Pocky (and Pocky-like snacks)

[tennesseespice]

After reading this thread I had to get some Pocky - I'm a pocky virgin. Sadly there are no Japanese markets in East Tennessee so I ordered two boxes from asiafoods.com - almond crush and cafe au lait. I loved the sight that Jason recommended, otakugrocery.com, but alas, they are out of Pocky G, Men's Pocky and they're no longer listing the orange chocolate. Next stop, jbox.com.

In the meantime....happily anticipating my postal pocky package.....

[Sleepy_Dragon]

About the 'Men's Pocky'- I think it's just because lots of Japanese men don't really have a sweet tooth. Pocky and other sweets are mostly consumed by women and kids (and even then, it's the girl kids who eat the most sweets). So in an effort to capture a larger audience they made a Pocky that was more bitter and less sweet, that men would supposedly like. MY Japanese man likes it just fine, but prefers the normal sweet ones, especially strawberry, white chocolate, and the new mousse types (with a fatter, more 'moussy' coating).

I had thought it was because the men are pressured into giving up sweets once they hit their teenaged years because it was considered unmanly. But, the coffee or dark chocolate ones are considered manly enough to eat. Is this the case, Hiroyuki?

Also remember an episode of Ranma 1/2 where Ranma in girl form was gobbling up a parfait in front of Akane, who asked (paraphrasing) "You never had parfait before?", and Ranma said "Guys don't eat this, but when I'm a girl it doesn't count." And from then on he uses his "ability" to gender-change as an excuse to scarf sweets.

Anyway, I like Men's Pocky the best as well. I can eat an entire box of that, whereas the classic Pocky in the red box is a bit too sweet for me; a couple sticks of that and I'm good for the day.

Pat

Edited May 31, 2004 by Sleepy_Dragon (log)

[Hiroyuki]

I had thought it was because the men are pressured into giving up sweets once they hit their teenaged years because it was considered unmanly. But, the coffee or dark chocolate ones are considered manly enough to eat. Is this the case, Hiroyuki?

Oops! You called me... I have kept my mouth shut on this issue for fear of offending some men...

You are about right.

Generally speaking, pocky is for women in their teens and early twenties, at least in Japan. (Don't argue with me; I said "Generally speaking".)

EDIT:

After rereading Sleeppy_Dragon's post, I found that I had misinterpreted it. I think I'll submit another post later.

Edited May 31, 2004 by Hiroyuki (log)

[LittleMissCrepe]

I had no idea there was such a wide world of Pocky varieties out there - I ate nothing but the plain chocolate version when I was younger and now I'm feeling a little bit cheated! I moved to Argentina nine months ago and there's not much Pocky here, but I haven't given up hope yet - you'd be surprised what random imported products make their way over here.

I think I saw Beer Pocky once at a grocery store. Did I hallucinate this?

[Hiroyuki]

About the 'Men's Pocky'- I think it's just because lots of Japanese men don't really have a sweet tooth. Pocky and other sweets are mostly consumed by women and kids (and even then, it's the girl kids who eat the most sweets). So in an effort to capture a larger audience they made a Pocky that was more bitter and less sweet, that men would supposedly like. MY Japanese man likes it just fine, but prefers the normal sweet ones, especially strawberry, white chocolate, and the new mousse types (with a fatter, more 'moussy' coating).

I had thought it was because the men are pressured into giving up sweets once they hit their teenaged years because it was considered unmanly. But, the coffee or dark chocolate ones are considered manly enough to eat. Is this the case, Hiroyuki?

In Japanese, we have these words, ama-toh 甘党 and kara-toh 辛党.

Definitions:

ama-toh: someone who likes to eat sweet things ("someone who has a sweet tooth" in English)

kara-toh: someone who likes to drink alcohol

What I find silly about these words is that some Japanese believe that there is a clear distinction between ama-toh and kara-toh. Thus, a Japanese may say something like this:

You said you were a kara-toh, but you like sweets, too!

I myself like to eat sweets including almost all kinds of Pocky, and I like drinking, too.

But it's true that, like so many Japanese men, I cannot order a parfait when I go to a cafe alone and I hesitate to go to an ice cream shop alone.

NOTE: Some Japanese think that kara-toh refers to someone who likes to eat hot (spicy) foods, but this is not correct usage.

[Sleepy_Dragon]

NOTE: Some Japanese think that kara-toh refers to someone who likes to eat hot (spicy) foods, but this is not correct usage.

Interesting. The kanji for kara is the same though, for karatou (person who likes alcohol) and karai (hot/spicy). Why is that?

I really should figure out how to input kanji and kana with this PC at some point.

Pat

[Hiroyuki]

I really should figure out how to input kanji and kana with this PC at some point.

That's simple.

辛い karai has two meanings, hot (i.e., spicy) and dry (as in dry wine).

***

You mean you can't input them?

Why not install a Japanese character set?

You may find this thread useful:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20825

EDIT:

We usually use the word karakuchi 辛口 rather than 辛い to describe dry sake and wine.

The opposite of karakuchi is amakuchi 甘口.

If you need more information, please post a question in the Japan Forum.

Edited June 1, 2004 by Hiroyuki (log)

[Dryden]

One of the best places in NYC to get Pocky (and Pretz, the sadly neglected savory half-cousin of Pocky) has always been Sunrise Mart on St. Marks Place.

How do I know this? They used to have a sign in the elevator, from Timeout NY, that said (and I swear I am not making this up) "Best Place In New York To Buy Pocky Award Winner". I planned to steal the sign for the longest time - sadly, someone beat me to it.

It's funny how you can have a huge discussion with a complete stranger just by mentioning Pocky in public. It's sort of a secret Japanese snack food code word...

[FunJohnny]

For those in DC Metro-land, Eden at 7 Corners has the chocolate ones (probably many other Vietnamese groceries in the area do as well). My daughter loves them (too much!). Didn't know there are so many other varieties. Hmmm -- should I let her know?

[theminx]

I can't remember where I first heard of Pocky, possibly the Iron Chef list I'm on, but I bought my first supply from jsnacks.com when they were an actual snack vendor. I think my husband and I tried men's, coconut, and almond crush, along with a variety of other strange and wonderful Japanese snacks, and was hooked. Then I found that Han Ah Reum has a decent selection and so I am happy to buy locally now (Baltimore).

We usually run through our Pocky supply pretty quickly, but we have a box of Giant Pocky languishing in the cupboard. There's just not enough chocolate in proportion to the too-dry cookie, which reminds me of a non-salty Pepperidge Farm Goldfish cracker (yuk).

We're most fond of the almond crush and men's Pocky, but find Pumpkin to be pretty tasty as well. I love Pretz too, especially in the Corn and Chocolate flavors. Shrimp Pretz was kinda bland. Pancake flavor was ok.

.....polishing off the last stick of Strawberry Decorer Pocky that I packed in my lunch and wishing I had a few squares of Meltykiss.....

[Randi]

After whining for weeks that "I want Pocky!" I found Pocky at Wegman's (thanks =Mark!) and I bought the Mousse Pocky (very American packaging) - not a Japanese character to be found on the box! Also bought Almond Crush and box of Tomato Pretz.

I cracked open the Mousse Pocky and yummmm! Even better than I expected. I've yet to try the others.

Also bought an unusual looking bag of Japanese "mixed nuts" which really only seemed to have peanuts but included ingredients like cuttlefish, seaweed, wasabi and shrimp. I bought it 'cause I liked the picture on the pouch.

We'll see how THAT tastes. Might be a mistake, but for about 3 bucks I was willing to experiment.

[jhlurie]

The precise mix of English and Japanese on the Pocky boxes I buy has always puzzled me. There's always a locally printed "Nutrition Facts"/Ingredients label, in English, slapped across the back to comply with U.S. law, and the part printed on the actual box (above that and under this label) are always in Japanese. But the front, top, bottom, and side panels (which like the back part, minus the slapped on "Nutrition" label, are permanently part of the box) are always in a MIX of English and Japanese.

The Pocky G box, for example, has ALL English on the front, top, and bottom, and all Japanese on the side and back panels. The "Chocolat Orange" Pocky has English and Japanese both on the front, although the English is a larger font, all English on the top and bottom panels, but all Japanese on the back. Normally I'd guess it might have something to do with which importer/distributor was used, except that the contribution of the distributors seems to be what's on the "Nutrition Facts" label which is added later (the Pocky G box was distributed by Nishimoto Trading Co., Kobe--with no U.S. address, while the Chocolat Orange came from Hadson[Toko] Trading Co., with an address in Maspeth, N.Y.).

[torakris]

The precise mix of English and Japanese on the Pocky boxes I buy has always puzzled me. There's always a locally printed "Nutrition Facts"/Ingredients label, in English, slapped across the back to comply with U.S. law, and the part printed on the actual box (above that and under this label) are always in Japanese. But the front, top, bottom, and side panels (which like the back part, minus the slapped on "Nutrition" label, are permanently part of the box) are always in a MIX of English and Japanese.

The Pocky G box, for example, has ALL English on the front, top, and bottom, and all Japanese on the side and back panels. The "Chocolat Orange" Pocky has English and Japanese both on the front, although the English is a larger font, all English on the top and bottom panels, but all Japanese on the back. Normally I'd guess it might have something to do with which importer/distributor was used, except that the contribution of the distributors seems to be what's on the "Nutrition Facts" label which is added later (the Pocky G box was distributed by Nishimoto Trading Co., Kobe--with no U.S. address, while the Chocolat Orange came from Hadson[Toko] Trading Co., with an address in Maspeth, N.Y.).

I will have to take a look at the Pocky boxes again, but I am pretty sure the ones in Japan also have a lot of English on them.....

A lot of things (not just food) have more English than Japanese sometimes...

[jhlurie]

Okay, you know HOW MUCH English? On the Pocky G box, as well as the ENTIRE front being English, even the little printed instruction on the side telling you where to tear open the box is in English. "Open", with a little arrow. But again, the entire back is in Japanese and the "distributor" for that box is the one in Kobe, not the one in New York.

They all seem to have Western-style bar codes too. Are the bar codes in Japan consistently the same style as in the west?

[Jason Perlow]

I woke up from my afternoon nap in a cold sweat from a nightmare of a hundred chimpanzees chasing me through the Pretz factory, throwing boxes of Corn Pretz and Salad Pretz at me. There were people running in horror everywhere, except for the Pocky Girls, dressed in sailor suits, with their hands covering their mouths laughing at me.

Thanks. I just needed to say that.

[torakris]

I don't have any pocky at the moment but I do have box of pretz.

The front says

おいしさと健康 (deliciousness and health)

Glico

PRETZ

salad

あさり塩味 (light salt flavor)

サラダ (salad)

2 packs

(プレッツェル) (pretzel)

one ones ide it says

open (in English)

and the other side has a bar code (similar to American ones)

[torakris]

Since this is expanded to include all Pocky like snacks, I will share oneof my other favorites. Koeda from Morinaga:

http://www.morinaga.co.jp/chocolates/index.html

you need to click on the first choice under menu (小枝), the varities shown include milkc chocolate, black cocoa, chestnut, and chai.

Their newest flavor, cookies and cream can be found here:

http://www.morinaga.co.jp/newprod/index.html

[Randi]

Well, I finally opened the box of Tomato Pretz and my first bite had me thinking "wow - much more flavorful than I expected!" But subsequent bites left me with the taste of boullion...and an aftertaste that hung around way too long.

I also mentioned that I had bought a bag of Kasugai Roasted Mix Nuts and I was pleasantly surprised! The only nuts in the mix were peanuts but they were colorfully engulfed in various sweet and savory coatings. There was a spinkling of wasabi peas too.

I know they aren't pocky-like but they were on the shelf next to the pocky! I was also so tempted to just buy some of the other nifty-looking snacks but was wondering if there is already (or should be) a topic reviewing international snack foods for the uninitiated (i.e. me). And I am sorry to come across "US-Centric" and assume international is non-U.S.

One other note - the almond crush pocky I bought has a very strong coffee fragrance and flavor but there is no coffee on the ingredient list. Very curious!

[Yuki]

I tried a pack of Banana Pocky yesterday and it is not bad. The artifical banana taste is acceptable but a bit too sweet.

I WANT MY CHOCOLATE BANANA POCKY.

[torakris]

I also mentioned that I had bought a bag of Kasugai Roasted Mix Nuts and I was pleasantly surprised! The only nuts in the mix were peanuts but they were colorfully engulfed in various sweet and savory coatings. There was a spinkling of wasabi peas too.

I know they aren't pocky-like but they were on the shelf next to the pocky! I was also so tempted to just buy some of the other nifty-looking snacks but was wondering if there is already (or should be) a topic reviewing international snack foods for the uninitiated (i.e. me). And I am sorry to come across "US-Centric" and assume international is non-U.S.

Randi , there is a thread on other Japanese snacks in the Japan Forum:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=20372&st=0

[jhlurie]

So walking through my neighborhood Korean grocery (the much discussed Northern New Jersey landmark Han Ah Reum) I noticed a new endcap display with some Pocky-like snacks I'd never seen before. At 79 cents a box, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

Dig the freaky artwork on those boxes!

Haitai "Friend" is actually a fairly pleasant surprise. It's about the same taste profile as Mousse Pocky, and a fraction of the cost (Mousse Pocky, as a comparison, is about $2.50 in the same store for a similar portion).

The Black/Chocolate Flavor is decent--not overwhelmingly sweet, with kind of a creamy Chocolate Mousse taste. The Orange Flavor is a step better. It's got a weird but effective taste combination--both buttery and slightly "floral". The White Flavor is the standout. It's far better, in my opinion, than White Mousse Pocky, and it's got an extremely rich, buttery taste, and one of the best "finishes" of any Pocky or Pocky-like cookie I've ever had.

The "cookie" portion of all three flavors was fairly identical--a very neutral slightly fluffy (yet crispy) cookie, with maybe a miniscule amount of cocoa powder in it.

Cookies, close up.

The ingredient lists of all three cookies are pretty much identical, although the proportions seem to be different in the White variety (Skim Milk and Whole Milk Powder move to the head of the ingredient list with that variety). Basically, we've got: Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Powder, Cocoa Butter, White Sugar, Wheat Flour, Shortening, Skim Milk Powder and Whole Milk Powder.

Check out the back of these boxes (well one of them... following is the back of "Orange"). I can't tell if you are supposed to send the box intact to a friend--with this backing to address it--or if you are simply supposed to cut this out and use it as a handy-dandy artsy post card. Maybe it's a cultural difference thing, but I can't imagine sending a cookie-based postcard to someone. Maybe you are simply supposed to cut them out and collect them. I don't know.

Haitai "Friend", Orange Flavor - Back

[jhlurie]

Question: Has anyone tried "Milk and Hot Chocolate Pretz?" I'm intrigued by the idea.

[Yuki]

Question: Has anyone tried "Milk and Hot Chocolate Pretz?" I'm intrigued by the idea.

I tried them and they tasted kind of like weak chocolate milk. Not enough chocolate taste in them.

[torakris]

I was wandering the aisles of the local supermarket yesterday when I stumbled across these

the left one is a mousse pocky in royal milk tea flavor and the one on the right is from their decore series with a combination of chcolate and caramel.

my oldest daughter and I ate the caramel ones yesterday and wow were they good!!

[Jensen]

Check out the back of these boxes (well one of them... following is the back of "Orange").  I can't tell if you are supposed to send the box intact to a friend--with this backing to address it--or if you are simply supposed to cut this out and use it as a handy-dandy artsy post card.  Maybe it's a cultural difference thing, but I can't imagine sending a cookie-based postcard to someone.  Maybe you are simply supposed to cut them out and collect them.  I don't know.

Haitai "Friend", Orange Flavor - Back

←

I would definitely send that as a postcard to a friend. What a cool idea!

(Disclaimer: I have been known to use restaurant feedback cards as postcards as well.)