Last week in the checkout line at Target what did my little eyes spy? A beautiful, bright yellow bag of Kit Kats. Much to my surprise, it wasn't merely Easter packaging, but an entirely new flavor. And y'all, let me tell you that the new Lemon Crisp Kit Kats are tangy heaven.
This marks Hershey's very first Spring flavor of Kit Kat, so yes, you should be excited. Having already eaten an entire bag, I will tell you that the lemon flavored creamy coating tastes a lot like lemon meringue pie or lemon curd. It's got a definite tang, but that creamy, almost white chocolate texture really smooths it out. Unlike some lemon candies, this does not have the fragrance of furniture polish. Instead, it smells like a fresh lemon bar that you might buy at a school bake sale.
I found that I loved them beside a hot cup of tea, but my 11 year-old son likes them without accompaniment, and in a location where he can hide the wrappers, so I don't know how many he's eaten. (There were literal piles under his pillow.)
As an absolute Kit Kat devotee, I can tell you while this flavor might be seasonal, it's going to be around for the long haul. It's that good. It deserves its place beside Cadbury Creme Eggs and Reeses Cups in your Easter basket.
If you're a Kit Kat fan, you're probably aware of all of the amazing flavors that are available in Japan. The sheer amount of goodness is hard to behold. Matcha, sweet potato, cheese, cookies and cream, adzuki bean, framboise... and on and on. Yet, here in America, the birthplace of the candy, for the longest time we only had a few (and the bag with three flavors doesn't count). It's been a gripe I've had for years. My frustration is so ardent that if any of my friends go to Japan, they bring me back Kit Kats instead of trinkets or gifts. I'm obsessed. But slowly, it seems we might be broadening our Kit Kat flavor horizons here in the U.S.: There were pumpkin pie Kit Kats for Thanksgiving and raspberry cream for Valentine's Day; Birthday Cake Kit Kats (featuring real sprinkles!) just hit the market, too. We can only hope this is the start of something new and wonderful, and that we'll begin to see American-centric flavors dotting the market. What might those look like? The new lemon crisp Kit Kats are a good start, as are the new Birthday but I'm thinking we need real Americana. Red Bull Kit Kats. Pretzel Kit Kats. Millennial Debt Kit Kats (vague flavor, tastes expensive). I don't know what they'll look like, but I want to try them.
