You may visit Japan for any number of different reasons. You might do it for the culture or for the beauty but by the time you leave, you will have visited it for the candy. Here’s why.
Life can get difficult sometimes but it seems as if they have a secret to taking it easy and refreshing your spirit in Japan. The life lessons that you will walk away with and the experience that you have as you mingle with their culture is going to be something to carry with you for the rest of your life.
Then again, there are the Kit Kats
Perhaps you are familiar with the candy bar that you purchase in the United States. It is a delicious mix of chocolate, with a familiar cookie crunch in the middle. You are probably also familiar with the ‘Gimme a Break’ commercial jingle but what you may not realize is that you have been shortchanged in America for a very long time.
You may notice that there are some interesting flavors of Kit Kat bars on the shelves in Japan. In fact, there are about 350 different flavors and new ones are constantly being released and replacing the old ones. At this point, you probably are at least a little depressed because you are wondering what flavors may have disappeared, never to return again.
For example, you can enjoy the green matcha flavor or perhaps take a walk on the wild side with volcanic Kit Kats. Those volcanic options are made with special and rare cacao that is grown on volcanic islands. Other flavors include wasabi, sweet potato, strawberry, apple, cherry blossom, sake and that is just the tip of the iceberg.
Something else that you will appreciate about Japan is the fact that they actually have some Kit Kat stores you can visit in Tokyo. It looks like life is good for the Japanese!
You may be wondering why there are so many different variations of a simple candy bar in Japan. What could you expect to find if you visited one of the Kit Kat stores? Let’s go for a visit.
The first thing that you are probably thinking when you enter into one of these stores is that you can take a lot of souvenirs home with you. It still doesn’t answer the question, however, why there are so many different flavors in Japan.
As many as 50 new flavors are released in Japan every year, including limited edition flavors. It seems as if people who live in Japan tend to love new products and tourists love to find out about the specialty Kit Kat bars that are on the market.
For the most part, the Japanese product testing kitchen is involved with these new flavors. There is also a classically trained pastry chef who comes up with these ideas. After the strawberry Kit Kat became popular in 2003, Nestle brought him on board.
You don’t need to go to a Kit Kat store to enjoy the flavors, although I recommend it for the experience. You can also find them at convenience stores as well as at the International Airport in Tokyo.
If you do want to go on an excursion to such a special Chocolatory, there is a top-of-the-line shopping district in Tokyo, known as Ginza. You will find eight of those specialty shops in that district and it will introduce you to the gourmet specialties that Kit Kat has to offer.
When you first stop at the outside of the Kit Kat Chocolatory and Cafe, you will be greeted with a sign that looks like the chocolate bar. Inside you will find a high-end boutique with Kit Kats wrapped individually as well as offered in packages.
This is a great place to pick up some souvenirs, but you will pay about four dollars apiece, so bring some extra money. You will also want to stockpile some of the rare flavors because they will never be available again.
You will also appreciate the display that is outside and it is ideal for taking some social media ready pictures. After all, the display looks like a seven-layer cake made out of Kit Kat bars.
Chocolate lovers should also take a trip upstairs to the Kit Kat Café. You can get your fill of sweet treats, such as ice cream sundaes and even some jams and jellies. It is a treat that is not to be missed.
Even though you may have your fill of Kit Kat bars from the store, you should also check out some of the local convenience stores and the airports to pick up any that you may have missed. Experiment with as many flavors as possible for the sweetness and the crunch. Some taste authentic but others may taste just a little artificial.
What if you happen to be stuck in the United States and want to try some of these Kit Kat variations? You can still purchase as many as you want from the online Chocolatory. Unfortunately, they are frequently sold out.
You might also find some interesting flavors available on Amazon.
A sample-sized candy bar made with premium chocolate will likely cost you about one dollar. It is worth it when you consider the sweet treat that awaits you.
Source: SimpleMost
