn't surprised when I insisted on going in every conbini we came across. Although a fat lot of good it did me since I didn't find a single one I didn't already have. I had better luck in the train station though. They had lots of regional specialties on sale for those travelers looking for some last minute omiyage.

A few of them I had already tried, like the Soy Sauce Kit Kat and the Wasabi Kit Kat. And then there was the Sweet Potato Kit Kat that looked similar enough to the Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat that I didn't think it was worth the money to try it again. (If anyone has tried this one and wants to let me know if I made the right decision that would be great!)

But they did have Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat, which although it is doing very poorly in my poll, I just couldn't pass up. They actually had two choices available. The large box of 12 for 870 yen or a smaller box of 5 for 370 yen. The smaller box is actually made for mailing to your friends, which I think is a cute idea. I know I like getting candy in the mail!

The Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat is a specialty of Yokohama. With 69 calories a bar, this Kit Kat is another white chocolate Kit Kat but unlike the other strawberry varieties I've tried, it wasn't pink colored, just plain white. This is similar to how the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat looked. Unlike the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat though there was more of a noticeable strawberry taste although I still could do with a little more cheesecake flavor than what I got. What little there was tasted more like yogurt although it did a good job of balancing out the sourness of the strawberry flavor that I've tasted in other Kit Kat strawberry varieties. Overall it was a good snacking experience. I won't have any trouble finishing off my little mail pack. (Sorry friends you won't be getting any Kit Kats in the post anytime soon.)

Final Score: 7

Kit Kats I won't be eating anytime soon :-(

2009-12-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

As hard as I try it is impossible for me to try every Kit Kat flavor available in the world, but luckily there are some other amazing bloggers who pick up the slack. Here are two reviews of two Kit Kats I won't be able to try anytime soon due to lack of availability.

Kit Kat Mild Bitter from Japanese Snack Reviews is a special edition Kit Kat that is so special it's only sold in one store in Japan. Too bad too because I would love a dark chocolate Kit Kat.

Peanut Butter Kit Kat Chunky from Snack Love is a British Kit Kat so that makes it hard to get here in Japan.

Check them out!

Whole Wheat Kit Kat

2009-12-09T02:00:00.000-05:00

Whole wheat isn't that popular here. If you want three pieces of suspiciously light colored "wheat" bread at the supermarket be prepared to pay twice as much than you would pay for six pieces of bread whiter than Wonder Bread. Darker breads are on the top of "Foods I miss from home" list. So I was surprised to find a Whole Wheat Kit Kat in Japan.

The Whole Wheat Kit Kat is a Kit Kat Bar, so instead of two smaller fingers you get one large candy bar. I'm not a huge fan but chocolate is chocolate, right? This one happens to be milk chocolate and is a regular Kit Kat in everything except that the wafers are made with whole wheat. To be honest though there is little difference between a wafer made with whole wheat flour and one that isn't. It's not quite as sweet and there is a slightly different taste to the wafers (slightly more wheaty...wheatish?) but it's minimal. I might not have noticed if it wasn't this Kit Kat's selling point.

Still, because it was so close to the original, it makes for an excellent snack. And you might even be able to fool yourself into thinking it's healthier since it's made with whole wheat. That's what I told myself as I ate the entire thing in one sitting.

Final Score: 9

Wasabi Kit Kat - Shizuoka Limited Edition

2009-12-02T05:14:00.001-05:00

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.

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

Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Kit Kat

2009-11-27T22:36:00.001-05:00

The new Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Kit Kat sure does live up to its name. But Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Kit Kat is a really long name for a Kit Kat so from here on out I'm going to refer to it as a Fudge Kit Kat because essentially that is what it is.

I haven't eaten any fudge in Japan and I've never seen it anywhere so either I don't know what to look for or it just isn't that popular here. It is more of a seasonal candy in the US though. Most of the fudge I consume is done so right around the Christmas holidays so the winter seasonal box with snow falling on evergreen trees is definitely appropriate. It will set you back a little more than a normal pack of minis though. For 230 yen you get a box of five Fudge Kit Kat minis each only 70 calories.

I love dark chocolate so I was very happy to see that this Kit Kat is covered in a little darker chocolate than what you normally get with a classic milk chocolate Kit Kat and the creme is also fudge chocolate so the overall effect is one of chocolately goodness. As advertised, it really does melt in your mouth. It's almost as good as the fudge your grandmother used to make. Maybe even better (but please don't tell my grandma I said that) because the wafers keep it from being too rich. If I were a Japanese entertainer I would let out an orgasmic OISHIIII after eating one of these. They're that good.

So far I haven't rated anything a 10 out 10. Someone asked me if that was because nothing is perfect. I told them a classic Kit Kat bar would rate a 10 but so far nothing has equaled the simple yet classic combination of milk chocolate and wafer. The Kinako and Cafe Latte bars have come close but they still weren't quite a 10. And then came the Fudge Kit Kat - an improvement on fudge and an equal of the classic Kit Kat. So here you go. My very first 10 rating. If you like fudge then this is the candy bar for you!

Final score: 10!

Decisions!

2009-11-19T06:57:00.000-05:00

PollPub.com VoteWhich regional Kit Kat should I try next?

Royal Milk Tea

2009-11-16T03:24:00.000-05:00

We don't have Royal Milk Tea in America. And I'm pretty sure they don't have it in England either, despite the British guards marching around on the outside of this box. But that isn't to say that milk tea isn't delicious or not worthy of having its own Kit Kat flavor. I often drink milk tea in the winter. It's easy to make - two heaping spoonfuls of powder in hot water and you're ready to go. And if you're feeling poorly a fellow teacher of mine suggested milk tea with a squeeze of ginger as a cold remedy. You can also drink it cold but so far I haven't tried that, but my friend Masako orders it when we go out for dinner.

The Royal Milk Tea Kit Kat is again white chocolate with each bar being 100 calories (2 bars per box.) It smells just like the tin of milk tea powder I have sitting in my kitchen currently and the taste is spot on. A darker chocolate wouldn't have given it that dehydrated milk taste that you get with the real thing. Overall, it borders on being too sweet but then the drink it's based on is also fairly sweet, so really this taste combined with chocolate makes for a great Kit Kat.

I washed it down with some regular old black tea. I wouldn't recommend drinking milk tea with it just because then you would have milk tea overload and you might go into a sugar shock due to the sweetness but paired with a slightly more bitter drink, like black tea or coffee, then this is the perfect afternoon snack.

Final Score: 7

Ginger Ale Kit Kat

2009-11-12T06:16:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late to the game reviewing this Kit Kat. It's been out for quite awhile already but I think I've figured out that the conbini across the street from my apartment only sells every other limited edition Kit Kat. So right now they are still trying to finish off the Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat inventory and they only just got rid of all the Mango Pudding Kit Kats. This means that I'm going to have to be more diligent about getting to the "big" city and making sure I get the latest Kit Kats. Such are the disadvantages of living out in the cabbage fields of Japan. (There are advantages - free veggies from my farmer friends for one.)

The Ginger Ale Kit Kat definitely lives up to its name. Whether or not you're a fan of Ginger Ale will probably determine how much you like this one. Each bar (2 fingers) is 100 calories and there are two bars in each box. These are once again white chocolate and have a slightly yellowish color to them. Somehow they manage to both smell lemony and like ginger ale. The package has a picture of ginger ale with a slice of lemon in it. I don't really drink ginger ale but I've never seen it with lemon before? Do people drink it that way?

Taste-wise it was an interesting experience. There was a strong lemon taste but it didn't override the ginger ale taste that was definitely there. The box advertises soda powder in the wafers and the photo on the front certainly highlights the carbonation in the ginger ale, but it failed to really deliver on that aspect. There was a very slight hint of a fizz but it was less of the bubbly sensation you get with pop and instead was just an odd sour note in a mix of other strange tastes. I suppose if you like ginger ale then you might like this Kit Kat but for me it was a snacking failure, especially since it left a flat ginger ale taste in my mouth for almost 30 minutes afterwards.

Final Score: 4

Cafe Latte Kit Kat

2009-11-05T00:12:00.000-05:00

I reviewed the Espresso Coffee Kit Kat and the Tiramisu Kit Kat and wondered if they weren't the same Kit Kat in different wrappers, so when I saw this bag of Cafe Latte minis on the shelf in my local grocery store I wondered if this was just another repackaged version of an (underwhelming) coffee flavored Kit Kat. I was pleasantly surprised.

If you know me, then you know that I like my coffee strong and I like it sweet. (I like Starbucks black with six sugars.) So I have very high expectations from any Kit Kat claiming to be coffee flavored. From the moment I opened the bag the coffee smell was strong. The only thing that smells more like coffee than these Kit Kats is coffee. They are white chocolate but they have a light brown tint to them that is suggestive of their flavor - cafe latte. Each mini is 68 calories. Both the chocolate and the cream is coffee flavored, giving this a particularly strong coffee taste. It reminded me of the chocolate covered coffee beans I used to eat in college in order to stay awake - not quite that powerful but much more flavorful than with the Espresso Coffee Kit Kat or the Tiramisu Kit Kat.

Usually I prefer to buy bags of minis that have a mix of the crazy flavor and the classic chocolate. This bag came with only Cafe Latte Minis and for once I really don't mind. They make the perfect after work snack.

Final Score: 9

Kit Kats in the news

2009-11-02T22:57:00.000-05:00

This piece in the news explains why there are so many different kinds of Kit Kats in Japan.

What it doesn't explain is why my 7-11 hasn't stocked the Ginger Ale Kit Kat yet. It looks like once again I will have to spread my net wider in an effort to get my hands on one.

Check it out!

Soy Sauce Kit Kat - Tokyo Limited Edition

2009-10-29T18:30:00.001-04:00

After several weeks of looking at it in my kitchen, I finally broke down and tried the Soy Sauce Kit Kat. I think this might be the most disgusting sounding Kit Kat I have tried so far. Luckily, it was not the most disgusting tasting (the Rose Kit Kat still maintains that honor.) That being said, I think I will keep my soy sauce for dipping my sushi in or pouring over my fried rice.

The Soy Sauce Kit Kat is another regional limited edition sold only in the Tokyo area or online. I bought mine online for 810 yen plus shipping. Each box comes with 12 mini Kit Kats and a little description of the area they are supposed to represent, (which I can't read because my Japanese is bad.)

Like most of the strange flavored Kit Kats this one is white chocolate. It had a very generic white chocolate smell - very sweet and with no detectable soy sauce smell. The actual soy sauce flavor was very very very slight and concentrated in the wafers. In fact, I had to take several bites to make sure I was even tasting any soy sauce. It certainly wasn't as salty as the real thing can be but I guess having a more intense soy sauce flavor might push these into the inedible category.

These are definitely a novelty flavor, and not something I would ever willingly eat again. Not that they were bad just that they were so underwhelming and bland that I would rather have something better when it comes to snack time. Some commenters have mentioned that they had a maple syrup-ish flavor to them and I can taste that, but it was just too sweet for me. If you like white chocolate then you might enjoy the little twist the soy sauce flavor adds but I won't be trying them again.

Final Score: 4

Caramel Pudding Kit Kat

2009-10-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

Halloween isn't really a tradition here in Japan other than what companies can do to market it. There is a Happy Halloween sign at my local grocery store and a display with what I would consider some pretty random Halloween products. Nestle Kit Kat's at least are candy and make sense but since they never get handed out to trick or treaters it is still a little strange to see them with Jack O'lanterns and happy witches flying across the package. There's some sort of campaign involved too where kids can send in points from the package in order to win their dream or wish (whatever that may be???) I was more interested in the taste than any possible prizes, however.

The Caramel Pudding Kit Kats are sold in packages of minis are individually at the conbini. Each Kit Kat is 66 calories. They are milk chocolate (yay!) with caramel in the wafers. I was afraid these would be too much like the Custard Pudding Kit Kats I tried back in June but really they turned out to be much more like the Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites I tried earlier this month. Chocolate and caramel with some wafers - a basic but delicious combination. Although I must say there was very little pudding taste. The Custard Pudding Kit Kat focused more on the pudding taste with just a hint of caramel while these went straight for the caramel taste. They lacked the perfect salty ending that I loved with the Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites but overall they were still very tasty.

I would probably prefer a Twix for satisfying my chocolate/caramel cravings but since those aren't readily available in Japan then these are a great substitute (for as long they last.) If you have to choose between the Caramel Pudding or the Salt and Caramel though I would definitely go with the Salt and Caramel.

Final Score: 7

Roasted Sweet Potato Kit Kat

2009-10-22T07:28:00.000-04:00

It's autumn in Japan and that means that purple sweet potatoes are in season. I'm surprised actually I haven't received a big bag of them yet from any of my farmer friends but I did help out the ninth grader sitting next to me at lunch today by taking hers off her hands. I couldn't believe she didn't like them. Although they aren't as good as an American yam, Japanese purple sweet potatoes are still pretty high on the list of veggies I like. And they are one of the few veggies I imagine that would make a good Kit Kat.

And a good Kit Kat it is. Unlike the other fall flavor, Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat, this one came in a mixed bag with the classic chocolate. (On a side note I love the mixed bags because I rarely have an excuse to buy regular Kit Kats and it reminds me just how awesome the classic chocolate really is.) Each Roasted Sweet Potato mini is roughly 68 calories. They are slightly yellow-ish in color and smell like sweet potatoes. Biting into it, there is definitely a distinct sweet potato taste with all of the texture of a Kit Kat. It helps I think that there is sweet potato flavoring in both the chocolate and the creme between the wafers (at least that's what is said on the back of the bag.) It's sweet in the way that a potato is sweet - in a good way but not overly so. If you like Sweet Potato Casserole or Sweet Potato Pie then you are already accustomed to the sweet potato being used in dessert so the jump to a Kit Kat is not a large one. For someone like me, who loves everything from sweet potato fries, sweet potato casserole, or sweet potatoes in my kyushoku, this was a success.

Final Score: 8

Miso Kit Kat - Tokkai Hokuirku Limited Edition

2009-10-19T07:34:00.000-04:00

When I think of miso I think of miso soup. Or I think of the disgusting miso glazed fish I sometimes get in school lunch that makes my hands smell fishy and my breath bad for the rest of the day. I don't really think of Kit Kats. Until now of course with the Miso Kit Kat.

Although I should mention that miso is also used in sweets. Just not in the sweets that I am a fan of. Mochidango is sometimes covered in a thick miso glaze for instance so the jump to Kit Kat is not as strange as I first thought. But still...miso?

This is another regional limited edition from the Tokai area. The red miso or akamiso is popular in this area. When we have miso soup for school lunch it is almost always akamiso. Although that didn't really occur to me when I was making my online purchases. Almost immediately after ordering it online I had two different friends email me to tell me they had seen it in Nagoya and Toyohashi (basically not very far from where I live.) So I probably could have saved myself some shipping costs. Oh well.

This is another white chocolate Kit Kat. For 810 yen plus shipping I received a box of 12 minis. Once again on the inside panel there was a very nice description of what I can only imagine has something to do with either the Tokai region or the production of akamiso, maybe both. (I really need to bone up on the Japanese!) Each mini is 68 calories.

It had a strange smell, very sweet and kind of custardy. I'll admit to being a goof and sniffing the miso I had in the kitchen and comparing. It didn't really smell the same but I don't usually keep akamiso around (I prefer shiromiso) so that might account for the difference. As I said earlier I was thinking more miso soup than mochidango when I ate this so I was very pleasantly surprised. It was very sweet and reminded me of custard although it lacked the ending bitter note that the Custard Pudding Kit Kat had. The miso is already sweet and the combination with the white chocolate made it even more so. In the end, even with ice tea to wash it down, it was a little too sweet for me.

Final Score:5.5

Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat - Koshin Limited Edition

2009-10-14T05:25:00.000-04:00

So if you follow this blog you'll know that recently I realized that not only are there Kit Kats to be found in my local supermarket and conbini but that there are special limited edition boxes that are only sold in certain cities/regions of Japan or on the internet. So I broke down, pulled up the Nestle E-shop in one tab and Babelfish in the other, and ordered me some strange regional Kit Kats. This is not one of them. I mean it is a regional limited edition, Koshin Limited, according to the box, I just mean it's not that strange of a taste. This is the consolation prize I allowed myself for actually buying Miso Kit Kats and Soy Sauce Kit Kats. If I was spending all that money then I felt that I should at least have one box of appetizing sounding chocolate on there.

Despite all that the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat was a little disappointing. Maybe I had my hopes too high, after all blueberry cheesecake is pretty awesome (and blueberry cheesecake ice cream is even better.) But the Blueberry Cheesecake Kit Kat failed to deliver. For 810 yen plus shipping I got a very nice box of 12 mini Kit Kats. There's also a very nice description of the area it's from on the inside. Or at least that's what I imagine it says since I can't really read it. I pretend that it says something about a lake and mountains and delicious blueberries because that's what the picture on the box evokes, but really it could be about anything. They are 69 calories for one bar. It was white chocolate with a very very faint hint of a blueberry smell. The blueberry taste was just as mild and if I wasn't such a conscientious reviewer and been looking for it I might have missed it all together.

I would have liked a much stronger blueberry taste. And even some more cheese flavor would have been good too. In other words, it wasn't a bad snacking experience but it wasn't one to write home about either. Definitely not worth the hassle of ordering it online but I also won't mind serving it to friends with tea when they come to visit. (Just a note if you ever visit me you will almost certainly be served Kit Kats because I have to get rid of all these mini packs somehow. They will also feature heavily in Christmas presents this year too.) Final score is middling for being a less than creative flavor without really delivering on the flavor.

Final Score: 5

Sports Drink Kit Kat (or lack thereof)

2009-10-08T02:06:00.001-04:00

I despair of ever finding a Sports Drink Kit Kat. It was released this summer while I was in the States visiting family and even though I've been searched in Toyohashi, Tokyo, and Kyoto I haven't been able to spot one. It was a joint venture with JFA Dream Asia, which promotes football in Japan, and tastes like one of the many grapefruit flavored sports drinks available here. I'm sorry I missed it but make sure to check out the review at one my favorite blogs, Japanese Snack Reviews. And also at Tasty Japan and Japanese Kat.

Since I don't have a review for you this time, instead I present you with pictures of another Kit Kat lover - my nephew. He certainly knows the value of a good chocolate bar but he does still struggle with the idea that you have to take it out of the package before you try to eat it. He's a quick learner though!

Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites

2009-10-05T07:38:00.000-04:00

This new Kit Kat is part of Nestle's Halloween campaign (you can see a smiley face wearing a witch's hat in the corner.) There are also Caramel Pudding Kit Kats out right now and I haven't tried them yet to see how they stack up against this other Caramel incarnation. It is odd to have both out at the same time I think, but I'm glad all the same.

This was not a regular Kit Kat but was a small bag of Kit Kat bites. I would have preferred the normal fingers but overall the taste wasn't affected by the size or shape. Nope, I think fingers or not they were pretty tasty. Downright delicious actually. Although with caramel it didn't take much work to win me over. I'm already a fan. But this went above and beyond. You get smooth chocolate caramel-y taste at the beginning and finish on a salty note. I think it was the addition of the salt that really made it pop for me. I was hooked. Along with the Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat, you might see me in the 7-11 across the street buying some more Salt and Caramel Kit Kat Bites.

Final Score: 9

Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat

2009-10-01T05:54:00.000-04:00

It's fall in Japan so even though the weather is still hot and humid there is a plethora of autumn related products flooding the market. Nestle's latest Kit Kat is based off a traditional Japanese treat served during Higan, the three days around the spring and fall equinoxes where people visit their family graves and pray for their ancestors' souls. Ohagi - a treat similar to mochi covered in sweet beans, sesame, or kinako - is named after a fall flower called Hagi. (In spring the same treat is actually called botamochi.) If you remember from my Kinako Kit Kat review kinako is toasted soy flour and it's delicious. There's a picture of a piece of kinako ohagi on the Kit Kat box.

I've never had kinako ohagi and to be honest I probably never will. (I'm not a fan of mochi or sweet beans.) But the Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat hit the mark. It was milk chocolate and had the same nutty smell that the Kinako Kit Kat had. It's that nutty flavor of soy flour that I really like and it's concentrated in the wafers. In fact if you had given this to me in a blind taste test I might have guessed peanut butter first, although it's a little more subtle than your regular PB.

So that settles the kinako part but I was left a little confused about the ohagi. It wasn't until I read the back of the box that I realized that there are rice puffs in the chocolate coating to account for the ohagi. Their extra crunch is lost with the wafers, but I did spot one or two when I ate the second bar. Overall, I really enjoyed this Kit Kat. If I didn't have other Kit Kats in the kitchen and in the mail I would definitely buy this one again (I still might actually!)

Final Score: 9

Cookie Plus Kit Kat

2009-09-28T07:16:00.000-04:00

If the Cookie Plus Kit Kat doesn't sound very exotic to you then that's because it's not. Cookies and chocolate were meant to go together and frequently do. But that doesn't mean this wasn't a perfectly good Kit Kat. It just meant that I wasn't nervous to try it like I was the Apple Vinegar Kit Kat.

To start with this box of Kit Kats was 80 yen more expensive than a regular Kit Kat, but it came in a cute box. For 200 yen you got ten Kit Kat bites. These are even smaller than the minis, consisting of one square bite instead of fingers. Small but delicious. And each bite is 48 calories so I had 3-4 each time without feeling guilty. It's milk chocolate, so I like that. A vanilla cookie, (similar to the ones I used to dunk in Kool-aid during Children's Church,) is crumbled up and layered above the wafer. This gives it a little bit of an extra crunch and adds some sweetness. It tastes like chocolate and cookies - a match made in heaven.

Overall it's very edible. It's the first Kit Kat that I could really see being marketed successfully in the US. However, that means it lacks the creativity that I've come to expect from my Japanese Kit Kats. So while four of these with some ice tea makes for a great snack, it was lacking adventure.

Final Score: 6.5

Next up I try something with a little more Japanese flavor - Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat!

Kit Kat Special Release Map

2009-09-24T07:44:00.000-04:00

Turns out I wasn't even looking for half the Kit Kats I should have been while traveling this past week. There are special release Kit Kats for certain cities and regions only. Check out this crazy map that shows where to find what and when. I might have been able to grab three of those in Tokyo alone. Although we did manage to snag some of the Green Tea Kit Kats that are especially for Kyoto.

Click here for a larger version

Of course they are also available on the internet if I want to pay 840 yen with shipping. I'm going to have to decide here soon how far I want to take this project. Do I stick with the general release Kit Kats and shop in my local conbinis or do I extend my search to internet shopping as well. Part of the fun is trying to find all the flavors in different stores and coming across ones I wasn't expecting to see. It's like a treasure hunt. But getting candy in the mail would be fun too. And really can I leave Japan next year without ever trying the Soy Sauce Kit Kat?

What do you think readers?

Kit Kat in a Can

2009-09-24T04:57:00.000-04:00

You can get some truly odd things from vending machines here in Japan. There are vending machines that dispense umbrellas, ice cream, beer, hot soup, and condoms. My friend Nathan swore he found one in Nagoya once that sold plastic figurines in compromising positions. But mostly they sell drinks. At least out in the inaka where I live they do. So I was pumped to find out that somewhere out there they were selling Kit Kat in vending machines. But in order to do so they have to give the Kit Kat a little disguise. If it's going to be hanging out next to the Boss Coffee and the Iced Green Tea then it needs to look a little more like a drink. The solution? Kit Kat in a Can!

Unfortunately, my small town didn't have any vending machines selling them. Fortunately, my friend Kristin came to visit and she shares my obsession so she didn't mind going into almost every conbini we passed and scoping out thousands of vending machines while in Tokyo and Kyoto on the hunt for new Kit Kats. We finally found the Kit Kat Cans in a vending machine at Ryoanji Temple, famous for its beautiful rock garden.

The truth is that these aren't really cans, as I could see as soon as I peeled off the wrapper. But Kit Kat in a Jar doesn't really have the same ring to it. (And you really can't know how hard it is for me not to write Kit Kat in a Kan because I really am that korny.) The can in the machine made it look like the chocolate bars were bursting out of the jar but really they were safely sealed inside. For 200 yen you get four chocolate minis - eight small fingers. That's a little more than what you would pay at a store but I suppose you're paying for the convenience of being able to soak in the serenity of the Zen rock garden at Ryoanji while munching on a Kit Kat. We saw one more vending machine selling Kit Kats and it was at Kinkakuji, the Golden Pavilion, so it's possible they are targeting tourists.

I'm not sure I would buy one again since they are more expensive but I was truly grateful that they were available. On the day we happened across them we had skipped lunch and I had been threatening to gnaw Kristin's arm off so coming across an actual snack in a vending machine saved her from an armless fate. The fact that it was a Kit Kat only made it better. I give this a high rating for ingenuity and for novelty's sake but I'll keep buying my Kit Kats from the 7-11. (I say that like I have a choice. I did mention there are no vending machines with Kit Kats within miles and miles from here right?)

For even weirder vending machines concessions check out this site. And tell me what's the craziest thing you've ever seen!

Final score: 9

Lots of new Kit Kats

2009-09-23T05:19:00.001-04:00

I spent last week gallivanting around from Tokyo to Kyoto and home again with lots of stops at almost every Lawsons, 7-11, AM/PM, and other conbinis I could find. (Almost every because if I'd stopped in every one I wouldn't have seen anything else!) I came home with a Kinako Ohagi Kit Kat, Cookie Plus Kit Kat, Caramel Kit Kat Bites, and a Kit Kat in a can. Sadly, I did NOT find Sports Drink Kit Kat anywhere, but I'm still holding out hope. Otherwise, expect lots of reviews coming soon!

Sour Orange Kit Kat

2009-09-12T22:18:00.000-04:00

This is one of the few crazy flavored Kit Kats that is not also a crazy color. Just looking at it, it looks like a regular milk chocolate Kit Kat. I always get excited about the milk chocolate ones since I prefer milk over white chocolate (and dark above everything else.) But so far they have been disappointing. Maybe it's because I have higher expectations for them than the white chocolate varieties or maybe they're just not as good. Either way the Sour Orange Kit Kat was slightly disappointing but still very edible.

Despite its generic look it had a very strong orange smell, a fake orange smell I'm afraid to report. It smelled more like something you would clean your bathroom with than a nice ripe mikan. Biting into it, the orange flavor is quite intense. It defnitely packs a punch. They aren't kidding when they call this a Sour Orange Kit Kat either. There is sourness throughout, from beginning to finish, thanks to the sour powder added to the wafers (advertised on the back of the bag as being invigorating.) If I liked Orange flavored chocolate then I would probably be a fan of this Kit Kat, but alas my feelings are pretty mild when it comes to citrus-y chocolates. There was also a weird hint of a soap taste at the end. I don't know if that was simply because I had soap on the mind thanks to the fake orange smell or what but it wasn't pleasant. It reminded me a bit of the Rose Kit Kat in that way.

Overall, I would give this a middle rating. I will definitely finish the bag (I served them with tea yesterday to a friend) but I wouldn't buy a second bag of minis. If you like oranges with your chocolate however I would suggest checking this one out.

Final Score: 5

Vegetable Juice Kit Kat

2009-09-09T07:51:00.000-04:00

Yup, you read that right - Vegetable Juice Kit Kat. From the get go I was nervous about eating this one. I've had good experience with some of the more weird flavors (I loved Apple Vinegar for instance) and I've had some bad ones (the Rose Kit Kat was particularly bad.) So I wasn't sure which way this one was going to go. It went okay...for awhile.

To start with this Kit Kat is a collaboration between Nestle and Ito En. Ito En sells green tea and other beverages. Nestle makes snacks. Together they came up with the Vegetable Juice Kit Kat based off one of Ito En's drinks. In order to be better informed about the taste the Kit Kat was attempting to mimic I bought myself some juice.

First of all, let me say that I am not a drinker of vegetable juice. Just opening this up and drinking it was nerve wracking. I drink tea, coffee, and pop. On rare occasions I drink orange or pineapple juice. But on a regular basis, I prefer to eat my vegetables not drink them. Ito En's vegetable juice smelled horrible. But the taste was better than I expected. It was not too sweet with a sharper taste. Apple and carrot stood out although the picture hints that there are several other veggies and fruits involved. It wasn't my favorite but I could see why some people might like it.

Now onto the Kit Kat. It was made with white chocolate and was light orange in color. Unlike the juice it had a pleasant yet very generic sweet smell. It tasted sweet, and like the juice it was the apple and carrot taste that shone through, although much milder comparatively. Once again it was a taste I wasn't particularly fond of but I could maybe see where other people might like it. It ended on a sour note, saving it from being too sweet.

Up until this point I was having a very blah kind of Kit Kat experience. I didn't especially like it, but I wasn't gagging either. And then I decided, hmmmm I wonder how they taste together. Does the juice complement the Kit Kat? Were they meant to be consumed together? The answer: Absolutely not!!! Together they are pretty disgusting. I almost couldn't finish the Kit Kat after washing down one bite with the Ito En juice. I still have the second Kit Kat because I just couldn't bear the thought of eating any more of it. For that reason I am giving this the low score of 3. Nestle and Ito En's marketing ploy got me to buy their products but I won't be a repeat customer.

Final score: 3

Kit Kat Dark

2009-09-05T05:33:00.001-04:00

This isn't actually a Japanese Kit Kat but instead comes all the way from Hong Kong. I was super excited to try it because while I enjoy a lot of the fruitier flavored Kit Kats they are usually made with white chocolate and I'm not usually a white chocolate fan. I prefer dark chocolate over everything else.

This Kit Kat though was not worth my excitement. Do you see that picture with the dark chocolate and the wafers? Well it's a lie! I bit into my first finger to find no wafers at all. It was just a bar of plain dark chocolate and not even good dark chocolate at that. It was much too waxy. I don't know if this was an aberration or if all of the Kit Kat Darks come this way but I was severely disappointed. This one merited the low score of a 2 since it hardly qualifies as a Kit Kat without the wafers.

Final score: 2

Umeshu Soda Kit Kat

2009-09-01T02:15:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Japan and ready to eat some Kit Kats! I was worried I would miss some of the summer flavors after being gone for 6 weeks, but my friend Miyuki was kind enough to grab some for me. Thanks Miyuki! First up on my return was the Umeshu Soda Kit Kat.

I love umeshu soda. It's my drink of choice when I dine out here in Japan. A plum liqueur mixed with soda water, it has a sweet and sour taste that I really enjoy. So I was really interested in trying this one.

The Kit Kat is a light green color and has a generic fruity smell to it. The white chocolate lends to the sweet side but there is a sourness in the wafers. In fact, on the back of the box it talks about a soda powder in the creme to give it a fizzy taste but the effects are mild. In the end it's not a super close match to the taste of a umeshu soda but it's still a flavor I enjoyed. I've never had plum candy in Japan but my friend Marie likened its taste to the plum candy she used to eat as a kid. We both liked it. I would definitely eat this one again.

Final score: 6.5/7

New Scores

2009-09-01T01:54:00.000-04:00

I've decided to implement a scoring system to better rank the different Kit Kats I try. A 10 is the very best - Woohee, stockpile it while it's available to last me a long long time good. And a 1 is the very lowest - why oh why did I put this in my mouth *gag* kind of bad. With everything else in between. And don't be shy! Weigh in with your own scores as you get to try them.

Yoroshiku!

USA = boring Kit Kats

2009-08-20T10:27:00.001-04:00

I'm still in America - land of boring Kit Kats. Why is it do you think that Japanese people are so ready to dive into crazy flavors like Rose and Jasmine Tea while Americans stick to just plain old chocolate?

My theory is that Japanese kids are told in school not to talk about what they like or dislike food-wise and to just eat their kyushoku without complaining. I've seen students holding their noses and choking down things they don't like because they aren't allowed to put them back or give them away. They come out of school with a more adventurous spirit when it comes to eating because of it. American kids on the other hand have moms who pack their lunches with their favorite foods and can buy whatever they want on the lunch line so they never venture too far out of their comfort zone. Thus, we have boring Kit Kats in America and crazy "what were they thinking?" flavors in Japan because Nestle execs in Japan know that people will try them, no matter how crazy the flavor might be (Soy sauce anyone?) I have to say in this instance I side with Japan.

But that isn't to say I haven't had fun with Japanese Kit Kats while in America. I've been forcing
all the leftovers I've had from the bags of minis on friends and family. Some people looked at me suspiciously. Others who hadn't received any looked put out I hadn't saved any for them. But the most excited was my friend Kristin, who was in fact the inspiration for this blog in the first place.

Back in the spring I happened to mention to her that they had some crazy flavors, "for example I just ate a Jasmine Tea Kit Kat the other day and they have Espresso Coffee Kit Kats too."

Her response: "OMG! You should try them all and them put them on your blog and I will TOTALLY read it!!!....er...not that I don't read it now, but it would be really REALLY cool!" And thus JenKen's KitKat Blog was born.

So naturally I had to bring her back some Kit Kats. In return she took me on a chocolate tour of Chicago (where we had champagne truffles flown in weekly from Switzerland, designer cupcakes, and chocolate tea) and introduced me to the wonders of bacon chocolate (that's right bacon and chocolate - a match made in heaven!) Is it any wonder we are the best of friends?

I'm headed back to Japan next week where I'm hoping I can still find some of the bars that came out while I've been gone like Ume-shu Soda and Sour Orange. Many more reviews to come soon!

Oh and you can read Kristin's thoughts on her Japanese Kit Kats here.

Interesting Kit Kat promotion

2009-07-27T17:11:00.001-04:00

You can get a Kit Kat in can in vending machines in Tokyo but for one day in Victoria Station in London commuters could buy a Kit Kat from a very special vending machine.

This is part of the "Feel like a machine..." ad campaign in the UK. My job as an ALT can be boring but I'm awfully glad I don't have this job. ;-)

Mango Pudding Kit Kat

2009-07-21T16:11:00.000-04:00

Mangoes don't really rate high on my list of favorite fruits. This probably has something to do with the cost and availability of them. I once saw a mango selling for $80 in Tokyo and I don't think I've ever seen them in Tahara. But despite not especially liking mangoes, I was excited to try the Mango Pudding Kit Kat.

It came in a mixed pack of minis with a couple of mini regular chocolate Kit Kats. When you open the package you can really smell the mango. This is another white chocolate kit kat and it's colored a very bright orange. If it wasn't for the nice aroma the color might put one off, but luckily it tastes as good as it smells, with the mango flavor mostly concentrated in the chocolate. Overall, it was a pretty good taste. Like I said, I'm not a huge mango fan so I probably won't be buying anymore Mango Pudding Kit Kats, but for a one off I have to give it two thumbs up.

Soda Kit Kat Redux

2009-07-18T02:26:00.000-04:00

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.