neon epiphany

This entry is totally for David, who is constantly reminding me that he’s been waiting for me to get around to these.

So I’ve finally found the Men’s Pocky of KitKats — now with less gender stereotyping! “Otona no amasa” means “adult sweetness,” which will probably never, ever get less awkward to type. It at least definitely takes the prize for naughtiest-sounding flavor to date. One’s got a white chocolate coating, the other dark chocolate, but the common element is that between the wafers there are layers of dark chocolate cookie. It’s actually texturally very pleasant! I don’t remember the Cookies+ flavors well enough to compare, but I seem to recall they were a similar kind of thing.

The dark variety is very nice — not as bitter as the Semisweet flavor. Just a nice dark chocolate coating, but paired with the cookie layers the effect is of a very subdued sweetness and two distinct but harmonious chocolate flavors.

The coating of the white, on the other hand, seems to be the same as the standard white chocolate KitKat. However, it also pairs well with the cookie filling to create an overall, nicely balanced sweetness. I thought it was interesting to compare this flavor with the recently-sampled Cookies & Cream; despite my expectations, the coatings really didn’t have much in common other than color. That other flavor also had cookie crumbs mixed into the coating, which was a nice effect, while this one pretty much evoked straight cocoa butter rather than something more dairy-like.

And may I just say the way that the cookie part crunches in the mouth is really satisfying? Funny how a little thing like that makes these tiny bars seem so much more substantial.

Nestle seems to consider these flavors to be a thing, since I’ve seen them in all sorts of packaging: a standard box containing four full-size bars, a slightly larger box containing six mini bars, and a large bag containing twenty-six mini bars (all wrapped in pairs). Maybe these flavors will stick around for the long haul? I hope so.

Maybe in a related note, you might be able to find these locally, more easily than usual. I’ve seen them at all three Uwajimaya locations in the Seattle area, which usually don’t get any interesting KitKat flavors. So keep an eye out.

Happy, David? ♥

More KitKats.

The tease is here saved for posterity, because navigating Facebooks past is a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad experience.

Picture, caption, picture, caption seems to be what this blog is becoming, lately. I guess if you don’t join tumblr, tumblr joins you. Apparently!

I know, I know, ALL THE KITKATS!

Sometimes, I start typing an entry and all that shows up on the screen is “OMG. OMG. OMG.”

Two weeks ago, my friend Dom sent me a photo from Japan of some store’s giant KitKat display and the caption “Try to contain yourself.” He offered to get me a box of something and I honestly picked one because it looked like it had a picture of Pedobear on it.

An hour later, I got this message:

“Sweet Jesus, the hotcakes flavor is AMAZING. It might be the best candy bar I’ve had anywhere ever. I got an assortment of flavors, but I wish I’d just gotten five boxes of these. It will take every ounce of restraint I have, but I’ll make sure these survive the trip home and send you a couple.”

Bless his soul, because today the mailbox contained possibly the most adorable candy packaging I’ve ever seen. Also, not Pedobear.

So, Rilakkuma is a San-X character who loves hotcakes and relaxing. I imagine that means he likes Suntory whiskey too, but that’s not explicitly stated on his wikipedia entry. The box is an hexagonal solid made of corrugated cardboard, much thicker than any other KitKat box I’ve run across. Originally it contained twelve wrapped sets of two standard issue mini bars. I wonder if they’ve ever made a Tarepanda-themed KitKat flavor? Please say the answer is yes.

The entire thing is infused with cuteness. Example:

Flavorwise, they’re really, really good! Opening the foil you get a big whiff of butter and pancake syrup. I’m not sure I’d go so far as to describe it as maple, but it does have the caramelized flavor of a dark syrup. Flavor-wise, it’s spot on. The white chocolate-based coating is very sweet, as usual, but it fits with the flavor this time. I might be imagining things, but I think they’ve cut the sweetness in the wafer section, because it evokes hotcake batter very well (and contrasts nicely with the coating). Also, butter! I’ve been wanting to try a buttery KitKat for a long time, ever since reading about baked potato KitKats (omg, someone please hook a sister up!). All I can say is: I approve.

Sorry this didn’t materialize as the promised Adult Sweetness* entry. I just couldn’t wait.

Also! Yesterday was the seven year anniversary of my very first KitKat entry. Light a candle, okay?

* that will never feel less weird to type.

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Half of the take from Candyland this weekend:

So now we have yet another KitKat form factor. The box describes these as “mini mini” bars, and there are six wrapped pairs inside. Let me illustrate the difference between these and the fairly common “mini” bars, which you can usually find boxed in sets of three or bagged in larger quantities. Here, the brown, “adult sweetness” dark bars are mini, and the pink strawberry tarte bars are mini mini.

Wrapped:

Unwrapped:

(If you want to compare against your standard full-size bar, those tend to run between 100 - 110 kcals per pair)

This is maybe the sixth different shape of Japanese KitKat I’ve run across. If there’s interest, I can maybe do a photo comparison of all of them together! I think I may have them all at hand.

At any rate, the first thing to notice is the “Le Patissier Takagi” logo in the upper right of the box. The last time I saw that was on the yummy Wine and Noir flavors from 2005. Takagi-san is a premier confectioner in Tokyo and it looks like Nestle is happily continuing its association with him. I really, really loved Wine, so I was super excited, even if this was the millionth strawberry flavor they’ve done.

Well, that familiarity did play against it a little. I mean, there’s only so many ways you can do such a familiar flavor, but this managed to be pretty tasty nonetheless. The white chocolate base held a nice, rounded strawberry flavor and a vanilla-y, custard-y finish. I was still hoping for more complexity, or maybe a textural thing between the wafers to hint at a tartlet shell, but couldn’t detect any. Oh, well — still, I enjoyed it.

Next up: sakura matcha latte! And I still haven’t dug into the Motherlode yet.

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These two boxes came from a friend of a friend, who got them in Japan. I’ve never seen packages like these before, with six individually-wrapped petit-sized bars (about half of a regular stick) in each. I like how … cheerful? they look.

The first impression you get with these is a strong flavor of fake strawberry. The yummy kind of fake strawberry, if you know what I’m talking about — pretty much exactly like strawberry Pocky. Once you get past that there’s a nice second stage of pleasant hazelnut cream, between the wafers. If you’ve had hazelnut Quadratini cookies, you’ve got the idea. Someone said, “it tastes like a terrible peanut butter and jam sandwich.” Which is true, it would be a bad sandwich! But for a bite-sized candy, it’s pretty good.

These were really, really good! Almost the opposite of what you’d expect (from the flavor and from the fact these are Japanese KitKats), they weren’t too sweet, and tasted exactly like a good Oreo-type sandwich cookie. There are bits of cookie mixed directly into the white chocolate coating, which makes for a nice textural effect. Really, enough said, they’re great!

More KitKats.

YOU GUYS.

I totally hit the KitKat motherlode, thanks to a secret Santa! Received a nice package from Japan containing sixteen separate flavors, including fourteen in a limited collector’s box of various regional limited editions that were released over the past few years. SO MUCH LOVE. This is image heavy because I haven’t had a chance to taste any of them yet*, and I already have enough problems with my diet with the holidays and all.

Rest assured, though. To be continued.

Oh, and merry Christmas, everyone!

*this is kind of a lie, because this set contains previously-covered flavors: zunda mochi, wasabi, and annin tofu.

Read about more KitKats.

A surprise, today. These came directly from Japan, and arrived a little worse for the wear, so I don’t know how accurate the textural notes will be. Anyway! Zunda mochi is a regional snack made of sticky rice balls (mochi) covered with mashed-up young soybeans. You know, candy.

The color of the bars was a pale green, darker than the wasabi bars and lighter than matcha. Flavor-wise, these were definitely nicer than the pumpkin cheesecake KitKats from the weekend; sweet, but not too much so, and there was a subtle, but present earthy flavor which I attribute to soy.

The white chocolate itself had somewhat melted and rehardened, so again, take this with a grain of salt, but there seemed to be a complexity of texture that makes me think maybe the tiny mochi balls which were placed in between the wafers in previous mochi-based KitKats were mixed into the chocolate coating this time. Either way, it was a nice touch.

Read about more KitKats.

Wandering around Uwajimaya today looking for Italian chestnuts and Buddha’s Hand citron, I found a bag of these KitKats. So cute! So surprise, you get a blog entry!

So my favorite Pocky flavor ever is pumpkin, so I was super happy to see these. First of all, you have to notice the adorable packaging! The Pocky was cute too — I didn’t even really know Halloween was a thing in Japan, but I’m happy for it.

The flavor is basically white chocolate, and — nothing. I actually didn’t taste anything pumpkiny or cheesecakey at all here. The latter wasn’t a huge surprise because the previous cheesecake flavors we’ve covered (blueberry and strawberry) didn’t have much tang either (contrast this with the gourmet cheese flavor, which was nice). Not tasting pumpkin, though, was a huge disappointment. Oh, well, white chocolate is never really a bad idea, so these certainly won’t go to waste.

I realize these have been few and far between. Have not made it north of the border in awhile, which is my usual source. Maybe in January!

I know I’ve been promising a KitKat entry for awhile now, but there’s going to be a little bit sleight of hand tonight. Please keep your eyes on my attractive assistant as I…

What? No attractive assistant?

Sigh. Well, the real story is that I misplaced my notes on the haul I purchased at Bellevue Uwajimaya’s grand opening celebration. Fortunately, I did find a bag of “Desert Assortment” KitKats there over the weekend, so! Here we are, as if nothing ever happened!

I guess “custard pudding” is conceptually like flan, indeed, the first thing you notice when tearing open the wrapper is a super-cloying, somewhat artificial caramel scent. It pretty much tastes like it smells — a super-sweet, vanilla-esque flavor followed by a really long aftertaste of caramel. It’s almost a little smoky, like maple syrup, but it’s hard to tell after your taste buds are blown out by sugar.

I’ve never really been a fan of these super-sweet KitKats, and I’m not this time, either. I’d really love to be able to taste something balanced and smooth like the chestnut flavor again.

Full disclosure: I am not a coffee drinker. I usually can’t stand it, and especially not in desserts. Tiramisu has probably been the least offensive coffee-based dessert in my experience, but I wouldn’t ever call myself a fan.

Now, you may remember that all the way back in 2006 I tried some limited edition British Big Kat bars, one of which was tiramisu. I remember it being pretty authentically flavored and, well, tasty. I didn’t have the same reaction at all to this one, and I don’t know if it’s the flavor or me that’s changed in the meantime.

I’m pretty sure the main problem is whatever they’re using to simulate the liquor flavor. Whatever it is, it doesn’t react well with the other flavor components, and affects the smell too. Not really sure how to describe the odor. Musty, maybe? All I know is I opened the wrapper and nearly gagged. Let’s just say that “musty” is not a word I want in my candy descriptions! The taste’s a little bit better, but still weird — there are times when the flavor does recall tiramisu, but it keeps changing in the mouth, occasionally transforming into that same weird flavor-smell.

I normally like being girl reporter on the KitKat beat, but this time I’m really wishing I’d bought the kinako Aero bars instead. Anyone fancy an Aero blog?

Addendum (2012/1/11): I have to revise my opinion here, having had another chance to try the tiramisu. There may have been something off about my palate that day, but it now tastes very authentic to me. It may help that in the intervening months I’ve developed a taste for coffee, which helps, but I think it was the liquor flavor that I found off-putting the first time, and this time it was fine.

So! With the caveat that your appreciation may wax and wane with the seasons, I now have to change my verdict on tiramisu to a “recommend.”

Well! I almost forgot I had this sitting here. I guess an intense period of forced creativity can lead to a massive correction — since Thirty Pages ended I haven’t even felt a twinge to create anything, which has been both a relief and completely depressing.

But you’re here for the KitKats, and I have them. So!

Unusually, rather than four bars of a single flavor these came as two bars each of two different flavors. The box says “Which will you eat?” so maybe this is a his-and-hers kind of situation?

The cola KitKats are a prune-ish off-purple and give off a distinct smell of cola. In fact, the flavor is pretty much exactly like Coca-Cola, down to the slight fizzy sensation coming off the cream filling. There’s a nice lemony aftertaste, but overall the effect is not unlike “chocolate soda” or Survivor: Redemption Island: no matter how genuine it might taste something is just off. A novelty, but easy to forget.

The lemon squash, on the other hand, is definitely the “hers” candidate. Not as cloyingly sweet as the Valentine’s Lemon, it reminded me a lot of a Schweppe’s Bitter Lemon soda, which I like but haven’t had in ages. Citrus chocolates haven’t really ever been my thing, but I enjoyed these.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, and as far as I can tell online, you’ll either love these or hate these. Personally, I’m all about love! But I’m the one with the esoteric KitKat blog, so… grain of salt and everything.

There are ten petit bars inside each attractively illustrated box (which are identical in form factor to the special edition strawberry and blueberry cheesecake KitKats from 2009). Each is individually wrapped and about an inch and a half long.

The first thing one notices on opening the wrapper is the slightly pungent, cheesy aroma coming off the bar. This is where we lose the first lot of you. The color is pale yellow, which doesn’t look at all appetizing next to the rich golden wheel of cheese on the box — a few more get off the bus here. Finally the flavor: the white chocolate exterior contains “cheese powder” and “cheese paste” according to the helpful diagram on the back of the box, and there’s definitely a generic cheddar-ish tang present. No fooling, it’s cheese, but overall, a nice balance of creamy, salty & sweet. The filling, on the other hand, is on the sweet side so it’s still clearly on the candy side of the fence, but those of you who appreciate salt caramel or more pungent cheesecakes might find these pretty appealing.

Miss me? I miss you!

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It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Two new KitKat flavors, straight from Japan:

Honestly, I was hoping for a lot more from these. My first thought was that the flavor was unremarkable, but found it better with time. The wasabi is an overtone at best, initially manifesting as a kind of effervescence on the tongue before settling into a faint, familiar horseradish flavor that lingers for awhile. It’s pleasant, but very subtle — you might miss if you weren’t looking for it. Otherwise, well, it tastes a lot like sugar.

Annin tofu is not actually tofu; it’s made from almonds and agar and is known as almond jelly in Chinese cuisine. The KitKats evoke the flavor of the dessert nicely, a sweet nuttiness tempered by a creaminess which recalls the jelly.

These came in a nice display box containing twelve twin packs of candy bars. The fingers themselves were smaller than usual, maybe two-thirds the size of a normal KitKat. I really liked these!

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A journey from bitter to sweet, this time.

Pretty much exactly what it says it is — darker & more distinct than the easier-to-find dark chocolate flavor, with a bittersweetness reminiscent of 70% cacao bars. Liked it v. much, but felt it was something to be enjoyed at a measured pace, by a fireside, a glass of port nearby. But something tells me you’re not going to do that.

These came in two different boxes, brown and pink, with a design that makes me think of Valentine’s Day (similar to last year’s lemon variety). Like most Japanese KitKats, the box has a place for you to write little To: and From: labels, but let’s face it, unless you’re dating me, KitKats are not a very good Valentine’s Day gift. So! Let’s talk flavor.

The bars themselves are coated in dark chocolate (sweeter than the semisweet, but still fairly intense). I’m really not a fan of passionfruit, and these KitKats didn’t change my mind. The bitterness of the chocolate and the astringency of the passionfruit combined in a really unappealing way for me — almost exactly like cheap, dark chocolate cherry cordials, especially the unpleasant oozy pink stuff inside. Yuck!

On the other hand:

Similar concept, but so much better! Milk chocolate and a lack of icky passionfruit result in a much more balanced, sweet flavor. The box seems to indicate that this is supposed to taste like raspberry cheesecake, but I didn’t really get that — certainly not to the extent of the blueberry and strawberry cheesecake KitKats from last year (to be reviewed, maybe?). I certainly didn’t miss it, though.

Verdict? Would eat again. And possibly again after that.

There you go — #3. How long can I string together KitKat entries? Any guesses?

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I got all three of these flavors back in December of 2009, thanks to my friend Nic, who brought them back from Canada. From top to bottom:

Frankly, I ate these pretty much instantly — probably due to pleasant memories of the Kinako Big Kat from earlier in the year. Sadly, my memory is not so distinct on this one, other than:

• The kinako flavor was still noticeable, though less prominent than in the big kat;
• Definite red bean overtones, similar to the green tea - adzuki - shave ice flavor from way back, but more subtle than the oshiruko.
• Like the oshiruko KitKats, there were apparently little mochi puffs inside, but I don’t think I ever even noticed.

I think I liked it. It certainly would help my romantic view of my relationship with kinako if I did. Wish I could remember!

I admit that I totally forgot about these, to the point where looking in my pantry for backlog ideas I found the box, unopened. So you get a fresh impression! Ume is Japanese plum, very sour, and there is definite acid in this candy version. That hits the tongue first, followed by an expansive sweet mellowing as the rest of the bar spreads through the mouth, followed by a return of the tartness as a lingering aftertaste. The changing aspect is nice — previous flavors toying with sourness seemed fairly one-note and cloying. Lemon creme comes quickly to mind.

I’ve never actually had ume-flavored soda, but I can imagine it’s probably not too far off the mark. If anything, the KitKat doesn’t taste nearly as artificial as most Asian soft drinks I’ve had. Verdict? Surprisingly yummy, though probably not an instant classic.

Okay, I found some of this too, but it was one remaining bar in an opened, foil inner package. Super-stale after nine months? Given that my from-memory review would probably be the phrase “kinda weird,” in the interests of painting an accurate picture, I took the bullet. So…

If I don’t post tomorrow, please send the cavalry ~ and tell them I did it for love.

Yes, of course I did a sniff test first. Only thing is, when your recollection ends at “kinda weird,” it’s hard to judge whether the (admittedly strange) fragrance was due to spoilage or not. So into my mouth it went. And?

Well, it’s… kinda weird, after all. And I refuse to make it a matter of its vegetable-juiciness. I’m pretty sure the drink it’s modeled on is nothing like V8 — the box shows carrots and apples, which I’ve definitely had in juice form, and which I think wouldn’t make such a bad base flavor for candy. In fact, the first taste was pretty pleasant. But! That artificial feeling I mentioned as a characteristic of Asian soft drinks? It’s here, in spades, as an unsettling, astringent aftertaste. Astringent’s probably not the right word. Is there an opposite of umami?

Of course, that might just be nine months in the pantry talking.

See how much I love you?

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As requested, four from the backlog:

Kinako Big Kat (June 2009)

Kinako is a soybean flour that I’ve mostly encountered as a coating for mochi. It’s got a nutty, slightly salty flavor that’s really quite appealing, though usually you’ll want to have a nice cup of tea on hand to wash it down. This bar was perfectly evocative of that, and the combination of kinako with the milk chocolate coating made for an experience that was not too sweet (a real danger with these larger-sized KitKats) and really delicious.

This easily shot up to my all-time top five list. In fact, just writing about it is making me drool. Not really. Well, maybe a bit.

Banana Big Kat (July 2010)

This, on the other hand, was like a sugar bomb in my mouth. I don’t know if it was the coating or the cream filling, but this was sweet to the point of precipitating sugar crystals. The bright side? You know that super-fake banana flavor you get sometimes in candies? This was somewhat bit better than that — and about a billion times better than these, which were just dreadful! About one of these per year might be the right frequency.

Jasmine Tea KitKats (June 2009)

I love, love, love jasmine tea, and I love green tea KitKats! So when I heard that pastilla had gotten these, I was so insanely jealous that I essentially bribed a coworker into bring some back with him from Japan — if he could find them. Which, thank goodness, he did! (Along with the kinako, which makes him my favorite. Ever.)

These are definitely on the sweet side too, and the milk chocolate coating is definitely the dominant element here. So it’s not surprising that the floral notes come on almost as an overtone, a descant over the chorus of the normal KitKat flavors. They’re definitely there, though, and I thought quite appealing. I know a lot of people seem to think this one’s a miss, but you won’t be able to convince me of it!

Bitter Almond KitKats (August 2010)

I guess these are in right now, because you can find them everywhere. The almond flavor is in the fililng, and to me tastes of somewhere firmly between “sour” and “dead.” Just not appealing at all! I’ve had people ask me whether these taste like cyanide. Really? Are you expecting an “in the know” answer there?

There’s a lot more where these came from. Please do yell if these start to get tiresome!

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From a friend who just got back from Japan. Cookies+ (wheat), Kinako (soybean flour) Bar, Jasmine Tea, Matcha Green Tea, White Chocolate.

Edit (August 2010): I added writeups of the kinako and jasmine tea flavors.

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This month’s roundup from Richmond. Strawberry Cheesecake, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cookies+ Chocolate, Valentine’s Lemon, Petit Strawbery and Petit Milk Chocolate.

I guess we know now that KitKats are masculine.

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The take from Vancouver - clockwise from top left: Muscat of Alexandria, Satsuma imo (sweet potato & black sesame), Rich strawberry, Azuki bean, Caramel Macchiato McFlurry (??) & Apple. I also bought a pack of banana minis, which are basically tiny, spherical KitKats. And taste like bananas.

They made a live-action movie of Koko wa Greenwood. Did anyone know this? Why wasn’t I told?

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From left to right: Matcha green tea, Vanilla bean, and Torokeru zeitaku Gianduja (hazelnut praline). The matcha was identical in flavor to these.

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Our last KitKat report was almost two years ago & the flavors underwhelming, so it’s high time for another, and have I got some lovely new boxes to show off. I heart Japanese candy packaging — not exactly zen, but definitely elegant!*

First off, matcha choco is yet another green tea flavored variety, although in contrast to our previous friends, green tea and green tea with azuki bean, these aren’t coated in nummy tea-infused white chocolate. Instead, we get familiar standard milk chocolate coating with green tea filling between wafer & shell. Normally, I adore all matcha-based desserts, but I think chocolate overwhelms here ~ v. sad. Couldn’t taste green beyond a vague sense of “creamier-ness” — much, much prefer its white choco-based cousins.

Ringo choco, clearly from the same “release,” comes in an identical form factor: two solo-wrapped, chubby bars inside a tall, thin box. These are wearing the same milk chocolate cocktail dress, but sport apple-flavored intimates this time. The apple? Totally fake & supercharged with sweetness but in a classic, candy way, and as such can’t be overpowered by the cocoa, which makes it automatically more successful than the matcha. Was reminded of Miranda’s bizarre choco / apple gummy panda cookie, and these are similarly simultaneously appealing & disturbing. My reshuffled pantheon of fruit-flavored KitKats is now ranked thusly: Wine (yes, please!), Strawberry, Ringo choco, Orange, Banana (yuck!).

Finally, chestnut brings us back to lovely white chocolate-based goodness. Again, we’re bordering on too sweet, but there’s a pleasant nutty, woody, almost smoky flavor present that recalls, if not specifically roast chestnuts, something in their general neighborhood. The flavor’s definitely the most complex of the three, and bears further “study.” However! Am feeling guilty now after three KitKat bars, so… will have to wait a bit on that.

*it remains impossible to reconcile this elegance with Japanese candy commericals. w. t. f.

**though I do like this one — I mean, Ayumi Hamasaki!

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Found these at the local British Pantry: golden caramel and tiramisu flavored “KitKat editions” candy bars. They’re each roughly the size of a Big Kat, most of an inch thick, and the wrapper is matte and very classy (especially love the typog!). Of the two, tiramisu is definitely more distinctive, & really an authentic reproduction of the dessert’s flavor. I’m hard-pressed to figure out what makes golden caramel different from plain old, but — as you all know — I am in thrall to caramel and cannot find fault in it.

Of course, these are from the UK, and typically, all good KitKat varieties originate overseas. This is because Nestle owns the worldwide KitKat market, having acquired Rowntree, the original makers, in the sixties. However, in the United States, Hershey’s has rights due to prior licensing, and supplies the domestic market. Hence, no green tea, no coconut, no “wine” and “noir” boutique flavors — and definitely no azuki bean! — here.

Although, wonder of wonders, Hershey’s does list a few limited edition flavors on its  KitKat product site. No telling if they’re still current, but if anyone does find orange creme* or milkshake out in the wild, please let me know!

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Followers will recognize a long-standing obsession by the author with exotic varieties of KitKats, so it’s no surprise I had to pick these up when I saw them at the duty-free. These are apparently designed to taste like the local Japanese variety of Asia’s ubiquitous shaved-ice and red bean desserts, with a green tea & white chocolate coating (seemingly identical to that of regular matcha KitKats), and a red bean creme filling between its inner wafers. The taste is creamy and sweet, much like the dessert — distinct flavors of tea and red bean — but maybe a little too much so! They’re good, but I like the standard greens better.

These were 600¥ at Tokyo-Narita for a decent-sized bag of mini-bars.

Also sampled: Häagen-Dazs green tea crispy ice cream cookie — oh, good grief, yes. Sadly, I ate this before an attractive mug shot could be taken. Mustn’t let things get melty, after all. Priorities.

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More snackblogging, because you know you love it. Seriously.

Found at Candyland in Richmond, which once upon a time had the goodness that is green tea KitKats:

These seem to be one in a series of flavors designed by famous confectioners — at least that’s what little I can guess from the packaging. This one’s by Takagi Yasumasa of Le Patissier Takagi, a man I saw on television once, creating amazing-looking desserts en route to getting schooled by Iron Chef Kobe in “Battle Strawberry.”

Inside the box, fifteen or so individually-wrapped packages, each holding a miniature pink bar. The coating is a white chocolate base imbued with wine, a muscat-like flavor that’s subtler but juicier than my previous favorite, strawberry. We’ve gone through half the box already and I wish I’d bought more than the one. *sigh*

They also had white chocolate KitKats, but no sign of green tea or other flavors, a shame since I’d wanted to stock up.

And since I’m all about the green tea, I picked up these McVitie’s miniature green tea digestive biscuits:

They’re good, but very leafy in taste — would go beautifully with a hot cup of genmaicha or barley tea, I think, but not so much for dry snacking.

Also, I meant to mention that in Chicago we found those Lay’s dill pickle potato chips which I’d previously only seen in Canada. No word on nationwide availability, but that’s hope, keep trying!

Oh,

and

Happy new year!

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Found at Candyland in Richmond:

Emily, of course, was first to let me know they existed, but I never expected to see them in the flesh. Should have known that Canada would be just the place to go — another example of how snack-deprived we are in the States!

My flickr friend hexion said this, in comments:

Children in Japan do not like green tea taste. However, the adult like green tea taste. I think that it is a thing like the bitter chocolate.
 
By the way, There is a custom of presenting “Kit kat” to the examinee in Japan. Because the pronunciation of “Kit kat” is near Japanese “Kitto katsu” that means “Win without fail”.

Kitto katsu!

They’re good; maybe a little too sweet, but not overwhelmingly so — about what you’d expect from a good green tea ice cream, but swirled with crispy KitKatty goodness. Since they’re imported from Japan, a little pricey, and then there’s that commute…

I know it seems tea’s been on my mind a lot lately, and you’d be right! Shaula over at tsuredzuregusa 徒然草 has a lovely entry on tea, for whose inspiration I can take some little, indirect credit (via Watermark & my Adagio Teas entry), which spurred a small tea shopping expedition: genmaicha is an old friend (this from Republic of Tea), wonderful and mellow, while lapsang souchong is a new acquaintance, smoky and nostalgic. I know a few of you vehemently dislike it — I wonder if it comes from not having often experienced warm winter fires on frozen nights, crackling & aromatic of charcoal, memories of which come flooding back to me as I sip. How could you not love?

And from janjan, word of her own Adagio reward, which sounds amazing — but I need to watch myself. Finish the tea you’ve got first, yukino.

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This will be about snacking.

But it’s not like I’ve been stuffing my face! I’ve just had these things on the backlog for awhile and now that I’m sick — well, it’s as good a time for miscellany as any…

This is Tim’s Cascade’s latest limited edition variety, which is the Best Thing Ever. Nice amount of sinus-clearing wasabi bite per chip, plus the palpable crunch for which Tim’s is known makes for a decidedly different snack! Wish the timer wasn’t ticking — but you can still get them right now at most any northwest grocery. Time to stock up?

Canada seems to be the place to get the best flavors of potato chips these days. When I was in middle school back in the midwest, I remember that you could get interesting varieties of Snyder’s of Hanover chips in vending machines, including salt & vinegar (which was still exotic to me at the time), ketchup, dill pickle, and pizza flavors. Alas, the company seems to have gone pretzel-only and I haven’t seen anything like them since on this side of the border. In Canada, though, you can get all that and more! And also these:

Ketchup Pringles! SO genius!

If you haven’t tried ketchup-flavored potato chips, you might be recoiling in horror right now. I did too, once. But they’re actually wickedly addictive once you get into them (haven’t tried dill pickle so far but I can imagine a similar effect).

On the candy front, Canadians love their KitKats. White chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, KitKats of various thicknesses and lengths — they’re all available up there. Strawberry KitKats, something like a candy bar made of strawberry and milk chocolate Pocky sticks mashed into a rectangular mold, may just be the best of them all. Yummy!

[Emily tells me there are Green Tea KitKats in Japan. Heavens!]

There are Vanilla Smarties now too!

Seems like I’ve only been to Vancouver once in the past year, which should be a crime. Looks like I’ll either have to change that trend or find a friendly supplier to help me out — but for my sake, only at a trickle! Can’t have too much of this kind of good thing, after all.

Hope that was somewhat interesting for you. Off to try and get well!

More KitKats