Popular Pocky Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best
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Pocky sticks have developed a massive fan following over the last five decades. Since launching in 1966, the original biscuit stick dipped in chocolate has spanned the globe. Different flavors have been developed for different countries, making Pocky fans eager to collect and taste all of them from around the world. Of course, it all began in Japan, where Pocky still thrives under the Glico brand, and the majority of the Pocky flavors are available. Here in the U.S., there are five major flavors that can be found almost anywhere snacks are sold. Those five flavors include chocolate, strawberry, chocolate banana, cookies and cream, and matcha. While many of these flavors overlap with offerings from other countries, there are also several variations in flavor depending on where the Pocky was made.
For die-hard Pocky fans, searching out limited-edition flavors and seasonal varieties is the ultimate reward. But we wanted to take a look at some of the most popular flavors of Pocky, that you should be able to find at your local grocery store, international market, or easily online. We cover the five flavors available in the U.S., as well as flavors from Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, and more. If you haven't had Pocky before, or are just curious what all of the fuss is about, read on to see how we ranked 16 different flavors of this popular and enduring Japanese treat.
16. Choco Banana
We weren't really sure what to expect when tasting the Choco Banana Pocky. Is it going to be nice and chocolatey like the classic chocolate Pocky? How strong is the banana flavor? Banana is already such a divisive flavor that it seemed like a surprising offering to an American audience that doesn't often go for banana-flavored treats. Immediately upon opening the package, we noticed the yellow banana-flavored coating isn't unnaturally bright, but a similar yellow to a banana peel. But the scent is less like a fresh banana and more like a banana-flavored Runts candy. Depending on your tastebuds, the banana-flavored Runts were either your favorite or you threw them right in the trash.
The chocolate biscuit stick isn't especially rich, but instead lightly cocoa-flavored. We think a stronger chocolate flavor would balance the banana cream nicely, either in the biscuit stick or drizzled over the cream coating. Generally speaking, if you like banana-flavored things, you'll probably really like these. But the majority of our tasters weren't enamored with the flavor, and a few downright hated it. The taste of the chocolate banana Pocky lingers in your mouth, and about five minutes after you've eaten a handful of them the taste memory of banana pudding shines through, which might be what kept some people munching on this flavor.
15. Double Berry
The Double Berry Pocky comes to us from Hong Kong instead of Japan, but with the same signature fruitiness that we'll come to recognize in most of the fruit-flavored Pocky sticks. Boasting a chocolate coating that's flavored with both blueberry and cranberry, on top of a classic Pocky biscuit stick. The coating is purple-ish and speckled what we assume is pureed blueberry and cranberry. You get a whiff of dark berries when opening the package, although we'd have never known it was supposed to include cranberry if we hadn't looked it up first.
In a blind tasting, we would have guessed that it's blackberry flavored due to the color and the semisweet berry flavor that's just a tad bitter at times. This particular Pocky flavor isn't bad, but in comparison to all of the other flavors Pocky offers, it's probably the one we'd choose to enjoy last. It's not sold in very many stores here in the States, but we were able to easily find it online.
14. Cookies & Cream
The Cookies & Cream Pocky are nice and mild when it comes to the world of Pocky flavors. You can clearly see little chocolate cookie crumbs suspended in the milky-like cream coating. The biscuit stick doesn't claim to be a different flavor than the usual Pocky biscuit sticks on the front of the box, but it's noticeably darker than the classic Pocky biscuit stick. Cocoa powder is listed in the ingredient list, leading us to believe that the biscuit is mildly chocolate-flavored like the biscuit stick of the chocolate banana Pocky. The cream coating doesn't have a hard snap to it like tempered chocolate, but instead a creamy finish that you can easily sink your teeth into. We're guessing that it gets the soft and smooth texture from the vegetable oil and milk powder listed in the ingredients.
The flavor isn't overly sweet, but creamy as promised. Other than the crunch of the biscuit stick and a slight hint of cocoa, it isn't very heavy on the "cookie" part of the cookies and cream description. For those who prefer the cream filling of an Oreo over the cookie, this might be your ideal snack. The relatively imbalanced ratio of cream to cookie flavor isn't a deal-breaker though, because this particular Pocky tastes like it can be enjoyed with anything from coffee to any style of tea, even fruity and floral teas. You'll either love it or leave it, but you certainly won't be offended by this flavor.
13. Mango
Mango Pocky are produced primarily for sale in Thailand but can be found here and there online. Much like the banana and strawberry flavors of Pocky, the very first thing you'll notice about the mango version is the strong fruity smell when opening the bag. Not surprisingly, it's less mango-off-the-tree and more candy-like mango, but it's still delightfully fruity.
The mango candy coating is a muted mango color, not bright orange like the flesh of a ripe mango. It's also a little more subdued than you might expect from the initial smell, but it pairs nicely with the classic Pocky biscuit stick. We weren't blown away by all of the fruit-flavored Pocky options, mostly because they don't naturally taste like the fruits they're flavored after. But they're fun, and we'd still eat one if it was handed to us. There is also a Thai version of the chocolate banana Pocky, that's very similar to the American version, just with a cuter box that's illustrated with a happy little monkey.
12. Matcha
For those who enjoy a fresh cup of matcha, this Pocky will be a nice little snack. It's on the sweeter side, and the matcha has hints of fruitiness, but you can still feel a little graininess from the matcha powder in the cream coating. If you don't take sweetener in your matcha, this might not be very tasty for you, but as far as a matcha flavored dessert goes, it's nice enough.
The biscuit stick is the same as the biscuit used for the classic chocolate and strawberry Pocky. These pocky would even be a worthy addition to a fruit plate or bowl of vanilla ice cream. But if you're looking for some of the health benefits you might find in matcha, you're probably not going to find them here. According to the ingredients list, 1% or less of these particular Pocky actually contain matcha. This flavor of Pocky is the matcha version made for the American market, although we were also able to get our hands on the Japanese version. Read on to see how they compare.
11. Chocolate Coconut
New to the market, Pocky released this iteration of chocolate coconut in the Spring of 2021, with the intention of making it a seasonal product — although Pocky has been re-releasing the chocolate coconut flavor under different branding for years. This particular flavor is made with the classic Pocky biscuit stick, coated in coconut flakes, and then dipped in chocolate. A word of warning though: if you're a fan of the super sweet chocolate coconut candy bars like Almond Joy or Bounty, you may be surprised at the lack of sweetness in this snack. The coconut shards are plain unsweetened dried coconut, that pulls sweet notes from the chocolate coating and toasty notes from the biscuit stick. But if you're already familiar with unsweetened coconut flakes, this particular flavor will be less of a surprise.
Again, this is not one of the five main flavors sold in the U.S., but we had no problem finding it online since it's a popular flavor right now. At the end of the day, we thought this Pocky was nice and appreciated the combination of chocolate and fruit. We liked it better than most of the fruit-flavored options, but not quite as much as many of the chocolate options.
10. Strawberry
A quick smell of the Strawberry Cream Pocky might have you thinking about strawberry-flavored Starburst candies, which is almost exactly what they taste like, but creamier and way more subtle. The bright, slightly synthetic strawberry flavor is balanced out by the creamy cookie coating and the slight butteriness of the biscuit stick itself. The first bite might be a little curious, but if you're anything like us, you'll find yourself eating them one after the other without even thinking about it.
The fruitness of these Pocky will accompany just about anything, including hot chocolate, regular and fruity teas, as well as ice creams and desserts. We'd even give them a chance on a cheeseboard. If it turns out that you really like the strawberry Pocky flavor, you aren't alone. This flavor is available almost anywhere Pocky is sold and comes in three different sizes in the U.S. It's most often found in the 2.47-ounce size but is also available in a smaller 1.41-ounce size for those who want to show a little restraint and a larger 3.81-ounce size for those who might want to share. Pocky has also created a few recipes for you to use your strawberry Pocky with, including a Pocky Strawberry Cake and a Pocky Strawberry Cheesecake. But honestly, these would be perfect to just toss into your bag for a little day hike or a relaxing picnic in the park.
9. ChocoMint
The ChocoMint Pocky is exactly what you think it is, a refreshing combination of chocolate and mint in cookie form. Now, we know that chocolate and mint is a divisive flavor combination, but we're working on the assumption that the person eating this flavor has chosen to do so with excitement. With that in mind, the biscuit stick is chocolate flavored for a chocolatey cookie crunch. The creamy white chocolate coating is mint flavored, which is fragrant when you open the package, but not overwhelming when you bite into it. The ChocoMint Pocky is supposed to reminiscent of a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream, which we get a hint of in every crunchy little bite. It's not extreme mint like a Junior Mint or even a mint-flavored Oreo, but a nice little balance of mint and cookie crunch.
According to the Pocky website, this flavor was also released in the Spring of 2021, so it's still relatively new to the market compared to some of the other flavors that have been around for decades. It's currently still available only in Japan, but of course, there are several retailers online who are offering to ship them overseas.
8. Double Chocolate
It might not be apparent quite yet, but we're pretty big fans of most of the chocolate-flavored Pocky. The Double Chocolate Pocky is just a continuation of the chocolate coating we love on the classic chocolate Pocky, paired with the chocolate-flavored stick also seen with the banana and crunchy strawberry flavors. As if we could be more addicted. While this particular flavor seems to be available in several different countries, the U.S. is not one of them. But like so many things, we were able to easily find a few packs online. The difficulty in finding this particular flavor is the only thing that knocked it down in the rankings. A chocolate Pocky you can easily get is ultimately worth more than a double chocolate Pocky you have trouble laying your hands on when the cravings strike. But if you do manage to find them, we'd suggest stocking up on them.
7. Fukami Matcha
If the Matcha Cream Pocky sticks appeal to you, you're in for a real treat with the Japanese edition Matcha Pocky. Called "fukami matcha" which roughly translates to "dark deep matcha" — these Pocky live up to the name. There are two different types of matcha used for this snack. According to the Pocky website, Uji matcha is used for the biscuit stick, which you'll notice is a subtle shade of green. The second matcha is stone-milled matcha used in the chocolate coating on the Pocky. This version is a little less sweet than the American matcha edition, with an absolutely beautiful and well-rounded smooth matcha flavor.
This particular flavor may be a little more difficult to find since it's not packaged or marketed specifically for a Western audience, but it's still possible to find them online and in international markets. We think the double matcha is worth the effort to find if you can't get enough of this exceptional tea.
6. Pocky Tasty
Pocky Tasty might be one of the most confusing Pocky flavors to try and decipher from the package alone if you can't read Japanese, given that "Tasty" isn't a flavor. On the cover of the box is a pitcher of milk next to what looks like a melted cube of caramel and two stalks of wheat. With that said, it seems like a fairly popular flavor and we were excited to figure out what was going on here. The inside bag offered no additional clues about what we were in for, but upon opening it, we detected hints of milk chocolate and caramel. In a side-by-side visual comparison, the Pocky Tasty could almost be mistaken for the Chocolate Pocky, but after tasting them, the Pocky Tasty have a much lighter milk chocolate flavor boosted with a little caramel sweetness. Our best guess on the biscuit stick was that it's made with whole wheat flour for a more savory flavor.
The website for Pocky Tasty is in Japanese, but a quick Google translate uncovered that these special Pocky are made with cultured butter and whole wheat for a pretzel flavored biscuit stick, as well as milk chocolate and "charred milk", which we imagine is similar to a dulce de leche, for the candy coating. Overall, we thought it lived up to its name and was indeed Tasty. The chocolate is rich and creamy enough to stand up to a good cup of coffee and is a nice afternoon pick-me-up.
5. Ultra Slim Chocolate (Gokuboso)
The Ultra Slim Pocky claims to have everything the classic chocolate Pocky has, just thinner. With nearly identical ingredient lists, we're inclined to believe that they're exactly the same thing, just slimmer, as advertised. But what we really wanted to know was would the change in size result in a chocolate to biscuit stick ratio imbalance? We were relieved to find that the ratio was just as perfect as the original. It's hard to say, but there may even be just slightly more chocolate on each stick, which we certainly don't mind in the least.
The Ultra Slim Pocky isn't advertised on the American website, and is referred to as "Gokuboso" on the Japanese website — translating to "extra fine". But the packaging on the box we picked up was in English and tailored to a Western audience, which is great news for us because we were able to easily find them in several Japanese and Korean-American markets. If you enjoy the flavor of the classic chocolate Pocky and come across a box of the Ultra Slim, we encourage you to pick up a box to try.
Ultimately, we don't think they're better than the chocolate Pocky, but they're certainly cute and make you feel a little fancy while eating something so delicate. Where you may use chocolate Pocky to make a snack board more playful, the Ultra Slim Pocky could easily elevate a coffee hour or dessert spread at a party.
4. Almond Crush
The Almond Crush Pocky is a little bit of a departure from the other Pocky flavors because it's one of the few flavors with almonds in it. It's an especially crunchy treat, with a classic Pocky biscuit stick that's been studded with almond bits and dipped in milk chocolate. Fans of nutty chocolate candy bars will love the Almond Crush Pocky, which we found incredibly satisfying as an after-dinner hit of sweetness and an afternoon bite to hold us over till our next meal. While this is not one of the typical American flavors, we had no trouble finding it at most places that sell Pocky sticks. Depending on where they're being imported from, they may either be in a gold box or a blue box, but both Pockys are the same in this particular case. Unfortunately, because the almond pieces on the sticks make these Pocky a little bulkier, there are fewer Pocky sticks in the Almond Crush box. We found that out the hard way after hastily eating the whole box only to be left wanting more. Think ahead and buy two boxes.
3. Crunchy Strawberry
Pocky's Crunchy Strawberry snack is one of the Pocky flavors that isn't listed on the U.S. website but can still be found in a lot of places that sell Pocky. The package that we got was entirely in English, and at first glance, we weren't sure if it was any different than the Strawberry Cream Pocky. But it is, and we're so glad we doubled back to it. The strawberry cream flavor of the Crunchy Strawberry Pocky is the same candy-like strawberry flavor as the Strawberry Cream. But suspended in the cream are tiny chunks of dehydrated strawberry that provide little bursts of flavor while you munch on each stick. The biscuit stick itself is flavored with cocoa powder for a hint of chocolate to accent the bolder strawberry flavor.
While it doesn't have anything to do with the flavor of the Pocky, we've noticed that the international Pocky snacks are packaged a little differently — and cuter. This Pocky box has a pocket-flap style lid that easily opens. The Pocky inside are split into two different decorative cellophane bags. While most of the domestic Pocky are in plain white cellophane bags, the Crunchy Strawberry are in clear bags that fade into red with adorable strawberry illustrations on them. Ideal for sharing a bag with someone you like. All in all, we fell for the Crunchy Strawberry hard, and if there's ever a choice, this is the strawberry flavored Pocky we'll reach for every time.
2. Chocolate
The chocolate cream Pocky are perfect in their simplicity. The biscuit stick isn't quite a cookie but not quite a pretzel either, but still the perfect vehicle to deliver the creamy chocolatey goodness that each stick is dipped into. For anyone who likes chocolate chip cookies (which we assume is everyone), the chocolate Pocky offers a similar flavor with the same great ratio of chocolate to biscuit. These are the original Pocky launched by the Japanese snack company Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. with very few alterations to the initial production since then. If you've never had a Pocky before, it makes sense to start with the original chocolate cream flavor.
Glico claims to have gotten the name "Pocky" from the "the Japanese onomatopoeia for the snapping sound made while eating these chocolate covered sticks," which you can certainly imagine every time you crunch through a stick. The chocolate itself is the perfect balance of sweet and chocolatey, which we'd consider semi-sweet since it's definitely darker than milk chocolate, but not quite as bitter as dark chocolate.
One of the most noticeable features of all Pocky are the undipped end of the biscuit stick that makes it easy to handle and eat the snacks without getting any of the soft cream coatings on your hands — a feature that's especially valuable on warm days. For the sake of variety, we understand why additional flavor options were added to the Pocky line, but it's hard to top the original.
1. Winter Melty Pocky
We know we said that it would be hard to top the original chocolate Pocky, and that's true. And as far as we can tell, the only thing better than the original is an even creamier and chocolatier Pocky called the Winter Melty Pocky. This Pocky is dipped in chocolate cream, then appears to have been dipped again to achieve a cocoa powder-like matte finish, increasing the overall amount of chocolate on the stick. It isn't any sweeter than the original version, if anything the cocoa powder makes it a touch more bittersweet, but it's an absolute dream.
The biggest issue with this flavor Pocky is that it can be difficult to find. Not only is it not one of the flavors developed for American consumers, but it's also only available seasonally. But don't lose hope! We were able to find the Winter Melty Pocky in several specialty grocery stores, as well as a few places online. If you happen to find them, just go ahead and stock up on them. You don't have to wait for the winter holidays to enjoy them either. One bite of the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate and that's all you need to celebrate. If you're having trouble finding a Pocky flavor you'd like to taste, try this quick Pocky searching hack: See if you can find the Pocky flavor you're looking for on Mercato or Instacart before going out to search in-person. You might be surprised where you actually find them!