Takenoko no sato (たけのこの里), branded as Chococones in the United States, is a Japanese snack food produced by Meiji Seika since 1979.[1] It is a chocolate-covered cookie shaped like a bamboo shoot.
Following the success of a similar snack, Kinoko no yama, first sold in 1975, Takenoko no sato was released in 1979.[1] In 2024, due to the high price of cocoa beans, the cocoa content was reduced and the candy was reclassified as "quasi chocolate sweet", dropping its previous "chocolate sweet" classification. [2]
In a similar fashion to Kinoko no yama (branded as Chocorooms), Takenoko no sato was renamed to Chococones, and had its packaging changed in the United States.[3] Chococones were discontinued in the United States in 2016.[4]
Comparison with Kinoko no yama
See also
References
- NEWS RELEASE「きのこの山」「たけのこの里」 KYODO NEWS PRWIRE, retrieved 2026-03-03^
- 集英社オンライン. 「きのこの山」「たけのこの里」が「チョコ」→「準チョコ」になっていた！ 大手企業も苦しむバレンタイン、専門店の生きのこり策は（集英社オンライン）｜ｄメニューニュース dmenu News, retrieved 2026-03-03^
- アメリカの「たけのこの里」がエレガントな件 Excite Bit, 2012-07-17, retrieved 2026-03-03^
- Meiji America. Hi @taroleo, thank you for reaching out! Unfortunately, Chococones were discontinued in 2016 along with the introduction of Chocorooms Strawberry. While Meiji America no longer sells the item in the US, it is still available as an import product in Japanese or Asian markets.^