The company has arrived at the best possible balance of chocolate and wafer in the beloved treat in a new version that’s hitting shelves soon.

The milk chocolate-covered, crispy wafer candy called KitKat was originally released in the U.K. in 1935 and is now sold in over 80 localities around the world. In Japan, the treat has been giving people a break since 1973, officially marking 50 years of sales this year where they’re typically sold in a “mini” size.

The name KitKat also echoes the Japanese phrase “You’ll definitely win” (kitto katsu), which has made the candy become something of a good luck-charm for test-takers and athletes in particular. Consequently, its popularity has endured and over 400 flavors of the treat have been introduced over the past half-century, from regional and seasonal flavors to the dual-flavored KitKat earlier this year.

▼ An assortment of some of the most popular regional KitKats that can be purchased inside Tokyo Station, including Shinshu apple flavor from Nagano and wasabi flavor from Shizuoka.

SoraNews24

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Nestlé Japan has announced that the Japanese KitKat has undergone a “product renewal” to arrive at the best possible version of itself. This renewal took nearly three years and over 100 prototypes to realize, while collaborating with product development teams overseas. In particular, the company conducted an exhaustive analysis on modern-day consumers’ chocolate preferences and discovered that the majority of testers enjoyed milk chocolate when the cacao flavor was especially rich. Therefore, the amount of cacao content in the perfected KitKat has increased.

▼ Packaging for the perfected KitKat Minis, which claim to be “the best ever”  (“史上最高”)

In addition, the company has also modified its wafers recipe, including everything from the dough fermentation process to the distribution of wafers and chocolate within the final product, to arrive at the ultimate KitKat wafer. These newly perfected wafers have been modified not only in the original Japanese KitKat Minis, but also in the slightly-more-bitter “Sweetness for Adults” series, including the “Sweetness for Adults: Rich Matcha” and “Sweetness for Adults: Whole-Wheat Flour Biscuits” flavors.

▼ Perfected Sweetness for Adults: Rich Cacao Fragrance KitKat Minis

▼ Sweetness for Adults: Rich Matcha KitKat Minis

▼ Sweetness for Adults: Whole-Wheat Flour Biscuits KitKat Minis

The newly renewed 50th anniversary Japanese KitKats will hit shelves in Japan beginning on September 1.

Speaking of upcoming seasonal releases, you may also want to get in the mood for fall by checking out the sweet potato treats coming to chain Mister Donut around the same time as well.

Source, images: PR Times
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