Matcha Pocky vs Green Tea Pocky

We went to the new supermarket Seasons (in Thornhill) to check it out and I ended up buying Pocky.  I have't bought it in years!!  It's one of those treats as a kid that made going grocery shopping with my parents fun.  If you don't know what Pocky is, it basically is a biscuit stick covered in a cream or flavoured chocolate coating.  I noticed they carried both a green tea flavoured Pocky and a matcha flavoured one.  Not sure when they came out, I'm guessing both have probably been out on the market for awhile.  In a drink the difference can be noticeable, but what about a snack like Pocky, is there a difference?

The green tea Pocky (right side) comes in a larger size, I just bought the smaller pack since I wanted to just try them out.

Many people think matcha and green tea powder are the same but there is a difference.  Matcha is basically steamed green tea (tencha leaf) that has been grown partially in the shade and later ground into a fine powder.  Steaming green tea is a method mainly used by the Japanese in the production of green tea (stops the oxidation of the leaf) and produces a different flavour profile compared to other methods of heating the leaf.  The leaf is grown partially in the shade to eliminate/reduce astringency and provide a stronger and "sweet" taste.  There is ceremonial grade (very expensive) and culinary grade which is more affordable and is commonly used in baked goods and confections.  More info can be found here.

Green tea powder is basically green tea finely ground into a powder.  Likely not grown in shade (which costs more).  

The Matcha Pocky was slightly more expensive ($2.99 for 61g vs $2.59 for 70g), so is it worth it?

Aroma:
Both had a nice green tea smell when you first open the package.

Taste:
Both taste like green tea, only a slight difference in taste when you just bite and chew.  However, if you allow the cream to melt on your tongue, the Matcha Pocky is stronger in tea flavour and slightly sweeter and creamier. The Green Tea Pocky while okay in taste, had a slight bitter after taste.

Packaging:
The ingredients lists show 2 notable differences. One, the Matcha Chocolate Pocky lists cocoa butter while the Green Tea Pocky does not (expected since it doesn't mention chocolate).  And two, the Matcha Chocolate Pocky lists 2 types of green tea, "green tea powder, roasted green tea powder".  I'm surprised the translation doesn't include "matcha" but I'm guessing when they say green tea powder it is the matcha in this case and the roasted indicates regular green tea powder.  The Green Tea Pocky lists "green tea powder" only.

The Matcha Pocky is a product of Japan while the Green Tea Pocky is made in Thailand.  To some, this makes no difference but to others, Japanese products generally are associated with having a higher quality.  I have to admit, there are times where something is made makes a difference in whether I buy one product over another given all other factors are fairly equal.

Verdict:
I prefer the Matcha Chocolate Pocky.  I'd spend a little more for a slightly more flavourful and better tasting product, the itty-bitty amount of matcha tea powder, and cocoa butter.  However, if the Matcha Pocky was not available or became more expensive than the already premium $2.99 price tag, I'd happily choose the Green Tea Pocky since the taste is acceptable and it's more economical.