Have a break...have a Kit Kat sushi

What originally started out as an April Fool’s Day joke last year, now appears to have become reality.

Kit Kat obsessives in Japan claim there have been more than 300 varieties of the four-fingered snack to hit the shelves since 2000, with the sushi offering now available at the new Kit Kat Chocolatory Shop in Ginza, Tokyo.

The concoctions come in three flavours, all inspired by classic sushi types: tuna, sea urchin and egg.

The tuna version is made of raspberry Kit Kat’s on puffed white chocolate rice, the sea urchin flavour uses Hokkaido Melon and mascarpone cheese Kit Kats wrapped in seaweed, and the egg sushi is a pumpkin pudding-flavoured Kit Kat with puffed white chocolate-covered rice.

According to Nestlé Japan’s Miki Kanoh, the Kit Kat sushi will only be available until February 14 as a bonus for customers who spend at least JPY3,000 (US$2.65).

The new Ginza branch is the ninth chocolatory. Nestlé says it will feature more luxurious services, in keeping with Tokyo's smartest neighbourhood. 

A cafe is also planned to open next month and cutsomers will also be able to create their own original KitKats using the toppings of their choice.

More news from Japan...​

Japan and FAO underline commitment to eliminating hunger and collaborating on nutrition projects​

Japan underlined its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including those to eliminate hunger by 2030, during a recent high-level delegation to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries sent a number of senior officials to the meeting, one of a series aimed at crafting a strategic plan for further advancing the partnership between the country and the UN organisation.

The broader Japanese delegation underscored the increasingly geopolitical nature of assuring food security and putting agriculture on a sustainable and responsible footing in an era of globalization and border-hopping challenges such as climate change.

Along with being the second largest donor to FAO's regular budget after the US, it also boosts FAO's resources for work on the Codex Alimentarius - the world's food safety guidelines - as well as capacity-building efforts to help developing countries assess their vulnerability to climate stress, South-South cooperation initiatives sharing Japanese rice-growing and aquaculture techniques with African nations.

Japanese officials were briefed on nutrition initiatives in Africa, various developments in the fisheries and forestry sectors, as well as on FAO's work in linking smallholder farmers to commercial markets, its partnership strategy with the private sector, and on the guidelines for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems​.

The visitors also discussed FAO's Strategic Framework and 2018-21 Medium Term Plan and the results-based management of the Organization's current activities.

FAO said it was keen to boost awareness in Japan of its work and pledged to translate more publications, notably annual benchmark editions of the State of Food and Agriculture​ and the State of Food Insecurity​ as part of an effort to deepen engagement with Japanese media as well as universities and research institutions.

DuPont to launch new baking solutions in Japan​

DuPont will launch its POWERSoft and POWERFresh range of bakery enzyme products at MOBAC 2017 in Osaka later this month.

These products “provide a powerful cost effective solution, boosting indulgence appeal in cakes and keeping the softness and resilience of fresh-baked bread longer,”​ said the company.

Based on G4-amylases, DuPont says the POWERSoft cake enzyme product has a significantly more potent effect than traditional anti-staling enzymes.

“Cakes made with this enzyme range are moister, softer and less crumbly from the moment they leave the oven, elevating the overall texture and mouthfeel and giving a perception of enhanced freshness,”​ said DuPont.

Meanwhile the POWERFresh range uses the proprietary G4 amylase technology to improve softness throughout the shelf life.

The event takes place from February 22 to 25.