Japanese Chocolates
Happy Valentine’s Day! (It’s a little late for my Malaysian readers, but I did start the post on the 14th.) In honor of the choco-centric holiday, I thought I’d do a sequel to my earlier Japanese Kit-Kat post. This time, I’ll be reviewing the wasabi flavor, as well as the “spicy choco stick.”
Among the many crazy flavors of Kit Kat they sell in Japan, wasabi is a staple, especially for foreigners in search of souvenirs. The packaging touts it as “an elegant spiciness, with a creamy sweetness.” (There’s also a warning that the picture of the wasabi root on the wrapping is “for illustration purposes only,” probably because they’re using the cheaper powdered horseradish.)
And it tastes like…white chocolate with a smidgen of wasabi powder. It wasn’t as sinus-clearing as I expected, but it wasn’t great, either. I’m usually a fan of savory and sweet (bring on the bacon chocolate bar!), but this combination didn’t work for me. Maybe with dark chocolate?
More pleasing were the Spicy Choco Sticks, sort of like a grown-up version of Pocky (which is made by a rival company — they have Men’s Pocky, but it’s just dark, not spicy). The chocolate has hints of orange and chili. I know this flavor combo has been around for a while (you know, like since the Aztecs), but not in handy stick form. Interestingly, the packaging says it’s “perfect with alcohol!” and suggests that you use the sticks as a swizzle stick for your whisky highball, or pair it with some red wine. Red wine and spicy choco sticks: doesn’t that sound like a recipe for romance?
