The Kit Kat bar, a tasty wafer covered in milk chocolate, is probably known to everyone, and can be found on virtually every store shelf.

Few, however, know how many curiosities this bar hides - one could list a long time: the history of its creation, the history of extremely effective marketing, various types of production and, finally, various flavors that can be found in different countries of the world.

And although KitKat has many fans in Poland and an undeniably stable position on the market, it cannot be denied that the biggest fans of the chocolate wafer are undoubtedly the Japanese.

A unique bar with history

Few are aware that even our great-grandparents could have had to deal with the KitKat bar. This Nestle product was first produced in 1935 in London under the name Chocolate Crisp Rowntree. Its modern (known to us) name Kitkat was established in 1937 (and its etymology is not fully known). The 30's XX. Centuries were also the moment when the bar began to appear in other countries, and today it is sold in over 70 countries around the world.

What is behind its phenomenon? It is not only a tantalizingly crunchy wafer and melt-in-your-mouth chocolate: at the beginning of its existence, KitKat was much smaller than typical packaging of similar sweets (yes - it used to be dominated by large and clunky bars of chocolate), so it was very handy. It fits in any pocket, so you can always have it with you as a backup snack. As you can see, it was this pragmatism that made KitKat the favorite of many.

In Poland, KitKat is known to both the youngest and the elderly and enjoys considerable popularity - in 2018 it took the honorable first place in the ranking of Poles' favorite sweet bars!

During the entire period of KitKat's existence in our country, about 11 different flavors of this bar passed through the Polish market. The most common and probably the most liked is the classic KitKat Chunky, which is simply a traditional chocolate wafer. Among other "Polish" KitKat flavors we can find, among others caramel flavor (KitKat Senses or Caramel), white chocolate flavor (KitKat White), cappuccino flavor (KitKat Cappuccino), peanut flavor (KitKat Peanut Butter), bars with an additional layer of waffles (Kit Kat 3Finger and 4 Finger) or the latest brand proposals - a bar with a pink chocolate flavor (KitKat Ruby) and a white chocolate flavor with green tea (KitKat Green Tea Matcha).

Does it seem like a wide range of flavors? Well, let's take a look at Japan now and find out what true "kitty" madness is!

KitKat in Japan

Our bar appeared in the Land of the Rising Sun in 1937 - thus simultaneously with the creation of its modern name. And this one was of great importance for success on the Japanese market. Namely, the name of the bar resembles the pronunciation of the Japanese saying "kitto kattu", meaning "I will definitely make it!". Marketing experts working for Nestle quickly picked up on the topic and created KitKat as an amulet of luck!

In Poland, KitKat is more of a snack, an element of lunch, in Japan it is an obligatory accessory during every test or important exam! It is bought not only by the students themselves, but also by parents, siblings, aunts and concerned grandparents, who want to express their support and wish for success.

Another thing that distinguishes Japanese KitKats is their production, much more meticulous than that in European or Polish Nestle plants. The Japanese Nestle factory is located in Ibaraki, in the east of the country, not far from Tokyo. There are extremely strict hygiene standards there (even the employees' clothing at the entrance is subjected to a special air flow that is designed to blow out all unwanted particles).

Interestingly, while the production processes of KitKat differ from one another all over the world, regardless of this, classic bar varieties have the same delicious taste everywhere.

And it's time for the most awaited issue, that is the famous KitKata flavors in Japan! As we have already mentioned, in Poland we had a total of about 11 of them. Do you know how many there are in Japan? Since 1937 KitKat has released over 350 flavors of its bars in the Land of the Rising Sun! Sounds amazing, doesn't it? We will calm you down a bit, because there are only (or maybe "as many"?) 100 kinds of KitKata in constant circulation, and many flavors in Japan are seasonal. Interestingly, there are also some Japanese regional KitKats (probably around 15) that are only available for purchase in certain cities or regions. These are:

  • Japan 'national' flavor - Sake Masuizumi and Strawberry Cheesecake (sold in a distinctive Fiji mountain-shaped package)
  • Okinawa– The purple sweet potato
  • Kiushu - Amaou strawberry
  • Hiroshima - Momiji Manju (Maple Leaf Cookie)
  • Kobe– Pudding from Kobe
  • Kyoto– Itohkyuemon Uji Matcha and Itohkyuemon Roasted Tea
  • Tokai– Azuki Paste Sandwich (Sweet Bean)
  • Shizuoka and Kanto– Wasabi
  • Yokohama– Cheesecake with strawberry
  • Tokyo - Banana and rum raisins
  • Tochigi - Strawberry Otome
  • Shinshu– Apple.

You can also get a lot of other, sometimes very original, flavored versions of KitKat all over the country.

We can easily buy a bar with the taste of any kind of Japanese tea, all fruit versions of the bar (kiwi, apple, winter strawberry, banana, pineapple, blueberry) are also popular (quite liked by foreign tourists), although some are quite strange - for example, watermelon with sole.

Among the even more extravagant (and probably countless) flavors we find wasabi, sweet Oshiruko bean soup, baked corn from Hokkaido, seafood, candied and baked potatoes, maple syrup, pumpkin, chestnuts, apple cider vinegar, French salt, ginger beer or wine (the latter is issued as a limited edition in elegant packaging "Kit Kat Chocolatier Wine".

The original and often surprising flavors of Japanese KitKats have become famous all over the world and it is often the KitKat bar that is a souvenir from a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun or a gift for relatives or friends brought from there! And would you dare to try any of the unusual flavors?

Interestingly, it is the Poles who show a lot of curiosity in terms of intriguing and unusual KitKat flavors. The result of this curiosity was the introduction in 2018 of new flavors (Green Tea and Ruby Chocolate), which "came" to Poland from Japan.

 

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