Answer: No.
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Is Pocky Vegan?
Long story short, vegans cannot have Pocky. Let’s face it, who does not love eating Pocky? This snack food with a coating of absolutely delightful chocolate is something that everybody likes munching on, regardless of age.
What’s more, the company has recently introduced several different flavors for these sticks, such as almond, strawberry, milk, vanilla, etc.
What has kept them famous is their general accessibility and the flavorful blend of crunchy biscuits and soft chocolate.
You might have recently turned vegan. If you are wondering whether you can eat these sticks, your answer is here.
Through this article, you will know the ingredients that go into the making of Pocky, why they are not vegan, and several alternatives for it.
What Goes Inside Pocky?
It is no surprise that these long, cylindrical sticks taste so good, but what exactly is it that makes them that way?
If we look at the history of Pocky, it will take us back to Japan. While it has been remade differently in many countries, the journey of Pocky begins in Japan. Soon enough, the United States, China, and other Asian countries had their own versions of the same.
Pocky has essentially been a part of Japan since almost 1966 and was started by Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. It took the world by storm just months after being introduced in the market and remains quite popular.
You will be surprised to know that ‘Pocky’ is a Japanese onomatopoeia for the sound created when you break one with your teeth.
When it comes to ingredients, Pocky is made from a whole lot of them. After looking at them, you will get your answer to why Pocky is not vegan.
When breaking down the ingredients, you will find that Pocky is made up of wheat flour, chocolate liquor, sugar, a blend of vegetable oils, vegetable oil shortening, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, salt, yeast, diglycerides of fatty acids, and artificial flavors.
Simply put, yes, it does contain certain dairy products and chocolate-based items which aren’t vegan. Therefore, the bad news is that Pocky is not vegan.
Alternatives to Pocky
Here is the best part. Since Pocky is so famous, vegans have started hunting for vegan alternatives to Pocky. These will make sure you stick to being vegan, all the while fulfilling your cravings for Pocky.
Keep in mind that all of these items are made from vegan ingredients, so there is absolutely no harm in stacking up boxes of them inside your shelves. They give your taste buds a treat while also sticking to being vegan.
Pretzel Sticks
If you ask more people for a vegan snack as good as Pocky, they would have no answers. However, we have an excellent alternative for you. Pretzel sticks are something you have been sleeping on all your life.
Generally speaking, all of their ingredients are vegan, and pretzel sticks are extremely easy to procure. Therefore, your replacement for Pocky has officially been discovered.
Both hard and soft pretzels usually do not have milk or eggs in their ingredients, hence being good to go.
If you wish to transform them into your favorite snack, you could also take a step ahead and buy some vegan flavors of dips that would go along quite well with pretzels. This will not only help you try new flavors but will also make you appreciate them.
How Vegan Pocky Is Made
- 50g vegan chocolate slab
- 200g gluten-free pretzels
- Crushed nuts
While you may think that getting the right taste with vegan ingredients would turn out to be difficult, it is not.
Therefore, you can pat yourself on the back for being vegan while simultaneously enjoying all these lovely and delicious snacks. Let’s get started and check out how exactly vegan Pocky is made.
What is truly astonishing is that while non-vegan Pocky takes tons of ingredients to make, this homemade recipe only requires two ingredients.
The first thing you will have to ask for at a restaurant is a gluten-free pretzel. A chef or a cook can easily find these in almost any supermarket or online vegan store.
What you then need is something to dip the pretzels into. Most people opt for vegan chocolate to create a chocolate sauce to taste all of the flavors within vegan Pocky. However, this decision is entirely up to what you are buying.
You could also choose to go ahead and ask your chef to sprinkle some strawberry powder on top of the pretzels or get yourself some white vegan chocolate if you prefer that. No matter what, you can always customize the dish the way you like.
One very important thing to note here is to make sure that the density and volume of the chocolate sauce are just right. If you overdo it, the chances are that it will taste nothing like the original Pocky.
All that you need for vegan Pocky is to take 50g of vegan chocolate bar and 200g of vegan pretzel sticks. Once you have these, start tempering the chocolate.
After that is done, it is recommended to use a spatula or any other equipment to slowly coat a thin and perfect layer of chocolate onto the pretzels.
The last thing to do is roll this entire thing onto nuts, depending on your preferences. After this, you have to wait for the chocolate to become hard, and you are good to go! Who knew eating vegan Pocky was so easy?
How Healthy Is Pocky?
Vegan diet experts suggest that even too many pretzels can end up becoming rather unhealthy for you and your diet. Therefore, it is always imperative to plan out your meals in advance and be mindful of how many chocolate pretzels you are consuming.
While the recipe above can be good for about 20 servings, you must remember not to finish them in one go. You can always store this vegan Pocky in a box and consume it later— whenever you are a lot hungrier. This way, you will relish its taste even more.
At the end of the day, pretzels are a snack too. Therefore, they must be consumed in tiny amounts and solely be used to satisfy your cravings for non-vegan food. Other than that, indulging in huge quantities can turn out to be unhealthy and addictive.
Other Vegan Snacks
If you are looking for even better vegan snacks, we have got you covered. You could try some of these options if you never have before and start adding them to your list of daily snacks.
If you are currently eating a vegan snack that isn’t on the healthier side, you could also trade that for these.
Vegan Black Bean Salsa
Who does not love salsa? This lovely Mexican salsa is perfect for vegan lovers. It simply takes ten minutes to prepare. It also comes loaded with protein, which will add to your nutritional value. You could also customize it the way you like.
Banana-Split on a Stick
If you want to opt for the healthiest Pocky there ever was, this is the one for you. It includes pineapples, berries, bananas, etc., all perfectly lined up on a skewer and rolled in nuts. Not to mention, they are incredibly delicious and healthy, loaded with essential nutrients.
Summing Up
Many nutritionists and dieticians are increasingly recommending going vegan because of the plentiful advantages. These advantages are not just to you and your health but also to safeguard the environment and animals.
Now that you are also aware of its advantages and disadvantages, it is time to go ahead and make your choice. While the original Pocky is a delightful snack, it is not vegan.
There is no denying that pretzel-based Pocky can be wonderful, but maybe you could also look at more exotic vegan snacks to satisfy your taste buds!
