Best Variety - Kit Kat

All this month we're going to look  at candy varieties. Varieties happen when candy companies decide to change their classic bars with alternative flavours and textures.  Some of these variations are very complicated, while others are very simple.  Sometimes the change to the bar is more about texture, but most of the time it's about a change of flavour.  This kind of change doesn't alter  the  original  treat, instead it's about releasing a second treat with a slight variation.  Sometimes these variations stick, but most often they're temporary.

For our first installment we're going to look at the Kit Kat Bar.  This  is probably the most famous variation bar in the world right now.  This is not only because this bar is known  in almost every country in the world, but also because they've released so many different varieties.  Japan is probably the center of the variation craze for Kit Kat right now.  In Japan they release a new special edition Kit Kat flavour monthly, and to this date they've released  dozens, maybe even hundreds of flavours so far.

Interestingly though,  Japan wasn't the  first place to start this trend.  Kit Kat varieties started  in the UK and Canada first.  Simple variations included the Kit Kat Chunky (1999) and Kit Kat Orange (1996).  Both of these variations have remained very popular since their release. Japan can however be credited with creating the most, as well as the strangest, flavour variations.

As of writing the review, I've sampled approximately 26 different varieties of  Kit Kat.  Some were fairly basic, like Kit Kat Chunky, Kit Kat Dark, and Kit Kat Caramel.  Some were a little stranger like Kit Kat Mango Pudding, Kit Kat Apple Vinegar, and Kit Kat Azuki (red bean).  More interesting is how some of these varieties are presented.  With some flavours you get the standard small Kit Kat 4 or 2 fingers, however a few of the varieties come in the Kit Kat Chunky style.

This says a lot about one particular variety of Kit Kat, the Chunky.  This is probably the most successful of any Kit Kat variety, in fact the Chunky might be the most successful of any variety ever.  This bar came out in 1999 and has been with us since, and this bar has spawned varieties itself. While I'm sure the Kit Kat Chunky is not outselling the classic Kit Kat, it's safe to say that at this point the Kit Kat Chunky has turned into a classic unto itself.  This is a very rare case where a variation on a bar has become so successful.

I'm sure at some point Kit Kat will give up on their massive collection of variations, until then I'm willing to  try and them all, but I'm pretty sure that none of them will ever outsell the  original.  Hopefully the only variety to make it out of this trend will be the Kit Kat Chunky, and the rest will be bars that we'll look back on with fond memories.

CC