Product Code Database
is a Japanese sweet [[snack food]] produced by the [[Ezaki Glico]] food company. Pocky was first sold in 1966, and was invented by Yoshiaki Koma. It consists of coated [[biscuit]] sticks. It was named after the Japanese onomatopoeic word ポッキリ, which is supposed to resemble the sound of the snack being cracked.
The original chocolate-coated Pocky was followed by an almond-coated variant in 1971, and a strawberry coating in 1977. Today, the product line includes variations in the flavored coatings, such as milk, mousse, matcha (green tea), honey, banana, cookies and cream, strawberry and coconut, and themed products such as "Decorer Pocky", with colorful decorative stripes in the coating, and "Men's Pocky", a mature dark (bittersweet) chocolate version.
Other variations include Pocky G (marketed as being "hard and rich"), Giant Pocky (strawberry- and chocolate-flavored; each box contains 20 individually wrapped sticks with real dried strawberry; each stick is about 10" long, and about three times the diameter of a normal Pocky stick), Giant Dream Pocky (box of 20 individually wrapped 10" sticks; each stick is in one of the five featured flavors of melon, grape, green tea, strawberry or standard chocolate), Sakura Pocky (limited edition that is part of the Luxury Chocolatier sub-group; each stick is coated with pink cherry blossom essenced chocolate sprinkled with a bit of salt), Reverse Pocky (cracker on the outside with the filling in the middle), Fortune-Telling Pocky (each stick contains a "fortune"), and Pocky Cake (a literal cake shaped to look like a Pocky stick. Each cake contains, according to its packaging, , chocolate cream, orange peel, and an Italian cake batter).
Pretz, also made by Ezaki Glico, is an unglazed version of Pocky, featuring flavors like tomato, pizza, and salad, as well as sweet flavors such as cocoa and French toast.
In Europe, Pocky is produced under license by Mondelēz International and sold under the name " Mikado" in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "Mikado" can be found at most supermarkets and many international food stores. The name comes from the game of the same name. It is played with thin & long sticks, hence the name. In Turkey, Pocky is produced by Ülker and Şölen, under Biskrem Bi'stik and Biscolata Stix name.
In the United States and Canada, Pocky can be found in Asian supermarkets and the international section of most large supermarkets; such retailers include World Market, H-E-B, Wegmans, Kroger, Jungle Jim's International Market, Costco, Walmart (in the Asian foods aisle), some Target stores, some Walgreens, Meijer, Fiesta Mart, Barnes & Noble, and anime convention dealers' rooms. In the United States, Pocky is marketed both by LU (in chocolate and peanut butter flavors), and by Ezaki Glico's American division, Ezaki Glico USA Corporation (in chocolate and strawberry flavors).
In Australia and New Zealand, it is usually sold in Asian convenience markets, along with other Asian foods and products. Like the United States and Canada these are also widely available in the international sections on the Asian food aisles of most supermarket chains. Specialty importers also exist in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2020, Pocky was certified by Guinness World Records as the "largest chocolate-coated biscuit brand" after hitting over 500 million dollars in sales in the past year.
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