Kit Kat is a highly favored chocolate bar enjoyed by many people around the world. But where did it come from? Let’s explore some interesting facts about Kit Kat.

1. Kit Kat was first launched in London on August 29, 1935. The initial Kit Kat chocolate bar consisted of a wafer covered in chocolate, divided into four pieces.

2. It wasn’t always called Kit Kat. When the product was first introduced, it was named “Rowntree Chocolate Crisp,“ and two years later, it was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp. In 1949, the name was simplified to just Kit Kat, removing the words “Chocolate Crisp.“

3. The wafer chocolate bar was launched just before World War II. During the war, some ingredients had to be substituted, resulting in a less tasty bar. However, once the war ended, Kit Kat returned to its original recipe and packaging. This was a prosperous time for Kit Kat as sales had declined significantly during the war.

4. The shortage of milk during World War II led to the switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate for Kit Kat. It was also during this time that the wrapper color changed from red to blue, and “chocolate crisp“ was removed from the name.

5. Television became a new advertising medium, albeit an expensive one. Not everyone could afford a television, but over time, as prices dropped and became more accessible to the working class, it became an excellent way for Rowntree to promote Kit Kat to its target audience. In 1957, the slogan “have a break, have a Kit Kat“ was introduced alongside television commercials. This slogan encouraged people to associate Kit Kat with taking a break from work. It was also marketed as an ideal snack to enjoy with tea or coffee during lunch breaks.

6. Kit Kat became Rowntree’s best-selling product within two years of its launch. In 1988, Rowntree was acquired by Nestle, who are still the current owners of Kit Kat in most countries. In the United States, Kit Kat is produced by the confectionery company Reese’s. Nestle agreed to keep the ingredients and production of Kit Kat the same as when it was first introduced.

7. The idea of using wafers as a filling was to reduce production costs and offer an affordable chocolate bar. If the bar had been made entirely of solid chocolate, the production costs would have been much higher. This was mainly due to cocoa beans being more expensive than biscuit wafers.

8. Changing the size of Kit Kat allowed Nestle to sell the same beloved product while offering a slight variation. This prompted those who regularly purchased the original Kit Kat to try the new size.

9. The first flavored variation of Kit Kat was released in 1996, with an orange flavor. Since 2000, over 200 different Kit Kat flavors have been introduced, with the majority being released in Japan. These flavors include wasabi, sake, matcha tea, miso soup, soy sauce, and Tokyo banana.

In the future, when you buy a Kit Kat bar, you’ll already know its fascinating history.