Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Nestle KitKat Sakura Green Tea & Wasabi

Sakura Green Tea KitKatIt’s great when friends go traveling and bring back candy. My friend Amy (who often spits things out and then gives me her opinion) went to Tokyo and Kyoto. She was lucky enough to be there for the start of Cherry Blossom Season, which means that the limited edition KitKat Sakura are also on store shelves.

Sakura is a popular flavor in Japan. What that flavor is, is kind of a mystery to me. It’s not cherry or the orange blossom equivalent of orange. It’s just a soft flavor that’s more like almond to me, if other candies I’ve had are indicative.

This particular Sakura Matcha KitKat package is a little different from others I’ve had. It’s kind of like a King Size. The box is a little longer, and on the back is a little “to and from” space where you can add a personalize message.

Sakura Green Tea KitKat

Inside the package are three individually wrapped pairs of KitKat fingers. They’re not large, a bit smaller than the American version, as a matter of fact. They’re only 68 calories each (sorry, I couldn’t figure out the exact weight since it was all in Japanese).

Sakura Green Tea Kit Kat

It’s a white confection outside that’s flavored (and colored) with green tea. It’s not a very good white confection, a little greasy and waxy and very sweet. The green tea notes are not as bitter as some earlier varieties of matcha candies I’ve had from Nestle Japan. In this version, the Sakura adds a bit of a cereal flavor to it, maybe a hint of cinnamon and brown rice and a much lighter vanilla note.

As a whole, it was okay. It’s not a KitKat I would buy for myself regularly, even if I was excited that the trees were in bloom. I’ve had a few other varieties over the years, earlier versions were just cherry blossom with no green tea.

Sakura KitKatLittle Sakura KitKatKitKat Little Sakura

Wasabi KitKatThe other prized variety that I haven’t been able to find in the United States (unless I mail ordered, which usually ends in a melted disaster) was the Wasabi KitKat.

This is also what I’d call a gift variety, as I highly doubt people just go out looking for Japanese horseradish flavored candies. I love wasabi, but it belongs in my mashed potatoes and on my tuna and avocado roll.

The box in this version is very presentational, with stylized block print wasabi roots on the front. The box opens up to reveal 12 small, individually wrapped finger pairs of the candies.

Wasabi KitKat

Like most Japanese KitKats, the packaging is exquisite.

Wasabi KitKat

The flavor is, well, sweet. For the most part it’s a bland white confection, equally greasy and waxy as most other Nestle white KitKats. In this version there’s a peppery bite to it, like arugula or horseradish. It’s mild but noticeable. It was too strange, but also didn’t add anything to the experience. I think wasabi works best with starchy foods (mashed potatoes or rice), not with fatty foods like chocolate (or mock chocolate).

Wasabi KitKat

This is a novelty, not an extraordinary new flavor combination. I’m all for the combination of sweet and savory (umami), but this isn’t it.

Related Candies

  1. David’s Signature Beans Jelly Bean Sampler
  2. Morinaga Sweet Potato Caramels
  3. KitKat Otonano Amasa (Adult Taste)
  4. KitKats: Royal Milk Tea, Ginger Ale, Bubbly Strawberry, Kinako Ohagi & Milk Coffee
  5. Vanilla Beans KitKat & Bitter Orange Aero
  6. KitKat Red Bean & Fruit Parfait


Name: Sakura Matcha KitKat
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Nestle
Place Purchased: Gift from Amy & Robin (Thanks!)
Price: unkown
Size: 1.62 ounces
Calories per ounce: 126
Categories: Candy, Nestle, Cookie, KitKat, Mockolate, 5-Pleasant, Japan


Name: Wasabi KitKat
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Nestle
Place Purchased: Gift from Amy & Robin (Thanks!)
Price: Gift
Size: 5.2 ounces
Calories per ounce: 129
Categories: Candy, Nestle, Cookie, KitKat, Mockolate, 5-Pleasant, Japan

POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:43 pm Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewNestleCookieKitKatLimited EditionMockolate5-PleasantJapan

Comments
  1. This candy is truly something i   would love to try!!

    Comment by artemisloop on 4/14/13 at 10:32 am #
  2. I hate wasabi but like these.  The only place I have found them is at toll road rest areas in Shizuoka prefecture.  They are MUCH better than Aichi prefecture’s Ogura Toast flavor but not as good as Mt Fuji’s Blueberry Cheesecake flavor kit kats.

    Comment by Dawn on 6/20/13 at 2:07 pm #
  3. Are Nestle Wasabi Kit Kats kosher or are any Japanese Nestle products Kosher?

    Comment by Avi Gewirtz on 2/06/17 at 8:28 am #
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