One of the great things about traveling abroad is trying the local cuisine and exposing oneself to different flavors and textures that come with it. Being in a place like Japan, you also can’t help but try stuff that’s local to you but exotic to the natives. To get their spin on it.
This brings me to Nestlé’s Kit Kat bar.
In Japan, Nestlé has introduced over 200 different flavours since 2000, including ginger ale, soy sauce, creme brulee, green tea, and banana. The flavours are designed to appeal to younger buyers, and are often bought as good-luck gifts as the brand name echoes the Japanese phrase “Kitto Katsu”, roughly translating as “surely win.” -Wikipedia
Japanese Kit-Kat commercial from Oyastucafe’s Youtube page.
During my first trip to Japan, I couldn’t help but notice there were KitKat bars all over the place AND they were almost any flavor but traditional chocolate.
I’m not big on sweets but curiosity got the better of us and we tried the Apple, Green Tea, Blueberry, Sweet Potato, Cheesecake and braved the soy sauce flavored one. It’s not what you think (wasn’t salty at all) but not at the top of my list. We liked the Cheesecake and Green Tea flavors a lot, actually.

Nestlé will probably never actively market them in the US because of general American consumer conservatism. I mean corn flavor? Really? Compared to American cuisine, the Japanese live more on the edge with their ingredient selections; their food culture is awesomely insane!

Really not bad at all, actually.


Still, you can probably find some stuff on ebay if you look hard enough. These confections are great conversation starters and could give your taste buds a little adventure. You only live once right?
Maybe I should work for Nestlé…?

I’ve seen people (online) collecting every flavor they can get their hands on, including special edition or limited runs. Again, I’m not really into desserts and sweets but the idea finding a new flavor when I return to Japan is kind of exciting.
More flavors on Pinterest
And now, the American 80’s commercial jingle:
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- 18 Mind Blowing Kit-Kat Bar Flavors in Japan (18 pics) (daildawdle.com)
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