Kaneya - Nov 1, 2024
Black Thunder:
The Crunchy Japanese Chocolate Bar
with a Cult Following
Black Thunder is a treat with chocolate-coated cocoa cookies and plain biscuits. The secret of Black Thunder's deliciousness is its crunchy, hard chewy texture and the perfect balance of the bitter taste of the cookie and the sweetness of the chocolate! It also became popular and loved by many for the unique name, reasonable price of 35 JPY per piece, and perfect size. This article introduces Black Thunder's attractive lineup and history, factory-owned stores, and more!
How Did Black Thunder Become a Hit?
Black Thunder is a big hit product that celebrated its 30th anniversary in September 2024. By 2018, annual sales of the series had surpassed 200 million units, but strong sales weren’t always the case...
A surprising fact is that about 30 years ago, shortly after the product’s debut, there was a time when Black Thunder was temporarily discontinued due to poor sales! Let's look a bit further into its history.
Black Thunder was created in 1994 at the Toyohashi factory.
It was named “Black” for its cocoa cookie and black appearance, and “Thunder” for the image of a fighter squadron popular among children.
Around 2000, it became popular among young women, university co-ops, and convenience stores, and from 2005 it was sold all over Japan. Later, it was picked by the mass media as a favorite product of a sports athlete, and it became an explosive hit in Taiwan as well. Since then, it has been widely loved, as seen in the collaboration products with regional souvenirs.
Black Thunder Flavors: From Classic to Unique
There are five popular year-round flavors of Black Thunder, and you can purchase them at supermarkets, convenience stores, and pharmacies in Japan.
1. Choco: The most standard product with the bitterness of cocoa cookies and the sweetness of chocolate.
2. Butter: Flavored with burnt butter. The crunchy texture is addictive! Cheddar cheese powder is the key ingredient.
3. Purple Sweet Potato: A bright appearance made from 100% Japanese purple sweet potato! It tastes like a buttery sweet potato tart.
4. Brown Sugar: Okinawa brown sugar is used, and it has the crunchiness of Karinto texture.
5. Milk: Hokkaido-produced milk is used. A key characteristic is the richness of milk and the mild taste of white chocolate.
The choco and strawberry flavors are also available in bite-size, portable pouches in the Mini series, and in popular individually wrapped Family Packs, which are easy to share with your family and friends.
Regional Black Thunder Flavors
Black Thunder also has unique regional flavors and reminds us of typical tourist landscapes, so it has become a well-known souvenir, some of which have been shipped in the hundreds of millions! Try one as a souvenir of your journey!
1. Hokkaido - White Black Thunder: White chocolate coating with Hokkaido milk. Amazingly, total sales exceeded 200 million units! (Based on the company shipments from 2011 to 2021)
White Thunder: Hokkaido milk and plenty of cashew nuts, which go well with the butter, are used for the chocolate. It is also richly flavored with butter biscuits made with Hokkaido fermented butter!
2. Osaka - Caramel: Caramel powder, kneaded chocolate coating, and caramelized almond praline make for a rich, rich taste.
3. Kyoto - Matcha: 2 types of Uji Matcha are used, matched with cocoa.
4. Okinawa - Brown Sugar: Okinawa Brown Sugar and Chatan Salt are used.
Factory-owned Black Thunder Shops
At Black Thunder Shops, you can get limited flavors!
(1) Toyohashi Dream Factory Black Thunder Shop
The birthplace of Black Thunder! Toyohashi Black Thunder Mini Bar and other regional and limited-time-only flavors are available. Enjoy unlimited Black Thunder packing!!
(2) Yuraku Chocolate Shop
Directly operated by the Tokyo Plant, which reopened in 2017. As well as Black Thunder, the shop sells Deluxe Milk Chocolate, a long-selling snack from Yuraku Confectionery Co., Ltd.
Black Thunder as a Communication Tool
Black Thunder has shifted from a focus on ‘Black Thunder as a snack’ to a focus on ‘Black Thunder as a brand’. This has enabled the offering of the value of Black Thunder not only through sweets, but also through videos and events, making it more accessible than ever to “Everyone with a Playful Spirit”. For one, an official community website has now opened. All Black Thunder fans can freely post photos and impressions of Black Thunder and enjoy communicating online there. In addition, it provides new product information, so you won't miss out!
Conclusion
Black Thunder is a delicious chocolate bar with the crunchy texture and rich flavor of its cookies. You may very well find Black Thunder to be your favorite Japanese chocolate! It's so yummy that your hands and its popularity will never stop!
