Credit: Punctuated (via Flickr)
Cha Nom
Japan has nearly 300 varieties of Kit Kat. But we’ve had enough office colleagues visit Hokkaido to know the matcha green-tea Kit Kat—that most hallowed of Kit Kats—is totally overrated (spoiler: it tastes like grass). We’ll take a good old Number One brand tea version over that zen nonsense any day. Just don’t skimp on the condensed milk.
Credit: Dennis Yang (via Flickr)
Mangosteen
OK, this one is reportedly also in the pipeline. And this is one we can agree on. Move over durian, the queen of fruit’s subtle blend of sweet and sour makes it ripe for a Kit Kat rip-off. That and it can’t be any worse than its purple Japanese brethren: beni imo (Okinawan purple sweet potato).
Credit: Sjschen (via Wikimedia Commons)
Chao Kuay
Michel Belin is one France's foremost chocolatiers, and has a fan base in Japan, too (just like Pierre Herme). One of his signature chocolates is a ganache with liquorice—it's amazing. Chao kuay, a jelly made from herbs, has a flavor not unlike liquorice. So we think this could work.
Credit: Yongxinge (via Wikimedia Commons)
Taro
In the great spirit of taro desserts, this would look just like a Kit Kat, but when you chomp into it you realize that instead of biscuit there's sweet taro paste.
Credit: Kborland (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sun-dried Banana
We're sure the aroma of Thai-style sun-dried banana with honey would go just awesome with chocolate. For the record, it already makes one hell of an ice cream flavor (check out Terry's Ice Cream in Phuket).
Kanom Phing
There’s nothing about this old-school cookie that wouldn’t work as a Kit Kat, whether it’s the coconut aroma, the smoky sweetness or the crispy-yet-melt-in-your-mouth outer layer.
Credit: Adam Baker (via Flickr)
Thai Chilli
Did you know Japan actually has wasabi Kit Kats? There’s also a red pepper and dark chocolate version that supposedly packs even more of a punch, but we doubt it could do the same damage as our own throat-igniting birds-eye chili.
Credit: Dennis Wong (via Wikimedia Commons)
Mango Sticky Rice
Apparently, the proposed durian Kit Kats are projected to increase spending among souvenir-hungry tourists by 10 percent per person. But for whom would they buy such treats with all the aroma of dirty gym socks...if not their worst enemy? That's where this superstar dessert comes in. The tourist droves can't be wrong. Plus, there already exists a plain mango version and a chunky coconut version—combining the two just makes perfect sense.
