While Japan is home to countless great candy brands, including Pocky and Hello Panda, it’s Nestlé’s KitKat chocolate-covered wafers that prove the treat of choice for the Japanese. Most areas in Japan have their own limited-edition regional KitKat variation, and flavours range from sweet, such as apple or purple sweet potato, to sharp, including citrus and wasabi. The combination of milk chocolate and classic Japanese flavours makes for interesting snacking and great souvenirs, so we’ve found 10 of the most unusual KitKat flavours available in Japan that you should try.
If you’re travelling to Japan, you have to sample some of the many unusual Japanese KitKat flavours on offer. From matcha green tea to strawberry cheesecake and red bean sandwich, we count down the top 10 variations of the classic chocolate you need to try
Purple Sweet Potato KitKat
A regional KitKat available exclusively in the Okinawa area, this flavour is inspired by the beni-imo purple sweet potato that grows locally. The packaging of this KitKat is particularly kawaii (cute) and would make a great gift or a memento of your time in Japan.
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Shizuoka Wasabi KitKat
Only available in the Shizuoka area of Japan, this KitKat has a tangy kick. The chocolate coating helps to sweeten the taste but this snack is still definitely wasabi-hot. We recommend bringing this variety back as a gift for friends, as the light green chocolate makes it particularly unusual.
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Red Bean Sandwich KitKat
This limited-edition KitKat was released in the city of Nagoya, an area is known for red bean delicacies. Locals enjoy ogura toast, a toasted sandwich filled with chunky red bean paste, so it makes sense that they also fell in love with this unusual KitKat.
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Matcha Green Tea KitKat
There are actually three versions of the Green Tea KitKat available in Japan. The most common, sold in convenience stores and vending machines across the country, is often considered too bitter for non-Japanese palates, so a milder version was created and sold in the country’s airports. The third is the Kansai region KitKat, which you see here.
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Citrus Golden Blend KitKat
Combining lemon, orange and sudachi, a Japanese lime found in the Shikoku region of Japan, this KitKat is zesty and sweet. It is covered in white chocolate coloured light orange, making it highly Instagrammable if you can restrain yourself from eating it long enough to photograph it.
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Strawberry Cheesecake KitKat
Strawberry-flavoured white chocolate and a cream cheese filling make this wafer one of the most popular KitKats. It can be bought in the Yokohama region of Japan, and is available in limited-edition Mount Fuji-shaped gift boxes – a perfect offering for friends and family back home.
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Rum and Raisin KitKat
A classic combination more usually seen in ice cream, rum and raisin works so well in this KitKat because it has a white chocolate coating. The sweet exterior balances perfectly with the strong rum-soaked raisin flavour to leave with you one of the best-tasting KitKats available.
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Shinshu Apple KitKat
It should come as no surprise that this KitKat is only available in the Shinshu region, as apples are the area’s most famous fruit. Crisp and fresh, just like an apple, this KitKat may not be as healthy as the local delicacy, but tastes just as good.
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Roasted Tea KitKat
Hojicha, Japanese green tea roasted in a pot over charcoal, provided the inspiration for the Roasted Tea KitKat. Tea was first roasted in Kyoto in the 1920s and this KitKat recreates the flavour.
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Amaou Strawberry KitKat
Amaou is the most popular strawberry variety in Japan, so it makes sense that Kyushu, the region where the fruit is grown, should choose it as the local flavour. Extremely sweet in flavour, pink in colour, this KitKat is hard to get hold of, so if you see it, snap it up.
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