Japan’s Latest Kit Kats Have A Boozy Inspiration

Looking for a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day treat? Kit Kat has you covered: for a limited time, you can get Sake flavored bars. The catch? You’ll have to fly to Japan to nab them. The newest Kit Kat bars are white chocolate with Sake powder between the wafers, as Japanese website NariNari reports. The bars will be available for a limited time, beginning on February 1, and come in boxes featuring sakura, or pink Japanese cherry blossoms. Sake is just the latest unusual flavor of Kit Kats to come out of Japan. According to an article from The Verge, there have been over 200 flavors of Kit Kat bars, from green tea or strawberry to wasabi or “European Cheese.” As to why a candy bar originally from England has become so popular — and so varied — in Japan? Timeout Tokyo claims that the name sounds similar to “kitto katsu,” which translates as, “You will surely win." And, as Food Republic discovered, the explosion of flavors comes from convenience store business practices in Japan, which requires restocking every few weeks, making it a great way to constantly rotate in new, limited-edition candies. Regardless of the reason, it’s popularity has made it enough to be the number one selling chocolate in Japan since 2012 — and it has been making the rest of the world jealous of their flavors for about as long.