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Feb 07 2005 12 Comments

Chocolate charm

At this time of year, youthful innocence and carefree abandon are a rarity, as the nation’s children prepare for junior and high school entrance examinations. A period when as much unnecessary pressure as possible is planted firmly on students’ shoulders, making them stressed, stroppy and somnambulistic.

Multinational food company Nestle however must wish that entrance examinations were monthly rather than yearly occurrences, as the humble Kit Kat has turned into a chocolate charm cash cow.

The name Kit Kat you see closely resembles the expression Kitto katsu, which translated directly into English means ‘definitely win’. A coincidence that has resulted in the chocolate covered biscuit being adopted as a lucky charm for students to buy for themselves, and parents and friends to proffer as a luck inducing gift.

A trend needless to say that Nestle is far from unaware of, with the company releasing new flavours for stressed-out students to waste their money on.

japanese_kit_kat

Rather ironically, when I was a kid it was “Have a break, have a Kit Kat.” But with regular school during the day and cram school at night, the chance of ‘a break’ for Japanese students is about as slim as a passion fruit or green tea flavoured biscuit securing someone a place at their school of choice.

Categorized: Food and Drink

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. melina says

    2/7/2005 at 3:37 pm

    oh, i want those two flavors in the u.s.a., specifically san diego.

    Reply
  2. Brett says

    2/7/2005 at 3:43 pm

    I had one of those passionfruit ones the other day. Oishii

    Reply
  3. Nacente says

    2/8/2005 at 12:17 am

    Good to know about きっとかつ thing. どうも!

    Reply
  4. Ron says

    2/8/2005 at 2:13 am

    Hello Kitty and Kit Kat are subliminal brand names. They remind you of “pussy.”

    People in Japan beware. You have been warned!

    Cheers!

    Reply
  5. PT says

    2/8/2005 at 2:32 am

    I love Kit Kat, cannot get these flavours here in SoCal, booohhhh….

    Reply
  6. melina says

    2/8/2005 at 8:57 am

    PT, i feel your pain, and Ron, I think you are RIGHT!

    Reply
  7. billy says

    2/8/2005 at 10:41 pm

    …but – *even* better were the t-shirts that read:
    have a break
    have a quick crap :^)…

    Reply
  8. misty says

    2/10/2005 at 12:32 am

    I’ve ordered a couple of these along with some pocky from japan, so I am looking forward to tasting one when they eventually arrive ^_^

    Reply
  9. Toni says

    2/11/2005 at 4:21 pm

    Holy shit, they have matcha flavored Kit Kat?!?!?!? Man I want some!

    Reply
  10. Maktaaq says

    2/22/2005 at 4:01 pm

    Misty, you can order those flavours? Where? Where?

    Reply
  11. Laur says

    10/18/2008 at 3:46 pm

    If anyone has a clue where to get ahold of these I would greatly appreciate it if you would pass the info my way. I have been looking for these for over a year and can not find them anywhere, nor can I find a site that sells/ships them. Please let me know! You have no idea how badly I want these damned bars!

    Reply

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