While the boys and I were buying Pocky at the corner store, T and his colleagues were using the chocolate-dipped cookie sticks to stir their drinks. He just got back from a "team dinner" which was followed by a two-hour karaoke session (how's that for a Monday night on the job!) during which much shochu was consumed. The Pocky sticks were served right along with the bottles of Japanese vodka, decoratively arranged in brandy snifters (like flowers in a vase) and resting on ice.
There are several wacky Japanese TV commercials for Pocky that you can catch on YouTube. Click HERE to watch one. The ad is only 15 seconds long, so go ahead and click!
Apparently the name Pocky refers to the Japanese onomatopoetic word for the sound you make when you bite into one, pokkin (ポッキン). We used to buy them at Han Market on Clark St. in Brooklyn sometimes. I didn't realize they were so crazy-popular here. The Japanese company Ezaki Glico Co., HQ in Osaka, introduced them in 1965 and they have since gone global. Dozens of flavors have been introduced over the years, including Men's Pocky (?!) which Ze Frank mentions in this highly-unsuitable-for-young-ears episode of The Show: 05-03-06
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment