Koala's March
| Alternative names | Koala Yummies |
|---|---|
| Course | Snack |
| Place of origin | Japan |
| Created by | Lotte |
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 good 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. 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 name. 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New designs are introduced to reflect new technology or cultural trends, and designs are retired if they become outdated (such as a koala using a pager).[1] The filling comes in various sweet flavors, such as apple pie,[8] banana, cheesecake,[9] chocolate[1] (with bitter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.
Koala's March has also produced variants in collaboration with other brands, such as Pokémon (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".
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mok, Charmaine (June 20, 2023). "Would you buy 100 packs of cookies to find a 'lucky' one? How a craze began". South China Morning Post. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Adweek's Marketing Week. 31: C5. 1990 https://books.google.com/books?id=qdcNAQAAMAAJ&q=lotte+koala.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ a b LOTTE USA Inc. "Lotte Koala's March Cookies Make for a Sweet Spring Snack". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Taitano, Zita Y. (September 29, 2008). "More food items on melamine recall list". The Guam Daily Post. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Best expiration date is 5 years, "Koala's march biscuit review". GIGAZINE. February 27, 2012. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "You can help Australia's koalas by eating some of Japan's favorite chocolate treats!". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. February 1, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Clegg, Cara (June 10, 2013). "Today's trivia: Strange new koala spotted in packs of Koala's March cookies". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Liu, Stephanie (March 21, 2024). "Hello Kitty Koala's March Tastes Like Apple Pie". Siliconera. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "Pokémon Moomoo Milk-flavor cookies going on sale in Japan". SoraNews24 -Japan News-. November 27, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Searching for the sweet spot: Lotte says low-and-no-sugar are key snacking and confectionery NPD drivers". FoodNavigator-Asia.com. July 10, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Michel, Patrick St (September 4, 2015). "Lotte's koala cookies come in a new limited-edition flavor". The Japan Times. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Mambwe, Mubita (July 23, 2015). "Cotton Candy Koala no March". Metropolis Japan. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "I ate Lotte "Winter Koala March" and "Winter Pie Fruit" which became the winter specification". GIGAZINE. October 21, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Chen, Jenn (November 3, 2020). "You Can Have Some Coffee Snacks, As A Treat". Sprudge Coffee. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Stenbuck, Kite (November 2, 2023). "Attack on Titan Koala March Packages Will Help Anime's 10th Anniversary". Siliconera. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Liu, Stephanie (October 3, 2024). "Madoka Magica Koala's March Snacks Give the Girls Koala Ears And Nose". Siliconera. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
External links
- Koala's March USA website (archived)
- Koara no Māchi section on Lotte's website (in Japanese)