Haitai Confectionery announced on the 10th that it is launching "Melon," the first fruit flavor in its Pocky Ultra-Thin line, Korea's thinnest stick snack.
This marks the first time a fruit flavor, rather than chocolate, has been applied to the ultra-thin stick format in both Korea and Japan. Pocky Ultra-Thin sticks are approximately 40% thinner than the original, making them prone to breaking. This had made it difficult to substitute the viscous chocolate coating with other ingredients. However, Haitai succeeded in developing a fruit-flavored ultra-thin product through localized technology.
The new product uses melons grown in Naju, South Jeolla Province, Korea's largest melon-producing region, capturing the fruit's distinctive sweet taste and aroma. Instead of artificial coloring, matcha was used to achieve the melon's natural soft green hue. Melon cream is coated on the 3mm-thick ultra-thin stick—the only one of its kind in Korea—delivering a sweet and crispy texture. Due to the thin stick's characteristics, the cream coating ratio on the surface is more than 30% higher than the original, resulting in a richer, creamier sweetness, the company explained.
Haitai plans to introduce this new product at Olive Young stores, a first for the Pocky brand. Starting with the Myeongdong location, which attracts many foreign tourists, the company plans to gradually expand distribution. Additionally, beginning with melon, Haitai intends to significantly broaden the Pocky Ultra-Thin lineup beyond its previous chocolate-focused offerings.
A Haitai Confectionery official said, "Pocky Ultra-Thin Melon is a product perfected to best highlight the flavor of domestically grown Naju melons." The official added, "It will establish itself as a premium stick snack that delivers both the signature crispness of ultra-thin sticks and a rich, refreshing melon taste."
