Why settle for a tiny snack when you can gnaw on one that doubles as a legendary sword?

Confectionery company Morinaga’s chocolate snack Koeda (“Twig”) has had tons of fans over the close to 55 years it has been on sale, with some enjoying the small chocolate twig with a glass of whisky. One such fan is our Japanese language reporter Mr. Sato who adores it for its cute size, about five centimeters (around two inches), and its crunchy texture, which is in stark contrast to Mr. Sato’s usual antics of seeking out abnormally-sized food.

One day, when Mr. Sato was walking through the basement of Tokyo Station, his finely-honed oversized-food senses started tingling, and he discovered something that fundamentally overturned the concept and identity of Koeda as he knew it: the Long Koeda Churro, which is an impressive 40 centimeters in length (close to 16 inches).

▼ That’s no longer a twig, but a full-on branch.

Located in Tokyo Okashi Land, a small collection of confectionery shops within the shopping mall First Avenue Tokyo Station, is a shop called Morinaga no Okashina Okashiyasan (“Morinaga’s Strange Confectionery Shop”). At the storefront, there was a very striking stand showcasing an impressive chocolate rod.

With the impact of the advertisement blowing away any notions his feet had of continuing on their way, Mr. Sato turned into the shop and perused the menu. There is a standard version of the Koeda Churro for 360 yen (US$2.28) at about 20 centimeters (roughly 8 inches), which still seems rather large for something inspired by such a small snack. However, the Long Koeda Churro (650 yen) has turned that absurdity up from the laughing disbelief of “This is supposed to be a twig?!” to the flabbergasted, “Are you sure this isn’t meant for jousting?!”

The system to purchase one of these katana-esque treats is by way of a vending machine, which automatically sends the order to the kitchen.

As it happened, there were no other customers ordering at the time of Mr. Sato’s visit, so he was pretty surprised when his number was called the moment he bought a ticket.

When Mr. Sato went over to the counter to pick it up, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of the real thing. Even though it was wrapped in paper bags at both ends for holding, its presence was overwhelming.

The staff kindly told Mr. Sato to be careful as it breaks easily, but with it being so ridiculously long, there was no real way to be careful. Doing his best to maneuver through the throngs of people that perpetuate the area even on weekdays, he finally managed to find a safe spot to enjoy his purchase.

Looking at it again, it’s really far too long for a churro, and calling it a “twig” is a massive stretch to say the least.

Taking a photo while holding it in front of his face, rather than looking like he was holding a snack, Mr. Sato felt that he had the vibe of a character in a role-playing video game holding a legendary short sword. As time continued to pass, his sense that he was holding a mysterious weapon continued to increase even more.

Not wanting to risk waiting too long and it breaking apart, Mr. Sato took a big bite.

Just as he expected: it was delicious. The outside was generously coated with the almond and chocolate characteristic of Koeda, and perfectly recreated that crunchy texture, which also paired really well with the churro dough inside.

Being so long, it’s very satisfying to eat. Although… about halfway through Mr. Sato came to a realization. It seemed to dawn upon him that he was beginning to understand the feelings of a beaver gnawing on a log.

The Long Koeda Churro is a snack with an impact on a completely different dimension from the typical Koeda that most Japanese people are familiar with, but it’s impressive that Morinaga have managed to make it taste exactly like Koeda despite it being so long.

As it is a limited-quantity and limited-time product, with an undecided end date, interested people shouldn’t hesitate to pay a visit, but even if you miss out you’ll still be able to pick up the standard version. Just try not to snap it, as it truly is easy to break.

Store information
Morinaga no Okashina Okashiyasan / 森永のおかしなおかし屋さん
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Marunouchi 1-chome 9-1, Tokyo-eki Ichibangai
東京都千代田区丸の内1丁目9-1 東京駅一番街
Open: 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Related: First Avenue Tokyo Station
Photos ©SoraNews24
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