Sep 25, 2011
So I heard that Japan has more Kit Kat flavors than the channels on our local Cable TV. I’m exaggerating, but in truth, the Kit Kat variants we know are a mere fraction of what the Land of the Rising Sun sells off their groceries and convenience stores.
I got a chance to try one of these rare and elusive Kit Kats. It was a gift to me from someone who went on a tour of Osaka. At first, I was surprised at the box. It was my first time seeing a green-colored Kit Kat, and with a packaging different from the usual paper and foil wrapping. For our food on TRIAL today, I’ll give you the lowdown on Uji Macha Kit Kat!
Packaging
Try to imagine what our local Kit Kat looks like: paper and foil wrapped, with the contents that can slide out easily and the foil easily torn with little to no effort. If you still need a slight memory jog, here’s an old Kit Kat ad that demonstrates just that.
Okay, it’s an old 1991 commercial, and Kit Kats don’t look like that anymore. Some packagings already have this plastic/foil wrapping, which is harder to tear off. But anyway, I digress. Most of the Kit Kats in Japan come in a box. Yes, it’s in a thin cardboard packaging with perforations on the right side. Upon lifting the perforated lid, two pairs of Kit Kat bars inside a plastic wrapping can be eased out. There’s not much to see on the plastic wrapping except the Kit Kat logo on a black and green motif. If you’re really anal (like I was) in opening the plastic wrap, it takes longer to split it up from the top than just simply tearing it off. Otherwise, the whole package is a lot more decent than what we have.
Taste Test
The most important part of a TRIAL review is always taste, taste, taste. I hesitated to open the package, due to its utter rarity (if this were World of Warcraft, this Kit Kat might be orange-labeled for it’s Legendary rarity). The Kit Kat bar is obviously colored green, corresponding to its Uji Macha flavor. Wrapped around the green coating are 3 layers of wafers sandwiching what looks like more green coating. I took a bite and half-expected a bitter leafy taste, but all I got was sweetness… pure sweetness that sent my spine tingling and my taste buds craving for more. The green coating was a mix of green tea and white chocolate. It wasn’t as sweet as white chocolate (which, to most people, has a very high sweetness level that sends throats aching after a few bites), nor was it as bitter or as leafy as a typical green tea confectionery. The green tea and the white chocolate balanced each other out! I could actually eat 10 pairs of this Kit Kat and only then can I have a sore throat (LOL). There was a slight green tea aftertaste, but it was quickly masked by the presence of the wafers and the white chocolate sweetness.
Have a break?
With its rarity comes a wonderful Kit Kat experience. If there were more of this flavor here, I’d be a happy Kit Kat fanatic. The moment I visit Japan, I’ll make sure to buy a big box of this Kit Kat. Verdict? I only have this iconic phrase: … Have a Kit Kat.
