Following up on my recent Zunda post, perhaps it's time to create a whole album — or should it be a rogues' gallery — of KitKats. Feast your eyes...
Uji matcha: dark green, sharply bitter, guaranteed to elevate the senses and enhance contemplation. Perhaps. [OK, none of the above, really.]
Hojicha: Another Kyoto special, reflecting the ancient capital's proximity to the tea plantations of the Uji area, just to the south. Hojicha is green tea that's been roasted till it turns light brown and has a pleasant smoky aroma. And, in the case of this kitkat, a light caramel-type taste.
Framboise: That's French for "synthetic flavouring that might evoke the smell of raspberries if you have deadened your taste buds eating too many KitKats."
Banana: Let's just say, perhaps not the most brilliant flavour in the series...
Wasabi: Prepare for your eyes to water. With disapppointment. But this is definitely one to take as an omiyage (souvenir gift) for the folks abroad.
Sakura matcha: What could be more Japanese than a bowl of green tea? Green tea with cherry blossom, of course. The paper parasol is not included in the package.
Classic red: For fun-loving traditionalists...
...or exotic black: For sophisticated adults. Black chocolate, an adult taste with a hint of seductiveness. Like dark chocolate. And just like the featured model, Kurogi Meisa. Who is the same model featured in the red kitkat ad above, except she's been given the name Akagi Meisa. [It's a little humourous wordplay: her name, Kurogi, means "black tree": Akagi means "red tree".]
There are plenty more flavours to try. The six on this poster are just a fraction of the myriad types developed for niche markets. From the left: Annin-dofu (bitter almond, a popular dessert in Chinese restaurants); satsuma-imo (sweet potato/yam); wasabi; strawberry cheesecake; ichimi togarashi (chili pepper); and blueberry cheesecake.
All these and more are stacked up for sale in the duty-free souvenir stores inside Narita Airport, which is where I took most of the photos...
