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Now there’s a delicious vegetable and two more fruit flavours to add to our Pocky collection.

When we think of Japanese sweets, one of the first things that comes to mind is the world-famous Pocky range. Since their initial release back in 1966, the chocolate-covered biscuit sticks have been hugely popular for half a century, and with their unusual package designs, occasional heart-shaped cross-sections, and flavours ranging from cheesecake to champagne, there’s always a huge demand for Pocky in Japan.

For those travelling around the country, there are even more exciting Pocky flavours to discover, thanks to their “gotochi” range of regional-exclusive releases. Just like Japanese Kit Kats, these special Pocky flavours showcase regional delicacies from around the country and come in specially designed boxed packets that make them ideal for using as souvenirs for friends and colleagues back home.

Now there are three new regional Pocky flavours to look forward to on our travels, and with a number of very special ingredients, they’re set to be every bit as delicious as they look on their packaging.

First up is the Satonishiki Cherry, which will be available in the Tohoku region (Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures). Yamagata produces over 70 percent of all the cherries in Japan, and their main variety is the well-known Satonishiki, which has a good balance of acidity and sweetness. Containing six percent cherry juice, these Pocky are said to have a refreshing flavour that’s both sweet and tart at the same time.

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Next is the Amaou Strawberry, which is limited to sale in the Kyushu region. The capital of Kyushu, Fukuoka, is famous for the amaou strawberry, which gets its name from the words “amai” (sweet), “marui” (round), “ookii” (large), and “umai” (delicious). These strawberries usually come with a high price tag, and with this Pocky containing seven percent real juice, this is a luxurious variety that anyone would be happy to receive.

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Rounding out the collection is a vegetable flavour called the Gorojima Kintoki, from the Hokuriku region, which includes the four prefectures of Ishikawa, Toyama, Fukui and Niigata. Gorojima Kintoki is a type of sweet potato known for its exceptional sweetness, which makes it a perfect choice when it comes to making desserts and sweets. This Pocky contains eight percent sweet potato, and is said to have a sweet, rich flavour.

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While these new Pocky are limited to sale at souvenir stores in their respective regions, they’ll also be available at shops in the duty free areas of major airports around the country. On sale from 24 January, each box will contain 15 individually wrapped giant-sized Pocky and will retail for approximately 1,000 yen (US$8.83).

Source: Glico
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