Asian Snack Attack is our ongoing series where we weed out the good from the bad in the wild and wooly world of newfangled Asian snacks.

Asian Snack: Pucca Chocolate Pretzels

Manufacturer: Meiji

Country of Origin: Japan 

Expectations: Even as adult, I’m drawn to foods that come in cute animal shapes and find myself occasionally snacking on Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grahams or Animal Crackers. When I picked up Pucca chocolate pretzels, which are shaped like tiny fish and squid, I was expecting a mix of sweet and salty flavors and a textural combination of crunchy and smooth. However, the snack only delivered on the latter. Overall, I’d put this Asian snack in the same category as Goldfish crackers—fun to eat, but no fireworks in the flavor department and no nutritional benefits.

Texture: A cookie-like shell surrounds a nugget of smooth and creamy milk chocolate. They reminded me of Swiss candies made with soft chocolate and wafer cookies.

Taste: The milk chocolate was sweet and enjoyable, but its flavor didn’t quite compare to Swiss chocolate. The “pretzel” shell wasn’t salty at all; it tasted more like a very plain cookie.

Quotes from the Snack Panel: “Wait, what’s so exotic about these?” “Kids would love these things!”

Stars: 3 out of 5

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