Last year saw Nestlé Japan release not just new flavours of Kit Kat, but a whole new type of chocolate, with Sublime Ruby chocolate. In their quest to bring us more diverse and unique chocolate, they’ve started 2019 with the release of volcanic chocolate, which is a part of the Kit Kat Sublime range.

So what is volcanic chocolate? Nestlé has collaborated with Firetree Chocolate to source high-quality cocoa beans, and the search for new flavours saw them come across rare types growing on volcanos from small islands. Cocoa beans were taken from the volcanos of Vanuatu (Malakula Island), Papua New Guinea (Karkar Island) and the Philippines (Mindanao Island). The unique magma-like soil the beans are grown on make for a distinct taste. So rare are these cocoa beans that they make up just 0.2% of the world’s chocolate.

Yasumasa Takagi is the chef patissier behind Kit Kat Sublime Volcanic, who oversaw the creation, visiting the islands himself. He described the Sublime Volcanic range as “the taste of the Earth.”

There are three different flavours from the three volcanic islands.

Vanuatu (Malakula Island).
It is described as having an acidity sour and bitter taste.

Papua New Guinea (Karkar Island).
It is described as being light, fresh and fruity.

The Philippines (Mindanao Island).
It is described as having an intense spice to it, as well as a grapefruit and cherry-like flavour.

So how do you get your hands on them? Kit Kat’s new Sublime Volcanic chocolate just went on sale at their Chocolatory stores in Japan and will be available at Nestlé’s online shop from 18 January 2019. A single bar will cost ¥400 (around $3.67 / £2.83).

Alternatively, you can purchase all three flavours, packaged together in a pretty box, for ¥1300 (around $11.90 / £9.20). Or as a box of seven, which also includes a bar of Kit Kat’s Sublime Bitter, Milk, White and Ruby flavours for ¥2600 (around $23.85 / £18.40).

Originally published on MyM Buzz on 17 January 2019.