Ever get hit with a nostalgic craving for the tooth-shattering Kiwi classic that is the K Bar, only to find you can’t actually track one down?

One curious cat recently took to the New Zealand subreddit to solve the mystery of the missing Whittaker’s K Bar, and in doing so, answered a question many of us have quietly accepted and moved on from.

“Each year I come back to New Zealand crave the experience of ripping my fillings out by chewing delicious toffee K-Bars,” he wrote. 

“But could never find them, even though the Whittaker's website said they still made them.”

After years of searching and asking “every candy store from Kaitaia to Dunedin,” the breakthrough finally came at the candy store inside Riverside Market in Christchurch. 

Victory, at last.

So why are they so rare? According to the Redditor, the machine that makes K Bars is over 100 years old. It cannot be properly fixed, because the parts are also over 100 years old. As a result, Whittaker’s only makes two batches of K Bars a year.

“I may have called Whittakers,” he added. 

Like anything you read on an internet forum, take this information with a grain of salt. 

Inflation has also done its thing, the price rising from the original 20c to a “whopping $2 per bar and a $400 dental appointment immediately after". 

"Worth every penny". 

Commenters were a mix of no FOMO whatsoever, hard-hitting nostalgia, or traumatic memories of a sore tooth (or two, or three… or four). 

“I used to eat them as a kid, but no way would I risk my teeth with them now. Good luck!” said one - fair call. 

“The only lolly from the school canteen that you got a special dispensation to still be chewing when you went back to class after lunch,” commented another, which is so true. 

“Whittakers - please put up a video of the 100-year-old K Bar machine in action, I'd watch the hell out of that,” was a very relatable comment. 

And the most devastating news of all: “It looks like they recently discontinued the other flavours. I miss my Lime K Bar.” 

Can confirm, they only have raspberry and blackberry flavours shown on their website.

Honestly, knowing how much effort goes into making them makes snapping a tooth feel almost respectful.