So Many Pocky

I think Pocky probably ranks as number 2 on my list of candies with the most varieties, number 1 being Kit Kat. You wouldn't imagine that there could be so many varieties of a cookie stick covered in chocolate, but here we are. As of this moment I've reviewed 19 different variety of Pocky, and there are still a few out there I haven't tried, as well as new versions coming out all the time. I can't say that I've loved each and every version, but they have yet to make a real gross out version (like wasabi Kit Kat).

Check out my latest Pock review.

Pocky Being Made

I've never thought about how they make Pocky, but now I've seen it.

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Amazing Candy/Junk Food Things That You Should Buy - Pocky Fashion

This shirt not only supports my love of Japanese candy, but it's really clever too.

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My Favourite Pocky - Part 5 - The Different Stick

All this week we've been posting short blog posts celebrating our favourite Pockys that we've reviewed over the years. Today we're posting our last installment with a variation that we've only seen once with Pocky. Normally the thing that changes about Pocky are the flavour of the chocolate, the ingredients added to the chocolate, or the flavour of the cookie stick. This variant however changed the shape of the stick instead.

The flavour of this Pocky is a standard strawberry flavour, I think this is a flavour they've done a few times with a few subtle differences. This time however they changed the stick, and not in a way you might think. Instead of bending the stick, or turning it into a pretzel or something, they changed the stick from a round stick to a heart shape in the circumference. While I can't say that the idea worked well, it was pretty cool to see them go out on a limb and try something totally different.

I'm a really big fan of Pocky, and it's one of those treats that's become well known for the crazy varieties that are available. It's good to see that this company is willing to play with their classic treat, but it's also great to know that whenever you want, you can always go back to the original.

Click here to read about this fun strawberry Pocky.

As you know we're in Japan, so why not check out our Facebook and Twitter feeds to see what we're up to.

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My Favourite Pocky - Part 4 - My Main Squeeze

Make sure to check out our earlier posts this week where we featured some of our favourite Pockys that we've reviewed in the past. We're in Japan right now, hopefully finding some new Pockys to try. Today's entry is a really interesting Pocky, that's because it's a flavour of candy that you don't really see very often, grape.  Let me clear that up, you do see plenty of hard candies in grape, but you don't often see chocolate based treats in grape, and you certainly don't find too many grape cookies. But that's  not the only thing that makes this Pocky unique.

The flavour itself  was pretty interesting too, it wasn't that fake grape you might expect, it was a slightly tart, slightly more realistic grape. In my opinion, grape is an underused flavour, particularly when you're talking about a real grape flavour. That's what I like about candies like Pocky that keep coming out with different varieties, eventually they get desperate and start to explore flavours that aren't commonly used. Sometimes this ends in a wonderful disaster, but sometimes you get something really interesting. I've said it before, I'd rather try a creative disaster than a sure thing that's boring.

I've seen one other flavour of these Pocky Squeeze treats before, I forget what flavour it was, but I'm hoping to see more. I would be really keen to try this in a raspberry or maybe something interesting like a dragon fruit.

Click here to see what we had to say about this Pocky.

If you want to find out what we're up to in Japan, make sure to follow us  on Twitter and Facebook.

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My Favourite Pocky - Part 3 - Panda Pocky

All this week we're looking back at some of the Pocky we've reviewed in the past, today's Pocky is one that grabbed my attention right on the shelf.  I don't like to admit that I'm a sucker for a package or a gimmick on a candy, but I am. This is probably a perfect example of how a candy company can take a simple premises and turn it into something much more with a clever name and fun package.

What you have here is cookies and cream Pocky. The stick is the same, but they use a white chocolate with cookie bits on the outside. It's a simple idea that's been done a million times in the candy world. The thing that makes this Pocky great however is the cool package. In fact if you check out our Pinterest feed, you'll see that I've made this package the cover image for the "candy I've eaten" section. I love this package so much. It's simple and very clear. I would seriously buy a Panda Pocky t-shirt and wear it every day.

I'm sitting here years after writing the review and I can't for the life of me remember how these tasted, yet I can probably redraw the package from heart. That's how powerful some marketing can be. It's strange that Pocky can be a real hit or miss when it comes to marketing their different varieties. On yesterday's post we saw an example of a really weird marketing idea that even felt a little off putting. Today we're celebrating one of my favourite package designs ever.

Click here to read the review of this really good looking Pocky.

We're in Japan right now, follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out what we're up to.

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My favourite Pocky - Part 2 - Manly Pocky

Remember, all this week we're looking at some of the Pocky varieties that we've already reviewed. We're also in Japan right now, and might be discovering some new ones. Today's Pocky is one of the first varieties of this treat that I'd ever sampled, and it was a little strange.

I've seen a few other candies, and in particular chocolate bars, that have gone with a "for men" campaign. The problem I've had with these candies is I've never actually been around to see the advertising campaign itself that goes with it, which I assume would explain why women can't eat this particular candy. So to me I always see these as being a little sexist. From what I remember about these Pocky, the only difference between these Pocky for men and the regular ones is that the chocolate is dark.

The macho man in me wants to believe that for some reason there's a food that only I, as a man, can handle, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Even more to the point is the fact that most women I know prefer dark chocolate. I would say that the first introductions to dark chocolate, and the appreciation I have for it has come from women. So I really don't understand this variety at all.

Click here to read our review of this sexist Pocky.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook as we search Japan for a Pocky for women.

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My favourite Pocky - Part 1 - Classic Pocky

All this week (while we're in Japan), we're going to look back at our favourite Japanese cookie treat, Pocky.  Pocky has become so popular all over the world that some people might not even know that it got its start in Japan in 1966.  By Japanese standards it's a new candy, it really ushered in a new trend of candy from Japan being distributed all over the world.

The first Pocky we're going to look at is the classic Pocky, the one that started it all. The great thing about this treat is while it's very simple, it really works. Better yet is that they really haven't changed it that much over the years. Even though we'll be looking at different Pockys all week, the classic Pocky has everything that makes this treat great. The thin layer of chocolate and a cookie stick that has probably one of the most unique and satisfying textures of any cookie treat.

This classic treat has become so popular all over the world, that it's started to become manufactured outside of Japan. The good thing is that it seems that the other factories/manufactures are getting it right.. I've had Pocky in a few places around the world, and each version seem to hold up to the standards of the classic Japanese variety.

So all this week we'll be looking at different Pocky treats that we've reviewed (and maybe while we're here in Japan we might find a few new ones to taste), but it's important to note that the origin of all of these varieties is very solid. Not many treats can pull off so many varieties. It takes a simple yet well executed treat to spawn so many great versions.

Click here to read our classic Pocky review (it was one of our first reviews that we posted, so it a little short).

Make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to see if we come across any new Pocky on our Japanese adventure this week.

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It's A New Candy Review with a Bonus Announcement - Pocky "Grape Squeeze"

I'll start off with the new review, it's Pocky. It's actually my 13th Pocky review, which I think is pretty good. It's also not going to be my last Pocky review (I hope). As far as Pocky goes, this one was OK. It certainly wasn't the best Pocky I've ever tried, but it wasn't the worst either. It also wasn't an average Pocky either.

Click here to read our latest Pocky review.

As a bonus, this week we're previewing the opening for an upcoming video project we're working on. It'll be a weekly video show called "Chris's Monday Morning Breakfast Thoughts". In this show I'll give you guys the rundown of what we're going to be posting in the upcoming week, and maybe cover any interesting news stories that have been going around lately.  We're hoping to post it every Monday on our YouTube channel (but we'll probably post it here too).



If you want to keep up with all our new stuff, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

You can also follow us on Patreon to get previews of all our new content before it goes online, as well as our new Friday exclusive Patreon show.

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It's Time To Spread The Love With Today's New Candy Review - Pocky "Strawberry" (with new cookie sticks)

The thing I love most about Valentine's Day is the quality of sweet treats that are exchanged. For the most part you don't have to worry about getting sweet treats that you don't like. This happens for two reasons really. The first is the fact that the person giving you a Valentine's Day treat is likely someone who knows you, and should know what you like. Secondly, most of the traditional Valentine's Day treats are pretty awesome, particularly boxes of chocolates. Unlike Halloween where you really don't know what you're going to get, and Christmas where the selection is never so refined. I think Valentine's Day is the best candy day, particularly for candy snobs like me.

Click here to read about the loving treat we reviewed this week.

If you want to share some love, why not follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

If you're feeling particularly lovely, you can follow us on Google Plus as well.

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It's Time To Review A New Version Of A Classic Snack - Pocky "Almond Taste"

Pocky is one of the most varied snacks in the world. There are hundreds of flavours to choose from, and they're constantly coming up with new ones. Some of the varieties are simple and logical, like this one, and some are crazy and kind of gross. I think huge selection of Pocky comes from the fact that this is a Japanese candy, and Japanese candy makers love to give their candies a new look, almost monthly.

Click here to read about this new variety of Pocky (at least it's new to us).

Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook and share your Pocky collection.

You can also follow us on YouTube, where we post episodes of our vlog and podcast.

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This New Review Is A First For Us... Sort Of - Pocky "Choco Banana Flavour"

The reason it's a first for us is because it's the first time we've ever reviewed a candy twice. The only reason we did the second review is because the candy has changed, in a big way.  I know that candy changes all of the time, sometimes it's advertised as a new and improved version, sometimes the candy companies make slight alterations. When this happens we generally don't re-review the candy, this time however the difference was enough to warrant a new review.

Click here to read the new review for Choco Banana Flavour Pocky.

Are there other candies that you think have changed drastically over the years, let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Also, follow us on Tumblr because it would make us very happy.

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Part 2 Of Our Canada To Asia Candy Review-A-Thon... is a day late

Yup, we've already come across our first technical glitch. It appears the problem may have come about because we're now posting from a different country, or it could be that I pushed too many buttons on our FTP software. Either way our first review-a-thon in Asia has gone wrong, and we've missed a day.  We tried to post a new review yesterday, but it didn't work.  But we got everything back up and running, and we'll likely extend the review-a-thon so we can make sure you get all of the fun content that you deserve.

Click here to read the latest entry in our Canada to Asia review-a-thon.

Click here to follow us on Twitter or Facebook

P.S. We're looking to update the look and feel of Candy Critic in the near future, so if anybody is good at using WordPress, we'd be happy to hear from you.

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Best Variety - Pocky

Each week we're looking at some candies that have spawned many variations.  Last week we  looked at Kit Kat bars, this week we're looking at Japanese classic that's gone nuts with the varieties, Pocky.  Most people consider Pocky to be a fairly new candy on the shelves, however Pocky started in Japan in 1966.  These cookie sticks dipped in chocolate are as tasty as they are simple, but that doesn't mean they can't be complicated.

For most North Americans the classic Pocky with vanilla cookie center dipped in milk chocolate is about all you have.  Step outside of North America and this changes dramatically.  In many Asian countries Pocky varieties are vast, and if you include Pocky's salty cousin Pretz, then it's even more enormous.  It's strange to have such variety with a candy that is so simple, however this might prove the idea that the simplest of treats have the most potential for variation.

As of the writing of this article I've sampled 8 different varieties of Pocky, and two varieties of Pretz.  This is a small sampling of the varieties available, but since I've only visited (or lived  briefly) in countries that specialize in Pocky variety, it's difficult to sample every flavour.  This is true because while Kit Kat seems to focus their varieties in Japan, Pocky has expanded to other Asian countries.  Places like Thailand and China have their own flavours that are exclusive to these places.  Pocky has also had fewer "strange" flavours, and instead seem to focus on simple flavour combinations.

Probably the strangest Pocky flavour that I've ever seen is Pocky for Men.  This flavour is simple in design, dark chocolate with vanilla cookie sticks, but the idea of marketing it as a candy for men is strange, particularly from a North American standpoint.  Most of the other flavours I've sampled or seen are just cookie sticks, either vanilla or chocolate, with some kind of flavoured icing, instead of chocolate.  A few have broken bits of things, such as cookies, glued onto the sticks with the various flavours of icing.  These are generally considered the higher end of Pocky treats, and are marketed as such.

Pretz, also made by Glico, maker of the Pocky, is a salty version with a similar concept.  These are often flavoured with savory spices instead  of sweet. I'm assuming that the word "Pretz" is a play on the word "pretzel". These don't have the variety that I've seen in Pocky, or the following, but are still fairly popular.  These, much like Pocky, also don't come in many "strange" flavours.  Most of them are based on popular savory spice and food combinations.

I'm not certain that  we'll ever see the variety of Pocky in North America that there is in Asia, particularly since Pocky is a fairly new treat in these areas.  In some cases you can find varieties of Pocky at specialty stores, and I've even seen Pretz at grocery stores. I just don't know if they'll ever become a classic treat, like they are in Asia.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Star Wars Light Saber Pocky - Glico - It's both of my nerdy loves combined into one crunchy sweet treat. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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It's Our First Wednesday Japanese Candy Review!!!

We've decided that every Wednesday we're going to post a new Japanese candy review.  It all started with our friends at oyatsucafe.com offering to send us a bunch of great treats to review.  Then they also added that they'll give each of our readers that orders from them a discount by simply putting the word "candycritic" in the discount box when you order.  So for the next little while we'll be sampling a lot of fun Japanese candy, if you want to try some yourself, head over to oyatsucafe.com, pick some up, and get a discount while you're at it.

Click here to read our first special Wednesday Japanese Candy Review... I think we have to come up with a better name than that.

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Part 3 of the Variety Review-A-Thon!

Last week I talked about Pocky being one of the most successful Asian candies in the world. I've found out that Pocky is even manufactured on other continents than just Asia.  That's a big deal for a candy, that's when you know you're a global favorite.  The thing about Pocky that I'd like to see, is varieties of Pocky based off of the tastes of places other than Asia.  Right now, all of the varieties of Pocky are based on flavours that are popular in Asia.  I want to know how South America, Europe, and North America would flavour their Pocky.

Click hear to read our Blueberry Pocky review.

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Candy Varieties - Pocky

How do you know if you're a commercial success in the candy world?  One of the ways is that your treat will spawn different varieties. A variety, in this sense, is when a treat is released featuring a different flavour, an added ingredient, or a different size.  It's basically when the "classic" version of a bar is changed and released as something new.  Some brands have started to expand their "varieties" into new heights, and spawned dozens of different versions.  All this week I'm going to feature some of the treats that have released so many versions of their treats that the original might even be forgotten.

Pocky is probably the latest candy sensation to to become a classic treat. It's a very simple concept, cookie sticks covered in chocolate, but it works very well.  This treat started as being a popular Asian import, and now it's made all over the world, and, as you can see, comes in many varieties.

- Best Variety
I don't often credit fake strawberry flavours as being the "best" of anything, but this is that one time.  The truth about Pocky, I've tasted a few different varieties, but none has even come close to the original.  In fact, in the case of Pocky, most of the varieties kind of stink.

- Worst Variety
It wasn't hard picking the worst type of Pocky, as I said above they've had a few failure, and fake banana flavour pushes this variety over the top.

- Most Creative Variety
I'm not sure why I picked Men's Pocky as the most creative variety, probably because I really didn't understand what the marketing angle is. That's actually one of my favourite things about eating foreign treats, my complete lack of understanding.

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Greatest Treats You May Have Never Tried - Pocky

There are many different treats to be found, all over the world.  Each corner has their own idea of what's good, and it can vary a great deal.  The thing is, many of these treats aren't available everywhere.  In fact, some treats are only available in a very small area of the world.  Some of these hard to find treats are treats you really shouldn't miss as well.  So this week, I'm going to highlight a new treat every day, that I've reviewed, and that I think you should really try... that is if you can find it.

Japanese candy is very hip now a days, and Pocky is pretty much the quintessential Japanese treat.  It's very popular all over the world, it comes in a million varieties (I may not be exaggerating about that), and it's not that freaky.  While I suggest you sample other Japanese treats, if you're a little nervous about eating melon flavoured chocolate, or a slimy fruit treat, Pocky is really the way to go.  You might find yourself becoming addicted to these cookie sticks.

Click here to read our Pocky review.

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Old Time Pocky

I love the way this lady just keeps jumping into situations and not one person is shocked. Going to try this myself and see if anybody punches me in the face.

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