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Pocky


Pocky (ポッキー, pokkii?) (Japanese pronunciation IPA: /pokːiː/) listen (help·info) is a Japanese snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan. It was first sold in 1965, under the name Chocoteck, and consists of a biscuit stick coated with chocolate. Pocky was an instant hit among Japanese teenagers, and brought in sales of 30 billion yen in its first two years. The name was changed to "Pocky", after the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound Pocky makes when bitten, pokkin (ポッキン). The original was followed by "Almond Pocky" in 1971, with an almond coating, and "Strawberry Pocky" in 1977. Today, the product line includes such variations as milk, mousse, green tea and coconut flavored coatings, and themed products such as "Decorer Pocky", with colorful decorative stripes in the coating, and "Men's Pocky", a dark (bittersweet) chocolate and "mature" version.


Pocky is very popular in Japan. In bars, it is sometimes served in a glass of ice water. It also has a significant presence in other East Asian countries such as China and South Korea. In Europe, Pocky is renamed Mikado after the game Mikado. In the United States and Canada, Pocky can be found in Asian supermarkets (such as Mitsuwa) and the international section of most large supermarkets, such as Wegman's, as well as Wal-Mart Supercenters and anime convention dealers' rooms. In Malaysia, Pocky was renamed as Rocky, perhaps to avoid a vulgar word in Malay with similar pronunciation. Pocky has recently been marketed in America by LU, a company of the Danone Group, although it is also marketed by Ezaki Glico's American division, Ezaki Glico USA Corporation. In Australia, Pocky is usually sold in Japanese convenience markets along with other Japanese foods and products.

Outside of Japan, Pocky is fairly popular among Japanophiles and anime fans. Its constant association with the Engrish phenomenon and the oddness of some of its versions (like the "Men's Pocky" bittersweet flavor), as well as the several Pocky parodies seen on many anime/manga series, contribute to the snack's reputation.


Pocky flavors
Pocky can be found in dozens of varieties. The most popular flavors include chocolate, strawberry, and almond. Some of the more unusual flavors include the seasonal flavors of honey (spring) and kiwifruit mango (summer). There is also the bittersweet version of chocolate Pocky called Men's Pocky. There are also regional flavors of Pocky such as grape (Nagano), yubari melon (Hokkaido), giant mikan (lemony, sold in Kyūshū), powdered tea azuki bean (Kyoto), Kobe wine (Kobe). There are also such flavors as banana, coffee, caramel, marble royal milk tea, melon, milk, cream cheese, berry, sweet potato, coconut, almond crush, pineapple, pumpkin, pizza and hazelnut.

Some other unique Pocky flavors include kurogama (black sesame), kinako (soy bean flour), and green tea, which are popular Asian cuisine items cleverly incorporated into dessert flavours.

Special variations of Pocky include Decorer Pocky (which features extra decorative icing) and Mousse Pocky (which features extra thick, mousse-like icing).

A related product is Pretz, which is a savoury version of Pocky that features flavours like tomato and salad.

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