Koala's March

Koala's March
Alternative namesKoala Yummies
CourseSnack
Place of originJapan
Created byLotte

Koala's March (Japanese: コアラのマーチ, romanized: Koara no Māchi) is a bite-sized cookie snack with a sweet filling. The cookies are produced by Lotte.

History

The product was first released in Japan in 1984, to celebrate the arrival of the first koalas to the country. The snack originally only came with a chocolate filling. The product expanded to Hong Kong in 1986.[1]

In 1988, some Japanese students started the rumor that finding a cookie with a koala with two eyebrows playing a trumpet would bring luck on exams. This myth has persisted until at least 2019.[1]

The product was released in Australia by 1990,[2] and in the United States in May 1990.[citation needed] Originally, the snacks used the name "Koala Yummies" in the United States, later changing to the name "Koala's March," a translation of the Japanese title.[citation needed] In the United States, the cookies are primarily found in Asian specialty stores and some Hispanic specialty stores.[3]

Koala's March was one of the products impacted by the 2008 Chinese milk scandal.[4]

In 2012, Lotte released an 'emergency food' version of Koala's March biscuits without filling, which were sold in cans and had a shelf life of five years.[5]

Description

Koala's March is in the shape of a koala, with printing on the outside of the cookie showing the koala doing some sort of activity, such as playing drums, holding a picture, posing,[6] playing a trumpet,[1] or crying from appendicitis.[7] More than 600 official designs exist, but only 365 are being actively manufactured as of 2023.[1] New designs are introduced to reflect new technology or cultural trends, and designs are retired if they become outdated (such as a koala using a pager).[1] The filling comes in various sweet flavors, such as apple pie,[8] banana, cheesecake,[9] chocolate[1] (with bitter chocolate[10] and white chocolate variants), cocoa and milk,[11] cotton candy,[12] honey, latte (with almond[13] and caramel[14] variants), lemon tart,[1] matcha, pineapple, strawberry,[3] and vanilla.[citation needed]

Koala's March has also produced variants in collaboration with other brands, such as Pokemon (2020),[9] Franck Muller (2023),[1] Attack on Titan (2023),[15] Hello Kitty,[8] and Madoka Magica.[16]

Koala's March supports the Australian conservation group Australian Koala Foundation.[6]

They also have cards, naming the different types of "koalas".[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mok, Charmaine (2023-06-20). "Would you buy 100 packs of cookies to find a 'lucky' one? How a craze began". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  2. ^ Adweek's Marketing Week. 31: C5. 1990 https://books.google.com/books?id=qdcNAQAAMAAJ&q=lotte+koala. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ^ a b LOTTE USA Inc. "Lotte Koala's March Cookies Make for a Sweet Spring Snack". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  4. ^ Taitano, Zita Y. (2008-09-29). "More food items on melamine recall list". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  5. ^ "Best expiration date is 5 years, "Koala's march biscuit review". GIGAZINE. 2012-02-27. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  6. ^ a b "You can help Australia's koalas by eating some of Japan's favorite chocolate treats!". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 2020-02-01. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  7. ^ Clegg, Cara (2013-06-10). "Today's trivia: Strange new koala spotted in packs of Koala's March cookies". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  8. ^ a b Liu, Stephanie (2024-03-21). "Hello Kitty Koala's March Tastes Like Apple Pie". Siliconera. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  9. ^ a b "Pokémon Moomoo Milk-flavor cookies going on sale in Japan". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. 2020-11-27. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  10. ^ "Searching for the sweet spot: Lotte says low-and-no-sugar are key snacking and confectionery NPD drivers". FoodNavigator-Asia.com. 2022-07-10. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  11. ^ Michel, Patrick St (2015-09-04). "Lotte's koala cookies come in a new limited-edition flavor". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  12. ^ Mambwe, Mubita (2015-07-23). "Cotton Candy Koala no March". Metropolis Japan. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  13. ^ "I ate Lotte "Winter Koala March" and "Winter Pie Fruit" which became the winter specification". GIGAZINE. 2007-10-21. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  14. ^ Chen, Jenn (2020-11-03). "You Can Have Some Coffee Snacks, As A Treat". Sprudge Coffee. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  15. ^ Stenbuck, Kite (2023-11-02). "Attack on Titan Koala March Packages Will Help Anime's 10th Anniversary". Siliconera. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
  16. ^ Liu, Stephanie (2024-10-03). "Madoka Magica Koala's March Snacks Give the Girls Koala Ears And Nose". Siliconera. Retrieved 2024-12-26.
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