Relaxing Chocolate Kit Kat

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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.