1 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I'm any Rees and I'm 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: Lauren voc Obam, and today we're talking about the kit 3 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: Cat bar, Yeah, which actually is a bar, like a 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:18,480 Speaker 1: place to go and purchase alcohol, and you can buy 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 1: kit Cat martini. But we're actually talking about not that 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: the candy bar, yes, which is also probably a thing 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,360 Speaker 1: now that I think about it. We're talking about the candy, Yes, KitKat, 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: that one the candy. We're also talking about a couple 9 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: of clubs like bars clubs, but that's later. Yeah, that's 10 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:45,160 Speaker 1: later and not as exciting as it might sound, because 11 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: I'm picturing like Brave Lights, everyone's got kick Kat bars 12 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: in your hand. I mean, living it up because kick 13 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: Cats are one of my favorite candies. I've mentioned before. 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: They were one of my fabulous five that I have 15 00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: to find every year at Halloween or else the world 16 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 1: will end. Okay, I have to find them. They can't 17 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,280 Speaker 1: be I can't purchase must I see you. It's the 18 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: only way to satisfy the candy gods. And it's like 19 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: Cabin in the Woods, but with exactly Got You. It's 20 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,279 Speaker 1: exactly like that. Um and I think last year time 21 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: it was all messed up in my head, but I 22 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: think it was like last year or two years ago. 23 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: I went to Japan and um, I went out of 24 00:01:25,360 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: my way to go find the kit Cat store because, 25 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 1: as a lot of you probably know, and as we're 26 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: going to talk about, kickats are very popular in Japan. 27 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: They are, they are, And you brought me back some 28 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: amazing flavors of kit cats. I still have some like 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: squirreled away in my desk and like when I'm when 30 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 1: I really need like a pick me up, I'm just like, yes, 31 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,639 Speaker 1: I should eat one of these when you need a break, 32 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: When I need a break. Oh, we're terrible. Um. And 33 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: there was this place that had a Kitcat cuissant in 34 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: Japan and oh what was it? What was it? Like? 35 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: It was croissant and then just smushed up kid cats 36 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: in the center. Wow that's okay, I'm going to be 37 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: like dreaming of that now. Yeah. Yeah, I definitely took 38 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: a long route to find one, but I did. Um. 39 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: And if you're wondering why we're talking about kay cats, 40 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: although a lot of our episodes would give no real 41 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: reason zero, because it's kind of a way to celebrate 42 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: Lunar New Year, um, which the official start date is 43 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,519 Speaker 1: February five, I believe, and it's the year of the Pig. Yeah. Yeah, cool. 44 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: But all of this brings us to our question, Okay cats, 45 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: what are they? Well? Kit cats are a chocolate based confection. 46 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: They consist of a three wafer cookie stack with a 47 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: cream filling between the wafers, and the whole stack is 48 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: dredged in chocolate. Each coated stack is about the size 49 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: of like a skinny squared off human finger, and the 50 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: flavor of the wafers and filling and coding can vary. 51 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: But the piece de resists about this candy is that 52 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: those fingers are almost always connected along their long ends 53 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,639 Speaker 1: in groups of twos or fours by a base, sort 54 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: of like the sole of a shoe. If your shoes 55 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: were both connected to each other by a single soul, 56 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: that would be difficult. But follow with me here. Yeah, 57 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: instead of Rubbert's chocolate coating, so you can break the 58 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: pieces off individually. M yeah, there you go. You can 59 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: share them that way or nibble on each little bar individually, 60 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: and the result is an airy, crispy, crunchy confection that 61 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: is sweet and rich without feeling too heavy. Yeah, and 62 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: brace yourself for those next part, folks. The cream filling 63 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: in the layers between the wafers, which the brand by 64 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: the way, calls the choco layer, is made partially of 65 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: ground up kit Cat bars. My god, what monstrosity. It 66 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: seems that someone at some point realized that broken or 67 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: otherwise unsellable bars could be put to use in the filling, 68 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: along with some sugar and cocoa liqueur. That makes sense, Yeah, 69 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: since save some money, don't waste. Yeah, totally right. I'm 70 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: behind that. Some factories also have separate processes to dispose 71 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: of other waste product. For example, wafers that aren't up 72 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: to stuff might go to local farms as animal feed, 73 00:04:20,360 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: and kit cats are made by baking off large sheets 74 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: of wafer in a process that does include yeast by 75 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: the way. The wafer sheets are then dredged in cream 76 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 1: and stacked and dredged and stacked, and then cut, dropped 77 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: into molds that are already partially filled with chocolate, and 78 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: then topped or bottomed I guess with more chocolate to 79 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: form that chee soul kind of situation. M in the 80 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: University of Manchester did some fun imaging science around Easter 81 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: of a bunch of different chocolate candies, and they found 82 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: that the chocolate to wafer stuff ratio in a Kitcat 83 00:04:53,680 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: bar is fifty huh okay, yeah, and the researchers. The 84 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: researchers commented that the wafer structure is similar to rock 85 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: layers that are being studied for petroleum oil and gas extraction. 86 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: Kit Cats not being so cool. The shape of each finger, 87 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: by the way, is called a pyramidal frustum, a k a. 88 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:22,160 Speaker 1: A pyramid with the pointy top lopped off. Pyramidal frustra. 89 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: I think that that is a character in Silent Hill. 90 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: That's his scientific name. Oh my goodness it Okay. We're 91 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: learning things, discovering secrets, making our own secrets, pyramidal secrets. 92 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:41,600 Speaker 1: I like pyramidal secrets. But what about the name kit 93 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: Cat not pyramidal secrets. Pyramidal Secrets should be a show. 94 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna throw that out there. Absolutely. Yeah. It's 95 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: a new podcast coming into you from my Heart Media. 96 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: It's just gonna be bunch of random facts about pyramids. 97 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: I think people will tune in. I would just out 98 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: of like this exists, I'll listen to it. Okay, But yes, 99 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,679 Speaker 1: the name of kid Cats, so we have actually a lot. 100 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: This name has many, many, many possible origin stories, yes, 101 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: but the one that you come across the most often 102 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: claims that it traces back to a seventeen century literary 103 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: club based in London. That this club met at a 104 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: pie shop owned by pastry chef Christopher Catling, so it's 105 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:36,800 Speaker 1: a contraction of his name, the kit Cat Club. This 106 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:42,040 Speaker 1: pie shop served mutton pies called kit Cats or possibly not. 107 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: We will get into that more in our history section. 108 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: And the name we do know is a part of 109 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:51,359 Speaker 1: why this candy is such a big deal in Japan. 110 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,520 Speaker 1: It is close to a Japanese phrase for Shirley win 111 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: or sure to win or you will surely win. Yeah. 112 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 1: Handing them like kick Cats out to students before exams 113 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: is a common practice, and some of them even have 114 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,160 Speaker 1: this like little thought bubble yeah, where you can write 115 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: a little message yeah, I love it yeah. And they're 116 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: a popular gift. Japan makes a lot of regional varieties 117 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 1: for tourists, like Japanese tourists to bring home a small presence. 118 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: They come in different shapes to like maple leaves or 119 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 1: mount Fuji, stuff like that. And I ran an account 120 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: of a golden trophy handed out to Kickcat Japan's marketing 121 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 1: manager shaped like a kick cat. Yeah, as Annie said, 122 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: are kind of alluded to earlier. There are boutiques devoted 123 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: to kick cats in Japan. They're called Chocolate Tories, and 124 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 1: from New York Times magazine, these places quote resemble high 125 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: end shoe stores. A single ingot to a silky peel 126 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: away sheath, stacked in slim boxes and tucked inside ultra 127 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: smooth opening doors, which a well dressed multi lingual sales 128 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: clerk slides open for you as you browse. Are we 129 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: talking about kick cats? So? I'm not sure. It's a 130 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: beautiful article. By the way, it's called big in Japan. 131 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: Look it up. I love this next fact, and I 132 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,720 Speaker 1: think I'm probably one of the few people that gets 133 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: excited about things like this. Kitcats are manufactured by both 134 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: Nestley and Hershey. Yes, due to a licensing agreement. While 135 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Nestleie owns Kitcat Global, Hershey makes them in the United States. 136 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: Just a fun, a fun side story here. I love 137 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: licensing agreements. And Lauren knows, because you've got you got 138 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: subject to the same thing. Because our our friend um 139 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: Noel Brown of Ridiculous History said they don't want you 140 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: to know. He recently went on a trip to Universal 141 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:43,600 Speaker 1: and he asked me for tips, and I sent him 142 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: pages and pages of stuff, of course, and he was 143 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: asking me about something he said he wanted like too 144 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: when he got back to go out for jinks when 145 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: we could talk about it, and I was like, well, 146 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:57,599 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to let me regale you with a 147 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: fascinating tale of licensing and agreement and why Universal has 148 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: Marvel characters owned by Disney but not in California. Oh oh, 149 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: I can tell you the tale. The listeners are like, no, God, 150 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: please anyway. I I find it fascinating. I love this 151 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: little this little facts. And here's something else I haven't 152 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: really thought about. But of course there is some debate 153 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,440 Speaker 1: around how do you eat a kit cat? It's the 154 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: proper way to eat a kit cat. Do you break 155 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: the fingers and then go one at a time or 156 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,320 Speaker 1: do you fight into multiple fingers at once? To me, 157 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,760 Speaker 1: that's weird. I don't know. Yeah, I to me like 158 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: multiple finger fight. It's like who does that? Exactly? Like 159 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: you have to either, to my mind, be completely unfamiliar 160 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 1: with kit cats or just want to watch the world burn. 161 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: It's the joker and joker and someone who's never eating 162 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 1: a kit cat. Those are the only two. There have 163 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: been a few times y'all have probably seen them. A 164 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: photo of people just having taken a bite out of 165 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,200 Speaker 1: the whole bar have circulated. One time when a lady 166 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: posted this on Twitter of her boyfriend having done that, 167 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:13,079 Speaker 1: like Twitter responded with break up with him? What are 168 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: you doing? Um? No? But really there's an area of 169 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,560 Speaker 1: design philosophy that this pertains to. It's called affordances, and 170 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:25,319 Speaker 1: the idea is that particular forms invite particular actions, like 171 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 1: like buttons afford pushing handles, afford gripping flaps, afford uncovering 172 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: and recovering. And this goes deep, like think about clever 173 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,840 Speaker 1: objects like tupperware that snaps together like legos so that 174 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:38,719 Speaker 1: you can stack it in your cabinets, or so that 175 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:41,400 Speaker 1: it stays together in your backpack. If you look around 176 00:10:41,480 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: you probably every single manufactured product that you see has 177 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: been designed with affordances in mind to to encourage you 178 00:10:49,080 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 1: to use that product in a certain way, or to 179 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: make it easier or more pleasant to use in some way. 180 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: The shape of a kitcap bar affords breaking it into 181 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: fingers like into it of lee. When we see a 182 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: bite taken out across multiple fingers, it feels wrong because 183 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: it's both ignoring the social construct of a kit cat 184 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: bar as we understand it from advertising and marketing, and 185 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: also the like object determinism of the candy because it 186 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: has weak points, it wants you to break those points. 187 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 1: This is deepline. No, oh my gosh. Now I kind 188 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: of want to be a rebel in the whole thing, 189 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: and then the world will be like that girl, hopefully 190 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 1: not that reaction hanging. That's really cool. Um, I'm going 191 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:47,920 Speaker 1: to appreciate that probably when I have a kick kit 192 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:53,839 Speaker 1: immediately after this. But let's talk about some nutrition. I mean, 193 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: it's a candy bar, you know, Okay, One I went 194 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: digging through our like candy bit at the office to 195 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: find a whole bar to to check the nutrition label 196 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,600 Speaker 1: to make sure that my information was completely correct. That's 197 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:09,559 Speaker 1: the only reason, purely for research. One four finger bar 198 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: of D standard United States type, which weighs about one 199 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: point five ounces or forty two grams, contains of your 200 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: daily recommended intake of saturated fat and twenty two grams 201 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: of sugar. I compared it to a standard sized milk 202 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 1: chocolate Hershey's bar, and bizarrely, they're almost nutritionally identical. The 203 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: kit Cat has half as much cholesterol and the Hershey's 204 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:34,160 Speaker 1: has more like vitamin and mineral content. But other than that, 205 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:39,079 Speaker 1: it's basically nutritionally the same. Oh that is surprising, I know, right, 206 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,800 Speaker 1: it's going on kid kat And there are recipes online 207 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: for making your own, usually using butter crackers like club 208 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: crackers you know as the as the wafer layer, which 209 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,959 Speaker 1: I find very fascinating. I think I tried to make 210 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: my own butter fingers once and it was the same. 211 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: It didn't work out. Yeah, let's look at some numbers. 212 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: Kit Cats sales increased by fifty percent between As of a, 213 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: hundred and ninety two million kit Cats are sold in 214 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: the United States every year. In Japan they sell about 215 00:13:18,120 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: four million mini kit cats like two short fingers individually 216 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: wrapped every day, four million a day. Wow. And in Britain, 217 00:13:26,880 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: the company I think it's the most popular chocolate bar 218 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: in Britain and the company says that forty seven kit 219 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: Cats are eaten every minute WHOA. In total, they estimate 220 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: that they sell more than seventeen point six billion fingers 221 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 1: of kit cats per year. It is sold in over 222 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: a hundred countries. And yes, the basic recipe does very 223 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: slightly country to country at different cacao beans, including sometimes 224 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: like fancy pink cocow, different milks for the chocolate, all 225 00:13:54,640 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 1: that kind of noise, and the recipe has changed over 226 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: the years. The current versions are all are and contain 227 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,560 Speaker 1: more sugar than their predecessors, which I learned about because 228 00:14:04,640 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: a thrift or antique store shopkeeper found a twenty two 229 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: year old kick catbar buried in a box of tableware 230 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: that someone dropped off at her shop unearth treasure. I 231 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: know that it could sell or you know, decent amount 232 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 1: five bucks? Ye, who knows in a museum? It's true? 233 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: What am I faking? What's wrong with me? Capitalism? Alright? 234 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: So flavors, Yes, I'm actually surprised at how much differentiation 235 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: I found between the number of different flavors, because I'm 236 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 1: one place I saw on different flavors. In another place, 237 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: I read that Japan alone has over two hundred flavors, 238 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: or maybe three hundred flavors. I think this might have 239 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: to do with like of all time versus yeah or 240 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: like seasonally or yeah, um, but in Japan you can 241 00:14:58,960 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: find sabby red bean green tea, cucumber, watermelon soy sauce, 242 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: which is the most popular flavor, sweet potato college tater. 243 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: I have no idea what that means. I think it 244 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: was like a maybe like a potato chip, Yeah, like 245 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: a pater Chotter potato chip or something. I I know 246 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: that when I was there, I brought back as souvenirs 247 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: with sabby red bean green tea soy sauce. I think 248 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: I think you gave me a sake one. Yeah, oh yeah. 249 00:15:30,200 --> 00:15:33,160 Speaker 1: They was champagne um and sweet potato. That one was 250 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: hard to find. I was determined to find the sweet 251 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: potato one. Um. I think there's specifically the purple sweet potato. 252 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, grape strawberry cheesecake, passion fruit, plum wine, roasted tea, 253 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: macha mo chi, sublime bitter. That's a dark chocolate. Tokyo banana, 254 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 1: which is the other which is popular. Yeah. Yeah, it's 255 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: a little individually wrapped us snack cake that is so good. 256 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: He brought me one of those two, and I was like, 257 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: what ambrosia am I eating right now? I was so surprised. Oh, 258 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: Japanese banana flavor is so much better than yeah banana flavor. 259 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,920 Speaker 1: I don't know what scientists are doing wrong here. It 260 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: was really funny because the name is silly, at least 261 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: to me. Tokyo banana. No, that's I mean, banana's objective. 262 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: And I had never really heard of it, but it 263 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: was everywhere in the airport, like everywhere, so I knew 264 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: it was a big tourist thing. And then as I 265 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: went to the country, people are telling me you need 266 00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: to bring back to Tokyo banana as a souvenir, and 267 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: I kind of shrug, right, and then I'm so glad. Yeah, mmmm, 268 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: I love I wish I had known there was a 269 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: kid gat flavor of Dya banana. I kind of love that. 270 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: And we've talked before on this show. I think it 271 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: was in the Edible Gold episode about some of the 272 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: super fancy expensive ones. According to Exacts, a new flavor 273 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:04,399 Speaker 1: variety takes about six months to develop, and they're not 274 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: always a success, like sports Drink or cough Drop, which 275 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: was kind of a marketing thing because it was meant 276 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: for soccer fans that it would aid their scratchy throats 277 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: after cheering at a game. I feel like maybe I've 278 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: eaten one of those, maybe on maybe on snack stuff 279 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: with Ben Bolin. I know that I ate some kind 280 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: of candy that was meant to be cough drop flavored. 281 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 1: That anyway, cough drop flavor candy. Well. Kit Kat celebrated 282 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: their seventy fifth year in Twin d Titan. So let's 283 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: take a look at some of the history in those 284 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: seventy five years. But first let's take a quick break 285 00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: for a word. I'm a sponsor and we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, 286 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:04,160 Speaker 1: thank you. The history of the kit Cat goes back 287 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:08,439 Speaker 1: to August twenty nine when the first four fingered wafer 288 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: was manufactured in England. This candy, called Round Trees Chocolate Crisp, 289 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: was sold in London and Southeast England for three since 290 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: a piece. They originally aimed to be as part of 291 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: a workers lunch kind of. That's why the shape and 292 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:27,000 Speaker 1: the breaking off from the Round Trees proposal. Quote a 293 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 1: chocolate bar that a man could take to work in 294 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:33,160 Speaker 1: his pack up packed lunch um or as a companion 295 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 1: to a cup of tea. Yeah, like a like a 296 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: tea biscuit shirt. Yeah, And the Round Tree brand went 297 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,920 Speaker 1: way back. It was named after one Henry Isaac Rowntree, 298 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: who opened a grocery store and cocoa foundry in York 299 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,400 Speaker 1: in the mid eighteen hundreds, sometimes after the eighteen sixties, 300 00:18:48,440 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: the company started making chocolates and other candies. Round Trees 301 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: sold chocolates called kit Cats, but they were not what 302 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: we think of as kit cats, and they were quickly 303 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: to continued but back to the chocolate crisp. Two years later, 304 00:19:05,520 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: Round Trees marketing director George Harris decided that candy was 305 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: in need of a rebrand and the name changed to 306 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: kit Cat Chocolate Crisp Um. He had registered kit Cat 307 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: Cat with Kay and kit Cat with a Sea back 308 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,320 Speaker 1: in nineteen eleven. The rebrand also included the first mention 309 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: of break in the copy, and it was inspired by 310 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: taking a break for tea, break off a piece, break 311 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: for tea. Sure, the story of the name here is 312 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: super unclear. I went down a whole rabbit hole. Um, okay, 313 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: here are the facts. In the early seventeen hundreds, there 314 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: was a late sixteen early seventeen hundreds there was a political, 315 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,440 Speaker 1: literary and artistic club in London called the kit Cat 316 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: Club that was made up of the most distinguished and 317 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: influential Whig Party members of the day fighting for the 318 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:59,199 Speaker 1: authority of Parliament over the monarchy. That's that's it for 319 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: the facts, y'all. This is where it gets crazy. Um. 320 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:08,360 Speaker 1: The origin of their name is also super unclear. One 321 00:20:08,480 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: one story goes that the club first met at the 322 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: home or shop of a baker by the name of 323 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: Christopher Cat K A T T or Cat c A 324 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,639 Speaker 1: T or Cat ling Um, and this dude's pies, possibly 325 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: mutton pies, were so popular that they received their own nickname, 326 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: Kit Cats, with Kit being a short form of Christopher. 327 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: Possibly Kit Cat was his nickname first, but the club 328 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 1: ate a lot of these pies, so they adopted it 329 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: as their name too. Or possibly there was a baker 330 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,280 Speaker 1: named Christopher whose last name doesn't matter, but whose shop 331 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: sign displayed a cat in a fiddle, and he was 332 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,760 Speaker 1: called Kit for short, and when the club started hanging 333 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: out there, they dubbed themselves the Kit Cat Club. Or 334 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: maybe it's not of the above. There's an epigram about 335 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: how confusing all of this is that was penned by 336 00:20:57,520 --> 00:21:01,640 Speaker 1: the famed contemporary mathematician and writer John abbeth Not, and 337 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: at some point it was put to music. I'm not 338 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:06,040 Speaker 1: going to sing it because I didn't look up the 339 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,920 Speaker 1: tune and that would be terrible. Um. But but here goes. 340 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: Whence Deathless kit Cat took his name, A few critics 341 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: can unriddle. Some say from pastry cook it came, and 342 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: some from cat and fiddle from no trim bows its 343 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,560 Speaker 1: name it boasts gray Statesman or green wits, but from 344 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: the pell Mill pack of Toasts of Old Cats and 345 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: Young Kids, in which old cats and young kids short 346 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,160 Speaker 1: for kittens seems to refer to old and young ladies, 347 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:37,640 Speaker 1: who were often the subjects of the club's toasts. But yeah, 348 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,919 Speaker 1: dr Abbath not was largely a satirist, so I'm not 349 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,560 Speaker 1: sure that this was meant literally. It's confusing, It's a 350 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:50,040 Speaker 1: whole mess um. However, the name came about. The term 351 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 1: was eventually extended to the size of the portraits that 352 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 1: the club had made of its members. That they were 353 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: done not of the standard like half length pose hips 354 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:01,440 Speaker 1: up or nor the one quarter head and shoulders pose, 355 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: but they were sort of like one third pose waist 356 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: up like, usually seated including an arm in a hand 357 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:13,120 Speaker 1: a table cool kids pose exactly. Um, And maybe this 358 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: was the standard size for their portraits because the club 359 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 1: ceilings were low anyway that the club was really influential, 360 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: and so was the painter, one Sir Godfrey Kneller, and 361 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: I mean like the portraits are still on rotation in 362 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom's National Portrait Gallery. So eventually the name 363 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 1: hit Kat was applied to lots of other things going 364 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: in and out of fashion for for decades and decades. 365 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: Power of the kick Cat. There was also a weekly 366 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: magazine in the eighteen hundreds at of Philadelphia called kit Cat, 367 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: and during the jazz Age, it was the name of 368 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,680 Speaker 1: a popular nightclub in London. Or it could come from 369 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 1: the tagline from Round Trees Wife's sorority keep in Touch, 370 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: Kappa Alpha Theta kick Cat. I'm telling you so many 371 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 1: stories out there about this. I love it. Along comes 372 00:23:01,359 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: that massive transformative event, World War two. A shortage of 373 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 1: ingredients in nWo, namely milk, required a recipe change, switching 374 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: over to dark chocolate, and another packaging change. The wrapper 375 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,560 Speaker 1: color was altered to blue it had been red and 376 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: chocolate crisp was dropped just living kit Kat, and the 377 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: blue packaging was kind of to differentiate it from like 378 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: to make clear this is a different, different product exactly, 379 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,640 Speaker 1: and it came with the message quote, because no milk 380 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: can be obtained for chocolate manufacture, the chocolate crisp you 381 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 1: knew in peacetime can no longer be made, KitKat is 382 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:41,440 Speaker 1: the nearest possible product at the present time. I mean, 383 00:23:41,480 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 1: these days dark chocolate kitcat bars are fancy, that's true. 384 00:23:46,960 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: But during World War Two the British government endorsed the 385 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: kitcat bar as like a cheap and healthy source of 386 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:57,159 Speaker 1: nourishment according to the Guardian, and when the war ended, 387 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: um milk returned to the recipe and the red rapper 388 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: also returned in nineteen nine. The kitcat markets started to 389 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 1: grow during the nineteen fifties, expanding to Australia, New Zealand, 390 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:13,199 Speaker 1: Canada and South Africa, all those good Commonwealth countries exactly. 391 00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: An advertising executive from j w T London, Donald Gillies, 392 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: pins the classic advertising line have a break, have a 393 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: kick Cat. This was in nineteen fifty seven for the 394 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,000 Speaker 1: candies first television ad and the slogan would stick in 395 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: Britain up through two thousand four, when it was replaced 396 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: with a make the most of your break, which, according 397 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:38,000 Speaker 1: to the brand reinforces cats ownership of key snacking occasions. 398 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: He snacking occasion just the most corporate thing I've read 399 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: all day, and I love it. I do love it. 400 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: I I just read the job posting for drivers of 401 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: the oscar Buyer Weenermobile. I didn't let myself read that, 402 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 1: but I got the same email, and I'm really excited 403 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: about reading it later. Maybe we can do like a 404 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: performative reading. We should. Okay, it's going to be really 405 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,360 Speaker 1: hard to get through it without laughing. We are professionals, 406 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:13,440 Speaker 1: we are anyway. Anyway. Another kit Cat innovation comes along 407 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:18,120 Speaker 1: in the sixties with the debut of the two finger multipack. Yeah. 408 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:20,560 Speaker 1: This boosted sales. More and more kit Cats could be 409 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,879 Speaker 1: found in stores and in the homes of consumers. The 410 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: first color television commercial debut in nineteen sixty nine, and 411 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,640 Speaker 1: the company really expanded in the nineteen seventies to places 412 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: outside of the Commonwealth, even what a new factory opened 413 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,880 Speaker 1: in Hamburg, Germany in the nineteen seventies, increasing Europe's kit 414 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 1: Cat market. If we look at the American market, Hershey 415 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,240 Speaker 1: Corporation agreed to license the brand and sell it in 416 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: the United States, an agreement with Japanese company Fujia to 417 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,560 Speaker 1: sell kit Cats in Japan comes along in nineteen seventy three. 418 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,960 Speaker 1: I can't believe that it wasn't the nineteen seventies until 419 00:25:56,119 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: we had kit Cats in America. I mean, not that 420 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: I was like around for the previous time, but it 421 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: just seems like such an American stable. I know, and 422 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:07,680 Speaker 1: this is probably my American exceptionalism, but I thought it 423 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 1: was invented here. Oh yeah, I assumed that everything was 424 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: invented here because I'm terrible. It seemed most like candies 425 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: are I guess that's fair. Yeah, but now that I 426 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: think about it, is it is a very British kind 427 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: of anyway. Yeah. Originally Fujia marketed cats as a distinctively 428 00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: British candy. Early commercials featured like British soldiers taking a 429 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,440 Speaker 1: break with a kick cat bar Oh Lauren, the song 430 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 1: immediately started playing. Oh the song has been in my 431 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: head this whole time. It hasn't stopped. No, you know, 432 00:26:40,480 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: that's the price of doing this episode. The first Panda commercial, 433 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: Grace TV screens in and if you're like me, and 434 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 1: it was sort of this is a big deal. And 435 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: when I saw a picture of it, I do remember 436 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:58,439 Speaker 1: vaguely seeing that panda in conjunction with kick Cats. What 437 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,639 Speaker 1: what was the panda was? Did it is just you know, 438 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:03,239 Speaker 1: was he trying to get a kit Cat bar? Of 439 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: course no, I don't remember. I just remember like images 440 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 1: of the panda and the kit Cat um branding. So 441 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: I do not recall this, but I believe you entirely. Yes, well, 442 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:20,160 Speaker 1: thank you. Uh. Nestle enters the picture in acquiring Round Tree. 443 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,640 Speaker 1: A year later, a nest Lee factory opens in Japan. 444 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:27,359 Speaker 1: Over the next decade, new operations opened in China, Malaysia 445 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:34,240 Speaker 1: and India. In nine the UK introduces the first flavor variant, 446 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: Kit Cat Orange. Three years later, they launched kit Cat Chunky, 447 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,919 Speaker 1: which took off. People loved it. Nick sacs, We're like, 448 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,800 Speaker 1: we've got to get this in all the markets. If 449 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 1: you've never seen one of these, Kit Cat Chunky is 450 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 1: a chunky version of the bar. It's more the size 451 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:54,199 Speaker 1: and shape of like a traditional like like Snickers bar 452 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: or something like that. And uh with with breaks the 453 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:03,480 Speaker 1: short way across rather than you know, really that's blown wild. 454 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: Nestleye buys out the Japanese company manufacturing Kit Cats in 455 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: two thousands, and that year the first Japanese specialty flavor 456 00:28:13,359 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: was developed and sold, strawberry with the milk chocolate coating 457 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 1: tinted pink from dehydrated strawberry juice powder m HM. Around 458 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: the same time, operations opened in Russia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Venezuela. 459 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 1: Kitcat Chunkies spread to Central and Eastern Europe. In two 460 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:35,159 Speaker 1: thousand two, Nestlie attempted to trademark the four finger shape 461 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,240 Speaker 1: of the bar with the European Union, which turned them down, 462 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,760 Speaker 1: saying that consumers do not rely primarily on the bars 463 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:45,160 Speaker 1: shaped to identify it, given that logos and branded packaging 464 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 1: are involved. No trademark for you. They're still appealing the decision, 465 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 1: I think, like the latest rejection was passed down just 466 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: last August. It's generally, by the way, difficult to trademark 467 00:28:55,640 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 1: the shape of products like this, and the legal distinctiveness 468 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: of the shape versus it's mere functionality is pretty much 469 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,280 Speaker 1: decided at the whim of like the individual government human 470 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,960 Speaker 1: who's hearing the case. Also, a Norwegian company sells a 471 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: candy bar in nearly the same shape, and they keep 472 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: arguing against the trademark in these appeals. I love it. 473 00:29:16,040 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: I do too. I want to. I want to see 474 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:22,680 Speaker 1: like an HBO mini series drama, really gritty about trying 475 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: to get the kick Cat par she trademark. It's intense. 476 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:32,640 Speaker 1: It sounds very intense. Going back to that jingle, a 477 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: two thousand three Steady found the Kitcat jingle was one 478 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,120 Speaker 1: of the most common earworms in the United States. I 479 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: believe it. Oh yeah, it's it's something that pops up 480 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:44,320 Speaker 1: in my head like randomly, I'd say, like about once 481 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,040 Speaker 1: a month. Yeah. It's like an inside out where they 482 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 1: she keeps getting that that bubblegum randomly. She gets that 483 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: bubblegum song. Second. Yeah, that in bagel bites. Oh, I 484 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: don't know bagel bites. And I'm pretty sure I don't 485 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: want to. Oh, I'm sure you do. Oh no, the 486 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: super producer Dylan is nodding maniacally. Kit Cat pop Chalk 487 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:10,959 Speaker 1: launched in two thousand five. And these are these are 488 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 1: bags of like these wee little like square fingertip sized 489 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 1: kit Cat pieces. Oh that could give me in some 490 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: serious trouble. Oh yeah, like handfuls. Sure. The following year, 491 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 1: in two thousand six, KitKat introduced Guideline Daily Amounts g 492 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: d a S on the front of their packaging, making 493 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 1: them one of the first companies in the UK and 494 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:34,800 Speaker 1: Ireland to do so. That's a little like basic nutritional information. Yeah, 495 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: it's right there on the top. It's nice. Yeah, it 496 00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:39,160 Speaker 1: was nice. I do I like it. In two thousand seven, 497 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: kit Cat Singles launched in Canada. Those are individually wrapped 498 00:30:43,320 --> 00:30:46,640 Speaker 1: like single fingers. And then in two thous eight, kit 499 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: Cat Senses launched in Canada in Europe, and uh, what 500 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:56,840 Speaker 1: these are boxes of of those individually wrapped single fingers. 501 00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:59,800 Speaker 1: The boxes like fold open into sort of like decorative 502 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,920 Speaker 1: irving bowls, and uh, the bars look like I haven't 503 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: had them, but they look like they're made with slightly 504 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: thicker cookie layers rather than the wafers. And there's still 505 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 1: a stack of three and then a layer of like 506 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: semi solid filling on top. Like they're taller, um, like chocolate, 507 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: hazelnut or salted caramel. So it's a treat for your senses, 508 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: eye your eyes, I suppose. Yeah. In Android named it's 509 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:35,240 Speaker 1: four point four version operating system kit Cat, and in 510 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,959 Speaker 1: her she began building an expansion of its plant in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, 511 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: a sixty million dollar expansion for a new manufacturing line 512 00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: devoted entirely to kit cats or. She stated that they 513 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,800 Speaker 1: think kit Cats will be their next one billion dollar 514 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 1: global brand after Resea's, my other favorite. Before the expansion, 515 00:31:55,880 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: the factory was making two hundred and forty thousand Kit 516 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:03,920 Speaker 1: Cats per day. After it was up to They're also 517 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 1: planning on bringing their strawberry flavor to the United States. 518 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: Oh wow, I guess that's true. We don't really have 519 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 1: other flavor flavors. Uh. Yeah, well that's exciting. It is 520 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: also as at some Kit Cat chocolate tories in Japan, 521 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:26,720 Speaker 1: you can order custom liquid nitrogen cooled Kit Cat confections, 522 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,120 Speaker 1: picking from a variety of base bar flavors and then 523 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:34,320 Speaker 1: weird toppings. Um that they then just like cool with 524 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: liquid nitrogen in front of you. I'm not sure why, 525 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 1: but yeah, they serve you a single finger with toppings 526 00:32:40,240 --> 00:32:43,560 Speaker 1: for something like six or seven bucks apiece. Oh my goodness, 527 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 1: me innovation, Kit Cat innovation. I kind of like you 528 00:32:49,120 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: you were mentioning when describing these I was trying to find. 529 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: I was at a Kyoto train station, which is this enormous, 530 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 1: enormous train station like complex, and I knew there was 531 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: a Kit Cat place in there, and I walked around 532 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: for like over an hour trying to find it. I've 533 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 1: heard that they are troubling to find, yes, and I 534 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,880 Speaker 1: think part of it is this. I was thinking it 535 00:33:15,880 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: would look I don't know, it would be clear this 536 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 1: is the kit Cat place. It kind of looks like 537 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: how I imagine either an upscale like perfume store, like jewelry. 538 00:33:29,320 --> 00:33:32,040 Speaker 1: It has that vibe maybe like like apple or something 539 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: like that. Yeah, it's like all everything in there is 540 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 1: kind of gold, and it's got like a gelato case 541 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 1: kit Cats. And then so like they were mostly women. 542 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:46,800 Speaker 1: They would come up and they would like open this 543 00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: really fancy case and there's a kick Cat and there's 544 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: like a single kid cat on a pillow. Oh man. 545 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: It took me a long time to find it because 546 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 1: I think I walked by it several times didn't realize. Yeah. 547 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: I think they're also frequently paired with because since nest 548 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 1: Lee owns that branch with them with like nest Cafe, 549 00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:10,479 Speaker 1: like like cafe kind of situations. So yeah, and they're 550 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:12,520 Speaker 1: just called I think, like I don't know if they 551 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:14,759 Speaker 1: always have the kit Cat branding on the side. I 552 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,200 Speaker 1: think sometimes it's just called chocolate Tory. I think so. 553 00:34:17,239 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: I don't think it said kit Cat anywhere I found it. 554 00:34:21,920 --> 00:34:26,359 Speaker 1: I'm happy I did. I'm happy that you did too. Yeah, 555 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 1: surprisingly a lot to say about kit cats. I went, 556 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:32,719 Speaker 1: I went real deep on this one, guys, Like I 557 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: was afraid I was never going to resurface. It's like 558 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: it's kid Cat, the one that finally sinks me, Lauren 559 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:42,880 Speaker 1: to just eat kit Cat. Now alone in the corner, 560 00:34:44,120 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: singing the jingle that sounds like a nightmare. Oh well, 561 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,920 Speaker 1: I'm glad that didn't happen to you, Lauren. What if 562 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: it's happening right now? What if I'm still there? Paradox? 563 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: I was hoping this wouldn't happen. We'd better go to 564 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:13,200 Speaker 1: an ad break and then do some listener mail. And 565 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:16,480 Speaker 1: we're back. Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you, and I'm 566 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 1: back from the kit Cat paradox. I think listeners have 567 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:28,840 Speaker 1: no knowing how long you were gone. Oh it's been indulging. 568 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:34,399 Speaker 1: It feels like ages, it does anyway. Anyway, we are 569 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:43,359 Speaker 1: back with listener mail, Listener mail listener. Now. Yeah, yeah, 570 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:47,279 Speaker 1: I apologize to everybody that is in your head. Now 571 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: you're in the same boat with us. Jasmine wrote, I 572 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:57,480 Speaker 1: am an avid ranch hater discussing the dressing, not ranches. 573 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,760 Speaker 1: Probably not, probably not, maybe both? Who knows. The flavor 574 00:36:01,840 --> 00:36:04,800 Speaker 1: is gross and the texture is worse. As you mentioned 575 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: in the podcast, the condiment is very big in the 576 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: South and Midwest. Being from the South, I would see 577 00:36:09,520 --> 00:36:12,319 Speaker 1: other people devour ranch like it was the best thing. Ever. 578 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,839 Speaker 1: It was not until I moved to Missouri, peak midwestern 579 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:18,879 Speaker 1: state that I realized what a huge deal it is. 580 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: I remember my second week of being in St. Louis, 581 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:25,240 Speaker 1: I was told there is a place called Twisted Ranch. 582 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: The entire restaurant dedicated to ranch and it's many variations. 583 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: Every single ite on all caps has ranch in it 584 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: in some form or fashion, and rich flights, much like 585 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:40,239 Speaker 1: beer and wine flights, are available. I have never been, 586 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 1: and we'll never go. But that was all I could 587 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,719 Speaker 1: think about listening to the episode. Yeah, we mentioned that 588 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,760 Speaker 1: in our episode, but I had to include ranch flights 589 00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:53,160 Speaker 1: like that is something that's a whole thing. It is. 590 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,479 Speaker 1: I got you get your garlic ranch you're having there 591 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 1: is got your fireballed of follow it up? Oh. Megan wrote, 592 00:37:05,920 --> 00:37:08,439 Speaker 1: I also dislike ice in my drinks, and the talk 593 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:10,880 Speaker 1: of getting drinks straight up reminded me of an episode 594 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:13,399 Speaker 1: of an old Eliza Douscu show called True Calling. Oh. 595 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,800 Speaker 1: I remember that show that was great, where Eliza's character 596 00:37:15,920 --> 00:37:18,840 Speaker 1: worked in a morgue and repeated days to solve crimes 597 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: like you do. In this episode, five men die at 598 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: a party, so when she goes back, she poses as 599 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,440 Speaker 1: the bartender there. It turns out spoilers, there was a 600 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,319 Speaker 1: sixth man who kept asking for his drinks straight up, 601 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:33,040 Speaker 1: and Aliza figures out it was because he poison into 602 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:35,239 Speaker 1: the ice, and she gets him to confess by telling 603 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 1: him that even though there were no ice cubes in 604 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,839 Speaker 1: the final drink, she did swirl some around to chill 605 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:45,959 Speaker 1: the glass before serving, So he's been poisoned to Oh 606 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:49,640 Speaker 1: that's great. Yeah, I I wanted to include this because 607 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,000 Speaker 1: you ended that episode with all the pop culture kind 608 00:37:54,000 --> 00:38:00,400 Speaker 1: of horror, and this made me think of a game 609 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: I used to be so in love with I've called 610 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 1: Mine Trap. Did you ever play mind Trap? Oh? I remember, 611 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 1: I can picture the logo, but I don't think I 612 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: ever played it. It was basically just riddle game, um, 613 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: and we had it at the place that my family 614 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: would go near beach um and we found it like 615 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:22,680 Speaker 1: it wasn't ours the house, and so on rainy days 616 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 1: we would just play it and um me and my 617 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:30,560 Speaker 1: little brother and my friend Katie, and almost like half 618 00:38:30,640 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: the time the murder weapon was ice. It was almost 619 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: always is related because it would like melt, there's no 620 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:41,919 Speaker 1: proof of it. My friend Katie would get so mad 621 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:45,000 Speaker 1: because she's like, they're just they're making things up. No 622 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,520 Speaker 1: one would ever do this. It's a riddle, Katie. It's 623 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:55,160 Speaker 1: a hypothetical situation. It is. But the teke of Shadow, 624 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:58,600 Speaker 1: you know, he's always getting into some trouble. He was 625 00:38:58,680 --> 00:39:00,600 Speaker 1: the kid like they were character is that showed up 626 00:39:00,640 --> 00:39:06,480 Speaker 1: all the time? Shadow shady you know? Okay, m well, well, 627 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 1: always think about always always consider the ice. When you're 628 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:14,880 Speaker 1: thinking about a mystery, Always consider the ice. It's a great, 629 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,960 Speaker 1: great little slogan, piece of advice. It's a good piece 630 00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:22,920 Speaker 1: to end it on. It is. It is. Thank you 631 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:24,759 Speaker 1: to both of them for writing in. If you would 632 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 1: like to write to us, you can Our email is 633 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: hello at saber pod dot com, or you can find 634 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,359 Speaker 1: us on social media. We are on Twitter, Instagram, and 635 00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:35,279 Speaker 1: Facebook at saver Pod. We do hope to hear from you. 636 00:39:35,719 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: Thank you, as always to our superproducers Dylan Fagan and 637 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: Andrew Howard. Thank you to you for listening, and we 638 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,359 Speaker 1: hope that lots more good things are coming your way.