Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Hiromi Miura
 Leafy Pie and Green Tea Pocky Review |
Dear Nicey,Wifey and YMOS
11th November, it is "Pepero Day" in Korea.
So now, "Pepero Day season ". The "Pepero" is a so popular Korean biscuit ,which has been manufactured by Lotte since 1983 in Korea. It is a thin biscuit stick dipped in chocolate. I guess many people may think that the "Pepero" is similar to Japanese "Pocky" (French Mikado). But, sad to say, it appears that there is no relationship between them.

By the way, on this "Pepero Day", many Korean enjoy giving "Pepero" biscuits to their beloved boyfriends/girlfriend, cherished family members, close friends and bosses, and scoffing together.
Allegedly, the "Pepero Day" began 11th November in 1994 when some Korean girl students sent "Pepero" biscuits to one another, hoping to become slim ladies like thin "Pepero" sticks.
11th November, or 11/11 consisting of QUADRUPLE 1 seems to have been specially selected by those Korean girls, as the thin, slim stick shaped like a figure 1. And their gift exchanging seems to have spread all over the country.
Some says that the excitement to the day has been more than Valentine Day in recent years in Korea.
I have no ideas if this happy event is a splendid fiction created by wise Lotte or not. However, I think it is fantastic that many Korean automatically show up on BISCUIT sections in their local supermarkets and corner shops for "Pepero" biscuits, as the "Pepero Day" approaches, every year.

We can actually see many biscuits manufactured by NOT Lotte but other confectioneries sold as gifts for the day, along with "Pepero" biscuits by Lotte. And I want to extend a hearty welcome to such a stretch because, I expect that Korean will start enjoying even more any type of biscuits
in the world as well as "Pepero" biscuit at the very day of "Pepero Day", and eventually the lovely "Pepero Day" will be reborn as even lovelier "Korean Biscuit Day"(KBD) in the future.
Now, "Pepero" has three flavours including chocolate, cocoa biscuit & chocolate and chocolate & almond. Besides, a "Nude-Pepero" line is available in two flavours of chocolate and lemon cheese.
"Nude-Pepero" is a salt-less pretzel stick ZERO percent enrobed in coating. Instead it has some centre filling with a bit seductive naming.
I have a plan to gobble some "Pepero" biscuits with my husband ,11th November this year.
By the way, I read about Bourbon biscuits recalled because of possiblity of contamination of some biscuits by small pieces of metal wire in your "Nice News". I hope things will calm down, soon.
And I felt glad that those Korean girls had chosen NOT thin metallic wires but Pepero biscuits
for their gifts as something slim and thin in 1994.
Thank you for reading.
Hiromi Miura (Seoul Korea). |
Nicey replies: Hello Hiromi,
Once again you've alerted us to yet another blatant copy of somebody else's biscuit by the Koreans. They might not have anything to do with Pocky directly but everything about them is borrowed from Glico's Pocky something I'm even more certain of since receiving your training shipments of Japanese biscuits. Still it must be nice for you and your husband to find such a familiar biscuit in your new home and to have a whole day devoted to it.
I think that the unless they change the date it will probably not spread too far outside of Korea, as on that date we remember those who died in wars and conflicts especially the WWI and WWII as it coincides with the end of WWI. No doubt the Koreans have such a reflective time too, when we are probably doing something frivolous possibly involving biscuits, such is the nature of global biscuit celebrations and human strife. |
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Richard Kitching
 Tim Tam vs Penguin Review |
Hello Nicey, Wifey and YMOS.
I work for an airline and spend most of my time barrelling around the world, landing in far off and exotic places. I have to hold on to my hat and close my eyes against the unceasing gale of culture shock. Not having access to a nice cup of tea most of the time, the natural way to restore an inner balance is a wander round your lovely website, which seems to give me inner peace. A type of ‘cyber tea’ if you will. I think it might be something to do with a sort of distilled englishness that pervades the site. Anyhow, browsing the site while in Dubai, I came across some comments regarding Tim-Tams re. Penguins (personally I rejoice in a Tim-Tam but despise Penguins). Intrigued to see the results of the head to head, I clicked on the link and got the following message:

Gosh. What controversial statements am I missing out on? How do you feel about the citizens of the UAE being unable to benefit from your Tim-Tam / Penguin debate?
There is a supermarket opposite the hotel and I will now go biscuit hunting.
Thanks for your lovely site.
Richard Kitching
PS I find Hiromis’ regular despatches utterly charming – surely I am not the only one who looks forward to hearing of her next Korean related biscuit adventures? |
Nicey replies: Richard,
Firstly I shall be using our airplan icon for your message which until now has mean't issues with tea and biscuits arising whilst on an airplane, or something like that. It now also encompasses anything that people who work for airlines have to say.
We've been told before that the United Arab Emirates have blocked some of our content, I suppose we should be flattered that they have gone to so much trouble on our account. We would tone down our offensive language if we knew what it was we were saying. Perhaps in future they could just underline the offending bits in red and put a note at the bottom.
As for Biscuit Correspondent Hiromi, we have her latest report coming right up. |
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Phil Anderton |
Dear Nicey & Wifey,
I read with interest your report on the decline of the good old fashioned pudding. I'd like to propose another reason why we're not seeing so many these days. It's because traditional 'puds' are being advertised with "crème anglaise" these days rather than custard. Apparently crème anglaise is in fact custard so please don't be alarmed and put off eating a proper hot pud by those pesky European phrases.
Regards,
Phil Anderton |
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Keith O'Kane |
Dear Nicey and the Wife,
I was a little surprised to read about the decline in the traditional pudding, particularly as the weather is beginning to turn.
There are no such issues in my household with a proper steamed pudding and custard on the menu at least once a week.
I think that the problem may be due in part to the rise in dieting programs and the belief that eating puddings makes you fat.
I would just like to point out to people who hold this view that if you did a bit more exercise you could eat as many puddings as you like.
I myself am rather too partial to a bit of cake with my cup of tea. When my waistline began to spread, I just bought myself a bike with the result that I now need to eat even more cake in order to keep my weight up! |
Nicey replies: Indeed, after our trip to the gym this morning Wifey and I were able to come home and polish off the last of the Christmas cake which didn't fit into the tin and had to baked in its own little tin. This must have offset the 400 calories that the machines at the gym told me I had expended. After which I was fortified enough to go down the shed and mend the back wheel of my road bike which had a nasty blow out over the weekend. All a matter of cake life balance. |
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Marge |
Dear Nicey & Wifey
When I read your news bulletin about the low consumption of apple crumble (and of course custard) I was shocked and stunned. I love to make a fruit crumble at least once a month!
Here is a handy tip to make crumble making easy peasy and quick too: make up bags of crumble mixture in 500g amounts and freeze it. I like to use a third fat to flour with 2-3 tbsps of sugar. When you want a super quick crumble take a tin of fruit in own juice (apple, pear, even pineapple works), or light syrup and pour into a deep baking dish and sprinkle some of the crumble mixture over the fruit. You do not need to defrost the crumble mixture first. Bung in a preheated oven (with foil cover if you are prone to burning things!), and bake for about 20-30 minutes. And of course serve pipping hot with plenty of custard!
Yours
Marge |
Nicey replies: Marge,
We like your 'can do' attitude to puddings. |
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