Pocky
Pocky (Japanese: ポッキー, pokkii) is a snack food produced by the Ezaki Glico Company of Japan. 'Pocky' is usually pronounced to rhyme with 'hockey' in English, but is pronounced more like 'poke-key' in Japanese. The classic form of Pocky 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 its first two years. The name was changed to "Pocky", after the Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound Pocky makes when bit, "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 as "Decorer Pocky", with colorful decorative stripes in the coating, and "Men's Pocky", a bittersweet and "mature" version.
Pocky is as popular in Japan as M&M's candy is in the United States, and also has a significant presence in other East Asian countries such as Korea. In Europe, Pocky is renamed Mikado after the game Mikado. In the United States, Pocky can be found in Asian groceries and the international section of most large supermarkets.
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.
Several other brands, such as "Lucky", "Chocky", "Fran", and the Korean "Pepero" (빼빼로, bbaebbaero), are sold by competing companies.
List of Pocky Flavors
Pocky is sold in dozens of varieties. Here is a list - though incomplete - of many of the different types of Pocky:
- Chocolate (also in Giant and Little sizes)
- Almond Crush (in single- and double-dipped, as well as Cafe au Lait and Anglaise)
- Men's (dark chocolate)
- Marble Royal Milk Tea
- Giant Double Chocolate
- Chocolat Orange
- Pumpkin
- Reverse
- Caramel
- Yogurt
- Strawberry (also in Giant size with dried strawberry)
- Almond
- Coconut (Milk and Chocolate)
- Mango
- Banana
- Choco Banana
- Coconut Milk
- Pudding
- Milk
- Lemon cheesecake
- Pocky G (Chocolate and Berry)
- Decorer - Mont Blanc Chocolate, Strawberry Gateau, Fraise au Chocolat, Chocolat de Caramel, Gateau Chocolat, Bananu Semi-Sucree
- Mousse - Chocolate, Whipped Chocolate, White Chocolate, Strawberry, Green Tea, Black Latte, Blueberry Yogurt, Extra Chocolate, Royal Milk Tea, Mild Chocolate, Azuki (a type of Japanese bean)
- Special Occasion/Seasonal - 2001 (7 kinds of rainbow-colored Pocky in a box), Kuchidoke (pretzel sticks dipped in ganache, sold in winter), Honey (spring), Kiwi Mango (summer)
- Regional - Grape (Nagano), Yubari Melon (Hokkaido), Giant Mikan (lemony, sold in Kyushu), Powdered Tea Azuki Bean (Kyoto), Kobe Wine (Kobe)
- Thanks to www.intothesea.com/PockyShrine/PockyGallery.htm