Meet The Man Behind Some of Kit Kat Japan's 400 Flavors

Kit Kat Japan recently offered a brief behind-the-scenes tour with Great Big Story, showcasing quick snapshots of their factories in Japan which has been churning out some 400 flavors of Kit Kats throughout the years. At the center of the spotlight is pastry chef Yasumasa Takagi, the man responsible for many special flavors.

From wasabi to cheesecake to sake, Kit Kat has been delivering a bevy of flavors since establishing its Japan-based outpost in 1973. So far, Takagi has been adding over 50 flavors to the expansive collection. In Great Big Story‘s video, Yuji Takeuchi, marketing manager for Nestlé Japan, explains how there are special Kit Kat flavors attributed to specific regions of Japan — Hokkaido, for example, has melon; Kyushu, purple sweet potato. Next, chef Takagi mentions how he switched up Kit Kat’s singular milk chocolate base to different bases, like passion fruit, which was the first base he created. While Takagi has been able to put out over 50 flavors, the chef reveals that he’s made many more prototypes. After a short demonstration of how he experiments with new concoctions in his kitchen, Takeuchi wraps up the video by describing how Kit Kat has taken on cultural significance in Japan, where students often give each other the treat as a way of wishing each other luck on exams — “Kit Kat” sounds like “Kittokatsu” in Japanese, which loosely translates to “you’re bound to win.”

Scroll above for a look at Great Big Story‘s latest coverage on Kit Kat’s head chef Yasumasa Takagi.

In case you missed it, check out Kit Kat’s celebratory Birthday Cake flavor.