Glico Pocky Two-Layer Cacao Chocolate Sticks 2 Packs

Chocolate-coated biscuit sticks with two coatings instead of one: a dense layer first, then a softer whipped layer over the top, so you taste them one after the other. The stick underneath is cocoa rather than plain, and the whole thing is noticeably thicker and heavier in the hand than an ordinary Pocky. Buy it if you want a thicker Pocky with a proper chocolate hit; if you want the light, easy standard red-box Pocky, this is the wrong one.

On the pack: ポッキー2層仕立て＜薫るカカオ＞. The words in the brackets read kaoru kakao and mean "fragrant cacao".

What you're getting

• Some of the cacao is Peruvian, picked for a flowery smell you get before you bite.
• The stick is cocoa, not plain biscuit. It is baked to taste of cocoa on its own, rather than being a neutral thing to carry the chocolate.
• It is thicker than a normal Pocky, and Japanese buyers notice: their reviews reach for words about weight and heft.
• It melts easily, and that is the catch. The outer layer is soft by design. Glico asks for below 28°C, so keep it somewhere cool and never in a hot car.
• Allergens: contains milk, wheat and soy. No ingredient on the list names the soy: it sits inside an ingredient the list does not break down, so this allergen line is the only place it shows. Read the pack's own label before you rely on ours.

"Two-layer" means two coats of chocolate, not two biscuits: the stick itself is single. It is a small box: two sealed bags with a few sticks in each, so treat it as a treat rather than a share pack. It is made to be less sweet, for adults. And it is not sold as a seasonal or limited run.