Pepero – Crunchy

Pepero is an alternative to the more popular Pocky. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a bitter rivalry, because that would downplay the dominance that Glico has with Pocky, but Pepero (by Lotte) is competitor no less, even if they are smaller scale overall. I personally would make space for both of them and I don’t think it needs to be a one or the other situation. It’s more about deciding which you feel and on what occasion. Pepero for example, goes a little heavier handed with it’s flavours, whereas Pocky tends to keep it within the chocolate, and colouring within the lines so to speak.

These really are what is essentially a Crunch bar converted into a Pepero flavour. It has a coating of chocolate and little bits of puffed malt or wheat, I’m not entirely sure, and a biscuit stick is shoved into the centre of it. I feel like this is what you get when you want something with a nice crunch, but don’t want to deal with the aftermath after the first bite, like having to get bits hanging around your mouth after having peanuts or almonds.

The flavour is the standard milk chocolate, contrast against the little malt puffs that have a slight hint of savoury flavour to them. The two actually balance each other quite well, and you end up with a well balanced flavour that’s not too sweet. The biscuit is rather plain so it serves to smooth out the experience, like adding milk to a rather strong or astringent tea. It just sort of mellows everything out, but in a good way. I do however prefer the Pocky stick, as this one has a slight flavour and sweetness to it, and I prefer the stick to be more of a texture than anything. But that could just be personal preference.

The texture is indeed very crunchy – the little bits of puffed malt adding a distinct cereal like crunch but also being very light. If you’ve ever had a puffed rice chocolate, you’ll know that this is just like that, and has a very pleasing pop sensation as you bite into them. Something so primal and enjoyable about popping bubbles…

My main feedback on these is similar to what I say about the other flavours – the stick could benefit from a more neutral flavour, and the milk chocolate itself is errs on the sweeter side. Other than that, overall I enjoy these and I would definitely get them again.