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

By Entrepreneur Staff

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

Wavy Line
Entrepreneur Staff

Entrepreneur Staff

Editor

Editor's Pick

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Marketing

The Rise of Nano-Influencers: How the Smallest Voices are Making the Biggest Impact

The bigger an influencer is, the more beneficial it is for a brand to collaborate with them, right? Not necessarily.

Business News

Woman Goes Viral For Brow-Raising Email Signature About Working Moms: 'Everyone Is Feeling This'

The email signature was created in response to pressure to answer emails within 24 hours.

Business News

'I'm Not a Very Good Businessman': Kevin Costner Is Risking a Ton of His Own Money on New Project

The "Yellowstone" star discussed how he bankrolled his new epic movies — and his accountant isn't happy.

Management

Which Hiring Strategy Is Right for Your Startup? My Experience Says This One

Startup businesses face a unique environment when it comes to adding the talent it needs during their earliest stages of operations, and every hiring decision is critically important to get right the first time.

Management

5 Easy Things You Can Do to Boost Company Morale

Little things add up over time — Here's what you can do to make someone's day a little better in the workplace.