WATCH: Meet the Man Who Has Created Over 50 Flavors for Kit Kat Japan

In most parts of the world, Kit Kat lovers may have just one flavor to spend their breaks with.

Image Screenshot via Great Big Story

That is not the case in Japan, where the brand has concocted more than 400 flavors since its arrival in 1973.

Today, Kit Kat Japan continues to add more flavors to its ever-growing roster, with one man responsible for much of the innovation.

Image Screenshot via Great Big Story

Yasumasa Takagi, a classically-trained pastry chef, has added at least 50 variants since his arrival — as well as countless more prototypes.

“In my time, Kit Kat only had the milk chocolate base. Since I became involved, it’s no longer the case,” Takagi told Great Big Story.

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“キットカット ショコラトリー”はみなさまご存知でしょうか🤔💭  日本を代表するパティシエ・ショコラティエとして、 独創的なアイデアと味わいあふれるお菓子で人々を魅了する、 「ル パティシエ タカギ」「ル ショコラティエ タカギ」オーナーシェフ、高木康政氏監修の贅沢な”キットカット”なんです！  すこし贅沢な気分を味わいたいときに自分へのご褒美として、友人や家族、恋人に感謝を伝えるときにプレゼントとして、いつもと一味違う”キットカット ショコラトリー”のことを思い出してください🙇‍🙇‍♀  @kitkat_chocolatory_official のアカウントで発売中のフレーバーも紹介しているので、ぜひ覗いてみてください👀

A post shared by KITKAT Japan (@kitkat_japan_official) on Jun 15, 2020 at 2:00am PDT

The chef first developed a passion fruit flavor, which was then marketed as “passionate passion fruit.” The product was first released in 2013.

“I’ve made over 50 different flavors, but I’ve made many, many more prototypes,” Takagi shared. “We have products that [make people] go ‘wow’ or ‘hmm.'”

Image Screenshot via Great Big Story

Takagi creates new flavors right from the kitchen of his Kit Kat store. Making a prototype involves pouring the flavor into the mold, placing cut wafers above it and putting another layer on top.

It’s unclear how many Kit Kat flavors are currently on sale in Japan. Some flavors are also specific to certain regions, such as melon in Hokkaido and purple sweet potato in Kyushu.

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紙パッケージに変わった”キットカット”は皆さん既にチェックしていただけましたよね...？  赤の「キットカット ミニ 14枚」を筆頭に続々とレギュラー商品の紙パッケージ化が進んでいます！🍫  パッケージ外袋を使って折り紙を作ったり、レターとして使ったり、環境に配慮するだけではなく、いろいろな使い道がありますよね✉️💕  海洋プラスチック問題・プラスチックごみ問題の解決に取り組むため、2022年までに日本の”キットカット”で使用する包材は全て、リユース・リサイクル可能な素材へ変更することを目指しています。  #キットずっと #キットずっとプロジェクト #キットカット #2022 #紙パッケージ #紙 #kitkat

A post shared by KITKAT Japan (@kitkat_japan_official) on May 14, 2020 at 3:19am PDT

Regardless, Kit Kat, under Nestlé, has become the top product in the Japanese chocolate market. It overtook Meiji in 2012 through multiple innovations and “emotion marketing,” according to Confectionery News.

“There are many customers who are anxiously waiting for the next new flavor and wonder, ‘What will it be, what will it be?’ Many people say, ‘We want to buy it right away,'” Yuji Takeuchi, marketing manager for Nestlé Japan, told Great Big Story.

Chef Takagi added, “Ultimately, I wanted to make people happy, moved and surprised. Unless there’s a wide variety of Kit Kats, it’s not possible for a wide range of people to be happy.”

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This article first appeared on NextShark.

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