KitKat Banana

parent co.: Nestle

pkg. size: 3.5"x1.6"

candy size: 2.5"x1.25"

weight: .8 oz

quantity: 2 mini bars

country: japan

description: brown banana flavored chocolate surrounds the classic kit kat wafer with more banana cream between the wafers

every time i tell people about japanese Kit Kats and all the fun flavors, they want to know why we don't get them over here in the states. the funny thing about Kit Kat is that in the united states it is produced by Hershey, whereas in the rest of the world it is produced by Nestle. this is all due to a licensing agreement between Hershey and Nestle that has been in effect since 1969. while this might seem trivial to the average consumer, true candy enthusiasts will know the difference between Hershey's sour milk chocolate and the much more enjoyable milk chocolate of Nestle. i don't much care for Hershey's milk chocolate (with a few exceptions, of course), but that's a personal preference; i know many americans prefer Hershey's to other brands. at any rate, that licensing agreement is why we don't get the cool flavors that Nestle produces: Hershey is lame and unimaginative. but enough of that, back to the real issue at hand: banana Kit Kats. they are delicious. banana is a tough flavor to recreate without it tasting really phony; it's often too strong whereas real bananas are subtle. while this Kit Kat does have a bit of a phony banana taste to it, it's much better than other banana candies i've tried. of course, i love banana, so this was bound to be good for me. i really love that they chose to keep the chocolate flavor in play here, often i feel it gets abandoned completely for the other flavors (which i generally have no complaints about), here it helps balance the strong banana flavor (not to mention the brown is much more appealing than a bright yellow would be). again, crispy wafers and creamy, smooth filling - another successful Kit Kat.

rating: 9

ingredients: n/a

allergy information: n/a

Necco Chews: Strawberry Shortcake, Mint Julep, Banana Split

i don't even know what i was thinking when i bought these. perhaps it was "i hope these will taste like Hi-Chews." or maybe "these probably won't taste like salt water taffy mixed with Starbursts." it could even have been, "if this is like a Now and Later, i'm ok with that." whatever it was, i was wrong.

Strawberry Shortcake - this is the one that makes me think of a Starburst the most. the initial scent is very sweet and fruity, but as soon as it hits the tongue it's much more bland. kind of a diluted fruit chew with generic red fruit flavor. it does have a good chewiness, softer than a Now & Later, much like salt water taffy.

Mint Julep - this was weird because it really doesn't have a minty smell or taste at all. maybe a very slight hint of mint near the middle, but really it's more like a sweet fruity taste. not really lime, but there does seem to be a bit of citrus in there. not at all what i was expecting. same chewiness as the Strawberry Shortcake.

Banana Split - a little disappointing in the flavor department - artificial banana in play here, so i didn't have high hopes, but this was pretty blah. it had a slight walnut taste, but that quickly turned into more of a cardboard taste. again, the texture was nice but i'd much rather have a Hi-Chew.

overall rating: 3

Panda Licorice Cremes

i have a beef with these candies, a big beef. as you can see from the package, this bag contains little licorice bits filled with three different flavors of cream: banana, caramel and strawberry. they have them all on there, with their little pictures that show which flavor corresponds to which color. the beef i have (and it is a big one) is that when you open up the bag, all of the pieces look way too similar to tell them apart (which you may or may not be able to tell from my crappy picture). now, there is one which is distinctly pinker than the others, which i assume to be the strawberry, but the rest of them look identical, at least to my inferior eyes. so i figured, "i'll just pop one in my mouth and i can tell the difference, banana and caramel are very different flavors, you know." and here is the beef, part two: there is no flavor, save that of sub-par licorice. i realize that licorice can be an overwhelming flavor, but this licorice is not even that strong. certainly not strong enough to drown out a well-made banana creme. the ingredients list molasses, beetroot concentrate, and licorice extract, but i think most of what i'm tasting is from the molasses. yes, this is an "all natural" snack, but i don't see why that means it has to taste like crap. i mean, "all natural" doesn't mean "all cardboard," does it? or does it? perhaps it does.

so i have never tried any other Panda licorice, they also make just plain black or red licorice bites. i've always been so excited for the brand, what with the panda and the black licorice (which i do admit to being a fan of), but this particular candy is not doing it for me. i prefer a more licorice-y taste, something in the Good & Plenty vein, and i definitely would have preferred to taste the other flavors. sorry Panda, you have not wooed me.

rating: 2