Asian Sweet of the Week: Pine[apple] Pocky
Reviewed this week: Pine Pocky, imported from Japan by Hadson (Toko) Trading Company in Maspeth, New York.
Pocky has become one of those cult candies like Kit Kat. There are numerous flavor variations and for those dedicated fans, they seek out all the different flavors. The basic concept is a cracker stick coated with flavored chocolate coating. Some varieties include strawberry, chocolate and green tea mousse and those with nut pieces or coconut bits. There have been imitators such as Yan Yan, where the eater dips the cracker stick into the coating.
My first Pocky experience was in the car with my cousins stuck in traffic while trying to get across the George Washington Bridge in New York. We were starving and the only food in the car was some old Roy Rogers fries and some strawberry Pocky. There was enough Pocky for each of us to have a stick. To assuage our hunger we competed to see how slowly we could eat our sticks. Hunger is truly the best seasoning.
Ingredients: wheat flour, sugar, palm oil, lactose, whole milk powder, shortening, pineapple juice powder, salt, soy lecithin, citric acid, monosodium glutamate, sodium bicarbonate, artificial flavor, color with beta carotene
MSG. That was something I never thought would show up in Pocky.
Packaging copy and appearance: Yellow box with a pineapple and the words “pine”, “Pocky” and “pine cream” subheaded underneath. Two packages of Pocky are inside white plastic containers with clear pineapple images and the same wording as on the box.
Tasting Notes: Opening the package there is a tart, acidic scent. There are a few little bumps, which I suppose are meant to suggest pieces of pineapple. The flavor is more similar to fresh pineapple and has a similar tartness and acid burn. The cracker is light and crisp, but not buttery or flavored. The plainness allows the flavor of the coating to come through.
Verdict: This is a different animal from strawberry Pocky. Rather than going the route of creating a creamier product, this attempts to simulate the flavor of fruit. I really liked this flavor and would definitely eat it again. In fact it reignites my interest in trying the strawberry flavor again and seeking out some of the more unique flavors like kiwi mango.
