Candy coated breadsticks are a staple of the Asian snack industry and the Pocky brand is the most well known. From green tea chocolate flavour to almond coated, the only limit is in which tastes are exported out of country for consumers to taste. Not every flavour has been made available, and what I found in Japan ages ago took a year or two before I can find it in North America.

When Fairway Market started carrying Pepero (by Lotte), I felt torn. There were flavours I wanted to try from this South Korean brand but I was loyal to Pocky. The choice simply boils down to just that and eventually I’d had to try. As for which tastes better, the difference is hardly noticeable. It’s more of a consumer choice.

When comparing almond crunch between the two brands, I’m still undecided. The almond and chocolate wins just by a hair, and that’s mostly because the dipping process doesn’t skimp on making the stick look like it’s been through the vat of nuts twice and then re-coated. Some months later, after finding a few seasonal flavours–like sakura matcha–I’m back to leaning towards Glico to get my breadstick needs on.

Whenever the craving for either kicks in, I can hop, skip and jump my way to the local grocers and stock up. One box is not enough for me or when I’m entertaining. I need at least six! Price wise, the Korean version is cheaper and it’s not a reflection on the quality of the product.