Pocky (Japanese pronunciation IPA: /pok?i?/) 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. 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.
You Are Banana Pocky
Your attitude: fun and lighthearted
Unique and unforgettable
You are cutie everyone falls for What Flavor Pocky Are You?
