When one thinks of snacks in Japan, Kit Kat – the crispy chocolaty goodness is among the first ones to come to mind.
Since its introduction in Japan in 1973, Kit Kat has become one of the most popular snacks in Japan and one of the main reasons behind its popularity is that Japan has the highest number of variations of Kit Kats (more than 300 variations have been released).
One of the most iconic Japanese Kit Kat flavors is the Matcha (Japanese green tea) flavor as Matcha is a major element of Japanese culture and heritage.
Matcha is a special kind of Japanese green tea, cultivated and processed in a way different from the usual green tea. The flavor and taste of Matcha tend to be stronger and more concentrated than the normal green tea with a characteristic dark green color, rich bitterness, and deep nutty, vegetal, and grassy flavors.
Within the Matcha series of Kit Kat, there are numerous variations and it can be quite confusing to choose the ones most likely to match your personal taste and preference, especially because the packaging is usually in shades of green and the labeling is in Japanese.
To make things easier for our Kit-Kat lover (or is it Kit Kat addicted?) friends, we have brought together the best Kit Kat Matcha flavors in this article.
You will get to know about each of these Matcha flavors so in the end, you can easily decide which ones to include in your must-try list, which ones to save for later, and which to skip altogether.
1. Kit Kat Otona No Amasa Matcha Flavor
This is the most ‘classic’ Kit Kat Matcha flavor.
Released in 2012, this flavor has become one of the most popular among Kit Kat fans. It has a crispy and flaky layer of a wafer in the middle, with Matcha-infused chocolaty cream sandwiched between the wafers.
Surrounding the crispy center is bittersweet chocolate infused with Uji Matcha green tea. Uji Matcha is one of the highest grade Matcha in Japan, known to be the richest in flavor. The sweetness of chocolate and the bitterness of Matcha create an intoxicatingly delicious combination, only made better by the crispiness of the wafer layers.
This classic flavor has the mildest Matcha flavor within the Matcha series so it also makes a great gift for anyone new to Matcha flavors.
Pro-tips: “Otona no Amasa” means ‘sweet taste for grown-ups” and is a common phrase used to describe snacks in Japanese with taste and flavors that have been customized to suit the palette of grown-ups and adults.
When you see this phrase, you can expect the sweetness to be more subtle compared to the other versions, and also the presence of flavors and tastes that are complex and deep. The bitterness can sometimes be stronger in these snacks but never in a bad way.
2. Kit Kat Otona No Amasa Matcha Flavor (Dark)
Matcha flavor lovers, rejoice - the intensity of Matcha flavor has been taken a few notches higher to create this ‘Dark’ version of the Otona No Amasa Matcha flavor Kit Kat.
The basic construction of the Kit Kat is the same as the classic Matcha version and the same high-grade Uji type of Matcha has been used to make it.
However, the amount of Uji Matcha extracts used to make this Kit Kat is double the amount used in the original Matcha flavor. As a result, it has a noticeably stronger Matcha flavor and taste, making it bitterer and less sweet.
If you love Matcha flavor and feel like the classic version is not “Matcha-y” enough for you, then this would be the perfect match for you.
Not only is it distinct from the classic version taste-wise, but you can also see that both the outer chocolate coating and the inner cream layer between the wafers are of a darker shade of green compared to the classic version.
3. Kit Kat Matcha Marugoto Chaba Flavor
‘Marugoto Chaba' means 'whole tea leaves and this Kit Kat Matcha flavor with ground Matcha tea leaves incorporated into the chocolate batter along with Matcha extract is the ultimate Matcha bonanza.
You can see the real bits of Matcha green tea ingrained beautifully into the green chocolate coating.
4. Kit Kat Chocolatory Sublime Matcha Flavor
Kit Kat’s Chocolatory Sublime series is a series made for chocolate connoisseurs focusing on the use of high-quality ingredients.
To make the Chocolatory Matcha Sublime flavor, Uji Gyokuro Matcha paste has been mixed with couverture white chocolate.
Couverture chocolate is very high-quality chocolate that contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter which gives the chocolate more sheen, a firmer "snap" when broken, and a creamy mellow flavor.
5. Kit Kat Chocolatory Moléson Matcha Flavor
Taking its name from the Swiss mountain Moleson, this series is the first-ever Kit Kats to be made with toppings.
The chocolate base is made using top-grade Matcha paste mixed with smooth couverture white chocolate. The upper layer has been luxuriously topped with sweet and tangy dried cranberries and crushed almonds full of nutty flavor.
This is one of the most luxurious and visually stunning Kit Kats you can come across.
6. Kit Kat Itohkyuemon Uji Matcha Flavor (Kyoto regional exclusive edition)
Itohkyuemon is the most famous tea shop in Kyoto (the Matcha capital of Japan) and this Kit Kat has been created in collaboration with Itohkyuemon.
This collaboration guarantees the use of the highest-quality Kyoto Uji Matcha in the chocolate layer.
7. Kit Kat Matcha No Chikara Flavor
Matcha is not only delicious but is also a superfood packed with antioxidants and other components that are extremely beneficial for your health.
Two of these healthy components of Matcha are Polyphenol and Lutein. Polyphenol plays a major role in improving blood circulation whereas Lutein has benefits such as improving vision and suppressing inflammation.
This Kit Kat flavor called “Matcha no Chikara” or “Power of Matcha” highlights these two components by increasing their concentration in this Kit Kat so that you can enjoy the benefits of Lutein and Polyphenol simply by snacking on this delicious Kit Kat.
8. Kit Kat Yuzu x Matcha Flavor
Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit with a refreshing fragrance and a tart taste.
It can be described as a blend of grapefruit, lemon, and mandarin, and because of its addictively delicious tartness, it is a common ingredient in Japanese food and beverages.
This Kit Kat flavor combines the tartness of Yuzu, the bitterness of Matcha, and the sweetness of chocolate to create a uniquely Japanese Kit Kat flavor.
7. Kit Kat Chocolatory Special Kinako x Matcha Flavor
Kinako is roasted Japanese soybean powder and is a common ingredient in Japanese traditional sweets.
Kinako has a sweet, nutty flavor and this perfectly balances the bitter, grassy notes of Matcha.
Since this flavor features two traditional Japanese ingredients – Kinako and Matcha, it makes a great souvenir from Japan.
8. Kit Kat Sakura Matcha Flavor
Sakura or cherry blossom is the national flower in Japan and throughout the spring season, the blooming of cherry blossoms is celebrated in a big way all over Japan.
This Kit Kat Sakura Matcha flavor is usually released in Japan during the spring season as part of the cherry blossom celebration.
It has a less intense Matcha flavor compared to the other Matcha flavored Kit Kats.
The subtle bitterness of Matcha and the sweet floral notes of cherry blossoms create a blissful flavor that will take you straight under a cherry tree on a fine spring day in Japan from the very first bite.
There are many Japanese snacks out there in the world, and it's hard to keep track of them all.
We want you to be able to try every flavor that Japan has to offer! That is why we have created a subscription box service for our favorite treats from Japan.
Every month, your ZenPop Sweets Pack will bring you an assortment of everything from popular treats like KitKat, Pocky, and gummies - to new trends such as Dorayaki pancakes or Matcha flavored candies.
Every month we handpick an amazing variety of sweet snacks that are hard to find outside Japan so that every month is a surprise!
