“Have a break, Have a Kit Kat!” It is needless to say what Kit Kat is if you like a chocolate. Kit Kat is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection produced globally by Nestlé except in the United States where Kit Kat is made under license by H.B. Reese Candy Company. The bars consist of two fingers composed of three layers of wafer, separated and covered by a layer of chocolate, and the standard flavor of chocolate is milk, white, and dark. By the way, I had thought that Nestlé is the company created Kit Kat for a long time, but Rowntree’s, an English company based in York, is the one who introduced Kit Kat in 1935. Rowntree merged with Mackintosh’s to form Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery in 1969, and it was taken over by in Nestlé in 1988.
Kit Kat history in Japan
“Hey! Why don’t you write about Japanese things instead of the chocolate-confection invented in the UK?” You might think so if you don’t know how popular Kit Kat is in Japan now and there are many flavors created by “Nestlé Japan”. Before writing about the flavors for Kit Kat, I’d like to write its history in Japan briefly.
It was 1977 that Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery made a business partnership with Fujiya, a nationwide chain of confectionery stores in Japan, and they started selling Kit Kat. After Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery was taken over by Nestlé, they established a new company called Fujiya Mackintosh. The company’s name changed several times (Fujiya Mackintosh→Nestlé Mackintosh→Nestlé Confectionery), and it merged with Nestlé Japan in 2010.
A good luck charm for examinees
Apparently, Nestlé Japan was in a difficult situation when they took over the business of Kit Kat since its sales in Japan had stagnated. When they were struggling, they found a strange truth that the sales of Kit Kat rapidly increase in Kyushu region in January and February. Apparently, Kit Kat sounds like “Kitto Katto” in Japanese pronunciation. “Kitto” means surely or certainly in standard Japanese, and “katto” means win or gain a victory in Kyushu dialect. In Kyushu region, Kit Kat became popular among students who take an entrance exam since it sounds like “you surely win”! (It may sound strange if I write “win an entrance exam” in English, though.) Most of entrance exams of high schools, colleges, and universities in Japan are held in February since a new term starts from April. That is why many students and their parents buy Kit Kat as a good luck charm before students take entrance exams, and it leads the sales-increasing of Kit Kat in January and February in Kyushu region.
Nestlé Japan used this idea to advertise Kit Kat to other areas in Japan, and the idea that “Kit Kat = a good luck charm for examinees” spread nationwide as Nestlé Japan wished. I took entrance exams of universities in 2007, and I still remember that a teacher at my juku (= cram school) gave a small package of Kit Kat for each student in January. He wished all his students pass an entrance exam, and he said, “You will be free from studying for the exam soon, so never give up studying until the last minute!” Kit Kat itself doesn’t have a power to help you to pass an exam, but if someone wishes you a good luck and gives Kit Kat to you, it may increase your motivation to keep trying. There’s a part you can write messages on the surface of a small package of Kit Kat or individual plastic packages.
Many flavors Nestlé Japan made for Kit Kat
Nestlé Japan was not satisfied with the success of increasing the sales, and they started creating new flavors limited season and area. I heard that Kit Kat is also popular among tourists from other countries. (Matcha flavored Kit Kat is the most popular for souvenirs!)
濃い抹茶(Thick= Strong matcha)
Premium mint
日本酒(Japanese sake)*White chocolate + sake’s aroma and flavor
青春のシトラス(Citrus)
こだわりのラズベリー(Raspberry)
北海道メロン(Hokkaido Melon)limited in Hokkaido *Melon flavor + mascarpone cheese
毎日の贅沢(Luxury for everyday)
*Milk and white chocolate + toppings made from dried rose and almond nuts
宇治抹茶(Uji matcha)
のど飴 (Cough drop)
*The flavor is similar to mint and I could feel something like menthol. It’s not too bad, but I’m sure Nestlé Japan could choose other nice flavors instead of cough drop. I don’t know how the sales of this flavor was…
キャラメルプリン (Caramel pudding)
ストロベリーチーズケーキ (Strawberry cheese cake)
The total number of flavors Nestlé Japan created is about 200! (There are so many flavors that I have never tried…) The above flavors I wrote are just a part of it. Many of them were limited season and area, so it’s not easy to buy all of them, but I’d like to write down the flavors as far as I know.
Milk coffee
Strawberry
Sparkling strawberry
Kinako *Roasted powdered soy beans
Wasabi (Limited in Shizuoka)
Matcha milk
Zunda *soy bean paste (Limited in Tohoku area)
Soy sauce (Limited in Tokyo)
Miso (Limited in Tokai & Hokuriku area)
Blueberry cheese cake (Limited in Knto & Koushinetsu area)
Orange
Pineapple
Tochiotome strawberry (Limited in Tochigi) *Tochiotome is a typeBlaB of strawberry in Japan
Blueberry
Apple (Limited in Shinshu area)
Ichimi spice (Limited in Nagano) *Ichimi is powdered chili pepper
Baked cheese cake
Baked pudding
Baked sweet potato
Lemon
Lemon vinegar
Lemon cheese cake
Soymilk chocolate
Blood orange
Orange chocolate
Chocolate banana
Salt caramel
Golden citrus blend (Limited in Chugoku & Shikoku area)
Alexandra of Muscat
Roasted green tea
Yatsuhachi (Limited in Kyoto) *Yatsuhashi is Japanese confectionery
Purple sweet potato (Limited in Okinawa & Kyushu area)
Kobe pudding (Limited in Kobe)
Azuki sandwich (Limited in Tokai & Hokuriku area)
Tokyo Rum raisin (Limited in Tokyo)
Fruit parfait
Maple syrup
Hokkaido milk
Hokkaido azuki *azuki is read bean in Japanese
Oshiruko *Sweeten red bean soup
Cherry blossom
Matcha cherry blossom
White peach
Yellow peach
Yuzu kosho *Citrus pepper
Yuzu *Japanese citrus
Royal milk tea
Jasmine tea
Custard pudding
Tiramisu
Ginger ale
Plum soda
Kinako ohagi *roasted powdered soy bean and sweet red bean paste
Sweet potato (Limited in Kawagoe, Saitama)
Coke and Lemon soda
Vanilla ice cream
Passion fruit
Aloe yogurt
Vegetable juice (apple and carrot flavor)
Sour orange
Caffe latte
Japanese chestnut
Matcha azuki
Kiwi fruit
Black sugar syrup
Annin tofu *Chinese almond jelly
Daigaku imo * Candied sweet potato
Pumpkin pudding
Pumpkin cheese cake
Pumpkin
Hokkaido grilled corn
Hokkaido potato
Hagel nuts
Apple pie
Strawberry milk
Cherry (Limited in Tohoku area)
Pear (Limited in Niigata)
Energy drink
Soda pop
Calpico
Caramel Macchiato
Water melon
Cookie and cream
Caramel and vanilla
Vanilla beans
Espresso coffee
Apple vinegar
Cookie and milk
Matcha tiramisu
Chocolate and rose
Wild bitter for men
Grape (Limited in Koushin area)
Matcha and roasted powdered soy bean
Strawberry maple
Cream cheese
Wine
Mikan *Japanese orange
Amaou strawberry (Limited in Kyushu area) *Amaou is a type of strawberry in Japan
Black sugar
Black sugar with roasted powdered soy bean
Bitter almond
Cocoa
Salt and vanilla
Mango (Limited in Kyushu & Okinawa area)
Chocolate and Mango pudding
Strawberry cake
Pancake
Framboise
Triple berry
Double berry
Black tea
Brandt and Orange
Salt and milk chocolate
Matcha azuki milk
Peanut butter
Air in white
Air in matcha
Mont-blanc *Dessert made from chestnut
Hokkaido Café au lait
Mixed juice
Raspberry and passion fruit
Orange peel
Condensed milk and strawberry
Vanilla white
Hazel nut cream
Mango and passion fruit
Which flavor do you like to try? I hope you can find your favorite flavored Kit Kat when you come to Japan(^U^)
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