Bye bye Pepero Day….see ya next year!

Leana @ Flickr

Pepero hangover anyone? So it’s the day after Pepero Day and I am sure most people are feeling pretty gross  right about now.  Yesterday was a particularly special Pepero Day because it is 2011. Meaning it is the first time in a century that the calendar  has read 11/11/11.  This relates to Pepero because the holiday is always on November 11th due to the number one’s resemblance to a Pepero stick……. or is it a Pepero stick’s resemblance to the number one? ………Anyway

My first encounter with Pepero was not with actual Pepero at all but the original version known as Pocky. Pocky is Japanese Pepero so to speak.  I was 10 years old and my family was hosting a Japanese high school student for the year. Her mother always sent her care packages and in them were all kinds of wonderful things including my very own kimono which I still have.  There are many different types of Pocky including salad-flavored which was my favorite.

The second time was actually in Korea when I received a shiny green box with a welcome note from a co-worker on Pepero Day last year. I didn’t understand the whole point of that day until I realized there really wasn’t a point. But who needs a thing like that when you are getting free cookie sticks dipped in chocolate?

Japan may have been the first  to manufacture this yumminess but Pepero Day itself is all Korea.  Some say it was started by a group of school girls, others think it was just a brilliant marketing scheme even though the Lotte company denies having anything to do with it’s beginnings. Either way it became a huge hit in South Korea and it’s the time of year when more than half of Pepero’s yearly sales are made. The company that manufactures Pocky in Japan have tried a similar tactic with “Pocky Day” but it’s been slow to catch on.

There is also a European version called Mikado which leaves me to wonder “Where the hell is my North American version?” I picture the Mexican kind dipped in chocolate mixed with Chili powder,  the Canadian version with maple syrup and so on.  Seriously! It could be great and someone needs to get on this. Do it for the kids!

It seems there is a kind of Pepero to suit all tastes except obviously  for those weirdos who don’t like chocolate. (I’m talking to you dad)  So lets run down the different kinds:

Original: Simple idea. Simple execution. You’ve got your chocolate and you’ve got your cookie – a classic combination.

With Almonds: Pepero to the next level.  Unsurprisingly the next step in the Pepero evolution happened by adding little bits of almonds. Go nuts!

Chocolate inside: I’m not a huge Pepero fan but if I was I would stick with this one. The outside of this one is more like a pretzel than a cookie and the inside is chocolate-filled. You can’t go wrong.

Then of course you’ve got your super sized Pepero and your fake bakery Pepero like this.

That's a big one!

Well whether you stuffed your face with Pepero or stayed away it’s a fun excuse to eat chocolate and don’t worry if you didnt get any…..there’s always next year.

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