What Japanese snack first sold in 1966 consists of coated biscuit sticks? Pocky is the Japanese snack first sold in 1966 that consists of coated biscuit sticks.
Produced by the Japanese food company Ezaki Glico, Pocky combines a slender baked biscuit with a coating, most famously chocolate. The coating usually leaves a small portion of the stick uncovered, making it easier to hold without getting chocolate on the fingers. Its simple stick shape helped distinguish it from ordinary cookies and chocolate bars.
The name is linked to the Japanese onomatopoeic word “pokkin,” associated with the crisp cracking sound made when the snack is bitten. The original chocolate version was followed by an almond-coated variant in 1971 and a strawberry coating in 1977.
Pocky is often confused with Pretz, another Glico stick snack. Pretz is generally savory and does not have the same sweet coating. Yan Yan is a separate snack consisting of biscuit sticks paired with a dipping cream, while Hi-Chew is a chewy fruit candy rather than a biscuit product.