You’ll never guess what a Kit Kat ‘piece’ is actually called (2024)
(NEXSTAR) – The lyrics to the decades-old Kit Kat jingle would suggest that each individual chocolate-covered Kit Kat wafer is known as a “piece.”
But strictly speaking, that’s not the official term.
“The standard bars consist of four pieces, called fingers, and each finger can be snapped from the bar as an individual piece,” the Hershey Company writes of Kit Kat on the brand’s official website.
Though it may seem like an interesting choice, the term “finger” isn’t an altogether uncommon term for a rectangular or oblong treat. Ladyfingers, for instance, are a common ingredient in cakes or tiramisu, and the Keebler Company has long produced a brand of sandwich cookie known as Vienna Fingers. Even some companies that produce shortbread cookies or snack cakes call their products “fingers.”
What’s more unique about Kit Kat, however, is that “finger” rarely appears in the bar’s marketing materials or packaging.
Even in 1937, when U.K. candy company Rowntree’s renamed its signature candy to “Kit Kat” (the bar was previously known as Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp upon its debut in 1935), the package advertised “4 big chocolate wafers” rather than fingers, according to wrappers obtained by CollectingCandy.com.
Kit Kat bars sold in the U.S. in later decades — the ‘50s through the early ‘70s — more readily embraced the term “finger” on their wrappers, the site’s photos appear to show.
A representative for Hershey, which produces Kit Kat for the U.S. market, was not immediately available to clarify when the term “finger” was adopted, or dropped, from marketing materials. But Nestlé — which owns the Kit Kat brand throughout the rest of the world — appears to be using “finger” much more often in its online product descriptions. (Nestlé’s website, too, is more forthcoming about the origin of the name Kit Kat, explaining that it was derived from the nickname of a man named Christopher Catling, or “Kit Cat,” who started “an 18th century Whig literary club.”)
Even upon the Kit Kat’s 75th anniversary in 2010, Nestlé proudly used “fingers” in a press release, despite terms such as “bars” or “candies” being equally appropriate — and perhaps a little less silly.
“[Kit Kat]was born 75 years ago this month,” Nestlé wrote in 2010. “Since that momentous day in 1935, Kit Kat® has firmly established itself in British culture, spreading its chocolate fingers far and wide … sold in more countries than any other chocolate brand.”
You'll never guess what a Kit Kat 'piece' is actually called
“The standard bars consist of four pieces, called fingers, and each finger can be snapped from the bar as an individual piece,” the Hershey Company writes of Kit Kat on the brand's official website.
The KIT KAT® candy bar dates back to 1935 when the wafer crisp chocolate bar was launched in England. Originally, it was known as “Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp,” but in 1937 the candy bar was renamed as "KIT KAT® Chocolate Crisp".
During JWT's early work with the brand, the idea of associating the Kit Kat bar with the enjoyment of a short break from the working day also began to develop. The first use of the tagline 'Have a Break.Have a Kit Kat', written by the agency's Donald Gilles, can be traced to May 1957.
"To clarify, the 'chocolayer' — the filling between the wafer of a Kit Kat — is made from cocoa liquor, sugar and a small amount of re-worked Kit Kat," a Nestlé U.K. spokesperson confirmed, adding, "Please note, re-worked Kit Kat is product which cannot be sold."
This surprising popularity comes in part from the Japanese name for Kit-Kats: kitto kato (キットカット). This name closely resembles the phrase kitto katsutoo (きっと勝つとぉ), meaning 'you shall surely win'. In Japanese, kitto mean 'surely' or 'certainly' and katsu means 'to win'.
Fry & Sons and currently manufactured by Cadbury. Launched in 1866—nineteen years after Fry's created the first moulded, solid chocolate eating bar (in 1847)— Fry's Chocolate Cream is the first mass-produced chocolate bar and is the world's oldest chocolate bar brand.
However, Nestle also says that the “name first appeared on a boxed assortment of chocolates that Rowntree's made during the 1920s.” That name officially came from an 18th century Whig literary club titled after a man named Christopher Catling—or Kit Cat. It sounds like that might be the real origin of the Kit Kat name!
Instead Nestle Rowntree is replacing the iconic statement with: "Make the most of your break." KitKat's famous tagline was first used with the chocolate bar's debut television advert in 1957, but will disappear when the new catchphrase is introduced in a £5m campaign starting next month.
Tear the pack, break off a finger, snap in half, enjoy. Everyone knows that's how it's done. So, if you're one of the people out there that have been taking a giant bite out of all four fingers, or nibbling off the chocolate layers, KITKAT is actually OK with it, as long as you're taking a break to enjoy it.
Have you noticed Kit Kat chocolate bars are a bit smaller? You're not imagining it. Nestle has confirmed the iconic chocolate is the latest victim of “shrinkflation”. Shrinkflation is when a product gets smaller in size but its price remains the same - or sometimes even increases.
In the US, Kit Kat is sold by Hershey. In the rest of the world, Nestlé's in charge. That means different flavors across the globe, and different recipes — even two versions of a dark chocolate Kit Kat, Hershey's and Nestlé's, don't taste the same.
The standard bars consist of two or four pieces composed of three layers of wafer, separated and covered by an outer layer of chocolate. Each finger can be snapped from the bar separately. There are many flavours of Kit Kat, including milk, white, and dark chocolate.
It's a chocolate-covered wafer (or possibly just chocolate). But did you ever wonder what's inside the wafer? As it turns out, every break of a Kit Kat bar is its own little Kit Kat-ception. The wafers are filled with other Kit Kats.
After speculation as to why KitKat Canada would ask Canadians to take a break from KitKat instead of taking a break with KitKat, the brand revealed that the pause from its own bars was in order to usher in the launch of its newest product: KitKat Pops.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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