Someone at Nestlé Japan deserves a raise for thinking up a new concept to expand the KitKat flavor line even further by incorporating cookies into the mix. When I reviewed the first version of the "Cookie +" KitKat, I figured that was a dead end. That first version incorporated the black cookie from an Oreo-style sandwich cookie into the mix. Now, it seems that the sky is the limit on KitKats with cookies.
While one's initial response to a whole grain cookie version might be to think that they are trying to make something which is inherently unhealthy seem healthy... well, one's initial response would be correct. The advertising on Nestlé Japan's site says that this includes whole-grain flour which contains more nutrition-rich protein and mineral fiber. They're not fooling anyone with that sort of talk. They are, however, charging about 200 yen ($2.00) for this bar instead of the usual price of 120 yen ($1.20) and the volume is slightly smaller.
The box contains two flatter, wider fingers rather than the usual two fingered packs that conventional KitKats contain. Each one is 100 calories. The bars smell mainly like milk chocolate, but there's a slight earthy undertone which reminds me of graham crackers. The reason for this becomes apparent after you eat it. While this mostly tastes like a regular KitKat during the first bite, the secondary flavor of a graham cracker style cookie comes through as you chew. I also noticed that the wafers have a stronger hit of granulated sugar filling than usual, though it doesn't taste as cloyingly and overly sweet as a white chocolate-based KitKat because there's a slight bittersweet undertone to the chocolate.
Despite a desire not to like this too much because I think the entire concept of adding a whole grain cookie to make a candy bar "healthier" is flawed, I really did like the flavor of this KitKat. Though it could definitely do with a stronger graham cookie/cracker component, it's a pretty nice variation. I'd definitely buy it again some time, provided it stays on the market long enough. Since this was introduced relatively recently (March 16), I'm guessing there's plenty of time to revisit this one.
This is also reviewed at Snack Love.
My first thought on looking at this was "strange!". Don't tell me Kit kat is going healthy...next we'll be seeing Muesli & yoghurt kit kats.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if i'm too keen to try this one though. I have no idea what a graham cracker is but i assume it's just a plain old rice cracker?
BTW, love the happy sumo's :) They are quite cute, did you do the graphics yourself?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how to describe a graham cracker. It's a cracker made with graham flour. If you buy a box of Carr's "assorted biscuits for cheese", they're the "graham flour" ones that are round and a little sweet. In America, you can just buy whole boxes of graham crackers which are often used as a less unhealthy snack for kids.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen them in Japan, but that's definitely what these cookies carry a hint of.
Thanks for your kind words about the sumo ratings. I did do the graphics myself in Adobe Illustrator. It's not the most complicated thing, but I think keeping it simple was for the best.
:-)