7 Things You Didn't Know About Pocky It's Pocky Day, so snap into some tasty facts about this mysterious Japanese treat.

By Dan Bova

Pocky

When it comes to stuffing our faces, we're all for food that does the hard work for us. Enter Pocky, the little biscuit stick that comes pre-dipped in chocolate, strawberry and 50 other flavors we're too lazy to type out.

Chances are you've had this Japanese treat before, but there's a good chance you didn't know what is was called. The 50-year-old brand is making a major push in the United States to change that, selling now in Costco, Target, Walmart and many major supermarkets.

Related: Top 20 Fast-Food Franchises of 2016

The makers of Pocky are making a serious marketing push as well. This fall they unveiled a digital billboard in New York City's Times Square and The Pocky Truck Tour has been zipping around Southern California and San Francisco handing out deliciousness for all. To get you fully prepared for the Pocky invasion, here are some fun facts to crunch into:

  • The name "Pocky" comes from the sound its creators said it makes when you eat it: "Pokkin."
  • When launched in 1966, each individual stick was hand dipped in chocolate before the machines took over.
  • The idea to keep part of the biscuit un-dipped to keep fingers clean came from kushi katsu, a popular Japanese skewered fried pork.
  • Pocky Day began on Nov. 11, 1999. On the Japanese calendar, 1999 is the 11th year of Heisei, so Nov. 11, 1999, translates to 11-11-11. And all those ones look like Pocky sticks. Got it?
  • Pocky holds the Guinness World Record on Twitter as the most-tweeted brand name within a 24-hour period on Nov. 11, 2013 with 3,710,044 tweets.
  • The Pocky truck tour has given out more than 1.5 million boxes of Pocky since it hit the road in 2013.
  • There are more than 50 Pocky flavors, including Strawberry, Chocolate Banana, Cookies and Cream, Green Tea and Almond Crush. Our favorite? Whichever one we're currently chewing.

Related: Smart Cookies--5 Business Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Girl Scouts

Dan Bova

Entrepreneur Staff

VP of Special Projects

Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia ZoneRoad & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little Book of Awesome Stuff, and Wendell the Werewolf

Read his humor column This Should Be Fun if you want to feel better about yourself.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Business News

Apple Is Reportedly Developing AI Smart Glasses to Compete with Meta and Google

Apple's AI glasses are set to launch by the end of next year and will function like Meta's Ray-Bans.

Starting a Business

I Had 'Too Much Experience' to Find a Job. So I Used Facebook to Start a Small Business That's Making About $500,000 a Year.

After Amber Starling moved to Manhattan, Kansas, a frustrating job search led to a life-changing business opportunity.

Growing a Business

How Podcasting Became My Most Powerful Branding Tool (And How to Start Yours)

Podcasting offers a deeper, more personal way to engage audiences while also helping thought leaders grow their influence and network through meaningful guest conversations.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'Continuing to Hire': Duolingo's CEO Clarifies AI Stance After Backlash — Read the Memo

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn said he has already spoken to employees internally but wanted to share the summary with the public.