Kit Kats: A Global Favorite with Unique Asian Flavors
Kit Kat, or KitKat, is a waffle bar coated with chocolate or other flavors. Produced by Nestle, it’s the first ever chocolate brand to gain global recognition. Today, you’ll find Kit Kat brands in at least 80 different countries, including the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, China, and Australia. The multinational food company Nestle produces Kit Kats globally, except in the United States, where production is under the jurisdiction of the Hershey Company.
Overview of the Kit Kat Brand
Standard bars consist of two to four pieces of coated wafers, known as fingers. Each finger consists of three layers of wafer biscuit separated and encased by an external chocolate layer. All of the fingers come joined to each other on one side, but they can easily be snapped apart. People all over the world have fallen in love with the tasty crunch they get from the crispy wafer and the smoothness of the chocolate coating. Another major reason for the global success of the Kit Kat brand is its association with breaktime. This association is the result of a deliberate marketing strategy by the original founding company, Rowntree's. You’ll find evidence of this strategy in some of the brand’s most famous slogans, such as “have a break, have a Kit Kat” and “break time, anytime.”
There are many different Kit Kat flavors, including dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mint, birthday cake, strawberry cheesecake, and pink lemonade. Some of these flavors are limited edition or regionally specific. Kit Kat is very popular in Asian countries, particularly in Japan, where it has been made into over 300 flavors since the year 2000. In this post, we’ll focus exclusively on some of these exciting Asian flavors of Kit Kat and where to buy them. But before we get into Kit Kat varieties, let’s look at their evolution and global expansion.
History of Kit Kats
Kit Kat was officially launched in September 1935 in the United Kingdom. Its original name was Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp, which was later changed to Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937, and finally Kit Kat at the end of World War II. The brand was the brainchild of Rowntree's, a confectionery located in York, England. They wanted to create a chocolate snack that people could take to work and enjoy on the go without leaving a mess. After they launched Kit Kat in 1935 as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” the company experienced significant domestic success. Nearly two years later, they renamed the brand “Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp” in reference to a prestigious 18th-century club that was popular in London. The new name helped the chocolate bar appear more sophisticated, further driving its growth.
By the 1950s, the brand had expanded into other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some African nations. A pivotal moment in Kit Kat’s growth came in 1958 with the release of a series of TV and press ad campaigns. These promotions included early mentions of the catchphrase “have a break, have a Kit Kat,” which helped to position the bar as an ideal snack to enjoy while relaxing. In 1970, Rowntree's entered into a licensing agreement that allowed Hershey to produce Kit Kat products in the United States. When Swiss food company Nestlé acquired Rowntree's in 1988, Hershey retained its license. To this day, they are the sole Kit Kat producers in the US.
Nestle began producing different variations of Kit Kat bars in 1996, starting with the orange flavor in the UK. The variant was so successful that the company produced more variations in 1999, such as chunky, caramel, and mint. In 2000, Nestle took over Kit Kat production in Japan and some parts of Europe. The entire history of Kit Kat is filled with many game-changing events for the brand and the snack industry. The following is a list of key milestones:
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1935: Birth of Kit Kat as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp.
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1942: Temporary switch to blue wrappers for Kit Kat bars.
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1949: Return to the iconic red wrapper.
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1957: First ever Kit Kat TV commercial.
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1958: First use of the iconic “have a break...” catchphrase.
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1999: Launch of Kit Kat Chunky.
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2007: Launch of Kit Kat Ice Cream.
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2013: Nestle gives Google the license to name version 4.4 of their Android operating system “KitKat.”
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2016: Kit Kat switches to 100% sustainable cocoa and becomes the first chocolate brand to do so.
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2021: Launch of the first Kit Kat vegan bar.
Unique Kit Kat Flavors in Asia
Some of the most unique Kit Kat flavors were launched in Asia, particularly in Japan, where the chocolate bar has massive popularity. We’ll provide you with an overview of the variety of flavors available in Asian countries like Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, and China.
Matcha (Green Tea)
Matcha is the most famous type of Japanese green tea and an interesting choice for a Kit Kat flavor. Upon release in Japan, it turned out to be one of the brand’s most beloved variants. The original version was made of matcha-infused white chocolate to create a sweet and slightly bitter taste. However, the Japanese Kit Kat: Rich Green Tea is made with special matcha from Uji, Kyoto, offering a deeper flavor that’s perfect for adults. There are many other matcha-flavored variants sold in Asia, including Matcha Latte, Matcha Tiramisu, Yuzu Matcha, and the seasonal Sakura Matcha.
Sake
Sake or Japanese rice wine is an alcoholic beverage. Nestle has a long line of sake-flavored bars that contain between 0.05% and 0.4% alcohol. The Premium Japan Sake flavor contains 0.4% alcoholic content. Other sake-infused versions include Umeshi Sake, Bijofu Yuzu Sake, and Yogurt Sake. There’s a Rum Raisin bar that only contains 0.056% alcohol, making it a less-alcoholic alternative.
Wasabi
The Kit Kat brand decided to grace Japanese taste buds with chocolate bars mixed with the spicy condiment known as wasabi. The Japanese Kit Kat Shizuoka: Wasabi is a local chocolate bar crafted with ingredients from Shizuoka, a Japanese city famous for producing premium wasabi.
Milk Tea
Nestle leveraged the rich tea culture in Japan to market its milk tea flavors as a staple product for tea parties. The original Japanese Kit Kat: Milk Tea product is a sweet treat made from tea-flavored chocolate and crispy wafers. It’s the perfect pairing for green tea. You might also find a seasonal and limited-edition version of the candy bar in the fall.
Chocolate Orange
People in Japan typically reserve the winter season for enjoying mandarin oranges. The chocolate orange flavors of Kit Kat offer wafers coated in orange cream and chocolate. This seasonal flavor uses Iyokan oranges, which are found in the Ehime Japanese Prefecture. Get the Japanese Kit Kat: Chocolate & Ehime Iyokan Orange to enjoy the seasonal flavor.
Sakura
Cherry blossom or sakura-infused chocolate flavors are arguably the best seasonal variations of Kit Kat bars in Japan. The original Kit Kat Sakura has a sweet floral flavor that’s ideal for the spring season. Other limited-edition spring variants include Kit Kat’s Sakura Sake (rice wine), Sakura Mochi (glutinous rice cake), Sakura Kinako (roasted soybean powder), and Sakura Matcha (green tea).
Ice Cream
Japan has been graced with a wide variety of white and vanilla ice cream Kit Kat flavors. They range from the popular Choco Mint Ice Cream to seasonal varieties like summer’s Cookies & Cream Ice Cream, spring’s Peach Parfait, and winter’s Party Ice Cream.
Cultural Significance of Kit Kats in Asia
Kit Kat is perceived as a relaxing treat in different Asian cultures. However, it has major cultural significance in certain countries. In Japan, Kits Kats are associated with the term Kitto Katsu, which means “you will surely win.” This expression is used as a way to wish people good luck before an endeavor. Because of how similar the phrase sounds to the name of the chocolate bar, Kit Kat is considered a good luck charm in Japan. Japanese people offer Kit Kats as gifts to students before a major exam. The students don’t eat the bars but keep them on their person like you would an amulet. Japanese Kit Kats are also given as gifts during weddings, birthdays, and New Year festivities.
Why Asian Kit Kats Are a Must-Try
No matter where you are in the world, you stand to gain a lot from trying Asian Kit Kats, especially if you’re a fan of the chocolate product. Flavors from Asia are extremely rare and unique, making them ideal gifts to offer friends, family, and work colleagues. You also get to enjoy different versions of the delicious treats you would never have gotten from traditional Kit Kats, including health-conscious flavors like whole wheat flour.
Where to Buy Asian Kit Kats
Authentic Asian Kit Kats are hard to find in physical stores if you don’t live in Asia. The best way to get them is to shop at an online Asian store like Bokksu Market. We offer a wide range of popular, rare, seasonal, and limited-edition Asian Kit Kats. Simply select from our Asian Kit Kat collection and we’ll deliver them to your doorstep.
From the streets of London to 80+ countries all over the world, Kit Kat has become a global symbol of breaktime relaxation. Its perception as a tasty treat and good luck charm in Asia has led to the creation of many unique and seasonal flavors. Feel free to explore these flavors in our store!
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