Dear Diary, 

Since landing in Japan I’ve been on a quest to find as many Kit Kat flavors as I can. And I get two of them - one to tear into before leaving the store and the other to save until I get home. Yes, I may need to check another bag (which I will also have to buy) with all the stuff I plan to take home, but Kit Kits are precious cargo and I plan to collect them all, or at least the seasonal varieties available now. 

Anyway, I learned that Kit Kats came to Japan in the 1970s from Nestle, of course, and by the 2000s were gaining a huge amount of attention and popularity. By 2014 they were the number one most bought confection in Japan. Kit Kats. But, it's not just the boring chocolate wafers we all know and love in the rest of the world. In Japan, Kit Kats have over 300 flavors and with their limited edition marketing tactics, they continue to be consumed in mass and appeal to the collectors of the world - me included. And at the time of their growing popularity, one of the most sold flavors was, you guessed it, soy sauce. Yum. Part of the major success is the coincidence that Kit Kats and close enough to “Kitto Katsu,” a Japanese phrase meaning “you will surely win.” Since then they have become a delicious good luck charm, especially to students preparing for exams. 

So far I have collected these flavors: Watermelon, Creme brulee, lemon, baked potato, green tea, miso soup, butter, apple, pumpkin, melon, Oreo ice cream, hot chili, roasted corn, and my favorite, strawberry.

These flavors are on my hit list: Brown sugar syrup, sake, Tokyo banana, whole wheat, golden citrus, red bean, pear, COUGH DROP (?), blueberry cheesecake, chestnut, vegetable juice, Ramune soda, raspberry passion fruit, cherry blossom green tea latte, and wasabi. 

And my honest review so far? Even the miso soup was good in a strange, savory way. Baked potato was bland so it was actually a relief. Creme brulee was a close second, but you can't beat strawberry in, like, anything. But with over 300 flavors to collect, I’m only at the beginning of this sugar rush. I’ll keep you posted. 

Until next time,

Xoxo, 

Maria