KitKat sushi: Has Japan gone too far?
By Karla Cripps CNN
(CNN) -- KitKat has just released images of its wild new "sushi" sets and we can't decide whether to be relieved or upset about the fact they're only available for a limited time.
The bars come in three flavors, which fortunately don't taste anything like the varieties of sushi they're modeled to look like -- unless you count the seaweed.
There's tuna sushi, which actually tastes like raspberry. The seaweed wrapped sushi omelet is really a pumpkin pudding KitKat.
Lastly, the sea urchin sushi is a Hokkaido melon with mascarpone cheese KitKat.
All three have a base made of puffed rice with white chocolate and a hint of wasabi.
Inspired by an April Fool's Day joke
KitKat has long been famed for venturing into unusual territory in Japan.
Wasabi, lemon vinegar and sake are among the 300 varieties of KitKat bars to go on sale there since the early 2000s.
Some versions have managed to find fans in overseas markets, too, with green tea-flavored KitKats now available in shops worldwide.
But this is the first time the brand has ever released a set inspired by sushi.
Reps from KitKat owner Nestle say it all started with a 2016 April Fool's Day social media post featuring a mock advertisement for sushi KitKats.
The response was so strong they decided to go ahead and create a few for real.
Miki Kanoh of Nestle Japan's Corporate Affairs Group tells CNN the special edition sets will be given out to visitors who spend a minimum of 3,000 yen ($26.47) at Tokyo's newest KitKat Chocolatory shop, located in Ginza, from February 2-14.
The Ginza branch will be the ninth Chocolatory but the first on ground level. Befitting its location in Tokyo's swankiest neighborhood, shop visitors will have access to new and more luxurious services, says Nestle.
As with all Chocolatory stores, it will offer a huge range of KitKat items, many of which come in beautiful gift packaging.
Sometime in the next few months a cafe serving KitKat-based items will open on the second floor as well.
Visitors will also get to create their own original KitKats using the toppings of their choice.
KitKat Chocolatory Ginza, 3-7-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; +81 (0)3 6228 6285
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