08.20.05
Decorer Pocky (Banane Semi-Sucr’e)
[Editor’s Note: Alessar had me worried about this week’s JSFR since he was on the plate but with no bat (or he hadn’t yet gotten me the review and it was mere hours before the weekend). Fortunately, he found a whole stack of clean unders and got me the review on time…nay, even a little early yet. Yeah, I had to reread the note he wrote since I thought he found the review under his laundry but it was more he found some clean clothes and therefore could write up the review. Anyhow, here’s Alessar who makes a mean cheese tater dish and writes a darned accurate review of these critters. Alessar?]
What can I say about Pocky that hasn’t been said before? What can they DO to pocky that hasn’t been done before?
Enter: DECORER Pocky
*cue theme song sung in a breathy, faux-French manner, in Japanese*
“Pocky are very exciting,
Decorated Pocky tastes especially like cake.
It tastes very good. That’s how it tastes.
Decorated Pocky, Decorated Pocky,
Let me tell you, it tastes like strawberry.
Decorated Pocky tastes especially like cake.
It tastes very good, it tastes very good.
Decorated Pocky, Decorated Pocky”
…
You think I’m making this up? UNH UH!
http://www.glico.co.jp/pocky/cm/decorer1_wm.htm
(or http://www.glico.co.jp/pocky/cm/decorer1_qt.htm if you prefer quicktime)
Decorer Pocky bills itself as the deluxe, delicious and apparently, decadent entry into the line of snack foods. Newer than the commercial linked above, Banana Decorer Pocky is the newest flavor in the line. It’s Pocky for hot Japanese women who dress up in evening gowns and pout for the camera. Apparently.
At the base, we have the standard wheat cracker/cookie stick. The stick here is little thicker than a plainer flavor, about the same thickness as in “mousse” pocky. The stick is dipped in a thick layer of banana flavoring. I have to say, I was disappointed that it was a hardened frosting type layer as is normal in pocky and not some kind of spongy cake layer. In fact, I think the mousse pockey is a puffier frosting coating than this. The flavor is strong, it’s a pretty typical artificial banana, but still tasty. Over top of the banana layer is a delicate drizzle of chocolate. The drizzling is quite appealing and forms a bit of a crosshatch pattern in places so that you can see it’s clearly like icing, not just a typical chocolate coating. This is good; the chocolate has a rich flavor and more would probably overwhelm the banana base. It also has a nice visual appeal as you see the yellow layer underneath the chocolate.
I believe that a lot of the appeal of pocky is that it’s a fun to eat food like an oreo. People like to unscrew the oreo and eat the filling first. Similarly, it’s fun to nibble off the candy coating of Pocky and save the stick for later. Banana Decorer Pocky with its two thick layers of coating is very easy to nibble off the stick. If you don’t nibble it off the stick, the texture of the chocolate icing is very pleasing on the tongue.
Overall, while Banana Decorer pocky fails to live up to the claim on the box of “Just like a decoration cake on a stick!” (and that’s a direct quote off the box in English, folks) it is a visually appealing and tasty treat. The blend of banana and chocolate flavor helps make up for the shortcomings of the banana alone, and the icing texture and cookie crunch deliver a strongly satisfying snacktime experience. I have to say though, the regular pocky jingle rocks more. *cues theme to play the guest reviewer to the exit*
(http://www.glico.co.jp/pocky/cm/pocky1_wm.htm).
Rating
of 4 Wasabi Peas out of a possible 5.
Credits:
Translation of the jingle courtesy Dan’s Horrendous Waste of Bandwidth: http://www.danray.net/2005/03/17/further-japanese-pocky-commercials
Check out Glico’s official website for many many more pocky commercials. Product information for Decorer Pocky is found here: http://www.glico.co.jp/pocky/decorer/index.htm
