This Is The Worst Pocky Flavor, According To Our Taste Test

Created in 1966, the very first Pocky flavor to be released was the simple but delicious chocolate. Today, there are over 50 flavors available and Pocky has had an almost 60-year history, earning its status as a cult-classic snack. With such a wide range of flavors, it's inevitable that one will miss the mark every now and again. In our ranking of a dozen Pocky flavors, the one that unfortunately fell short for us was the salty vanilla.

Upon first inspection, this flavor is coated in a layer of clear crystals which are reasonably assumed to be the salt. After tasting, though, our reviewer determined that the crystals provide no salty flavor whatsoever and are a decorative element more than anything. Unfortunately, this leaves only the simple and uninspiring vanilla cream flavor on the palate. Overall, this Pocky flavor could really benefit from a salty contrast to the plain sweet coating. In a video posted to Hey It's Honeysuckle, cookbook author and YouTuber Dzung Lewis' channel, Lewis actually douses the biscuit stick with a little bit of her own salt, and reports positive results. So, if you're willing to doctor them up a bit, maybe Pocky's salty vanilla sticks are worth a shot, but we recommend swapping them for the coconut Pocky, which landed at the top spot on our ranking.

In 2019, Pocky earned the Guinness World Record for the best-selling chocolate covered biscuit brand on the planet. The treat even has its own day, "Pocky Day," celebrated on November 11 because the numerical date looks like four Pocky sticks lined up. It's a snack loved around the world for its satisfying snap, convenient packaging and design, and the surprising and delightful range of flavors available. The company behind Pocky, Glico, has a long and interesting history of producing Japanese confections. The first product it made debuted in 1921 and was marketed as a healthy caramel with nutritional value. Glico has since produced things like ice cream, chocolate bars, pudding, curry, milk, and more.

Just as versatile as its parent company, Pocky biscuits are more than a delicious treat, as they can be used as an edible substitute for cake pop sticks. They also make the perfect no-waste stir stick for a luxurious latte or hot chocolate, an excellent addition to an ice cream sundae, or a sweet bite on a charcuterie board. Even though the salty vanilla Pocky is a definite skip for us, the humongous selection of flavors available globally means there is truly a Pocky for everyone.