Just as surely as people in Japan await the first bloom of cherry blossoms every year, it’s also just as sure that when spring draws near, supermarkets all over Japan start filling up with rows and rows of cherry blossom-inspired products.

In anticipation of this, Glico has released three sakura or cherry blossom-flavored offerings: the Sakura Pocky and the Sakura-Matcha Pocky—season favorites that are making a return this year—and the new Sakura-Matcha Cream Collon.

For those unfamiliar, Pocky is a brand of thin pretzel sticks coated in chocolate. They’ve become very popular not just in Japan, but all over the world. Glico, the company that produces them, has released several unique flavors over the years, such as coffee and cocoa Pocky, sweet sake Pocky, and even one that’s meant to be paired with wine.

This time however, with spring just a few weeks away, Glico has brought back the sakura and sakura-matcha combination flavors for Pocky.

The sakura Pocky has the sweet cherry blossom flavor in both the coating and the pretzel itself. It is also described as being lightly topped with salt, to serve as a contrast to the sweetness of the flavor.

The sakura-matcha combination, on the other hand, has the pretzel made with cherry leaf extract, and the coating made out of Uji Matcha, a type of green tea made in Kyoto that comes with a rich taste.

Lastly, Cream Collon are a type of cream-filled biscuits that are also sold in different flavors. The new sakura-matcha flavor is being marketed as an “adult” version, which in Japan means that the flavor is more refined and is often less sweet. The cream filling itself uses a cherry blossom flavor, while the biscuits are made out of a bittersweet type of matcha.

The Sakura Pocky, Sakura-Matcha Pocky and the Sakura-Matcha Cream Collon snacks are available for a limited time in stores across Japan from January 21, 2020.


By - Jen Laforteza.