Meiji Hello Panda: History, Filling and What to Drink

Meiji Hello Panda: The Japanese Filled Biscuit

Hello Panda began in Japan in 1987 as Konnichiwa Panda, launched on the wave of panda enthusiasm that followed the birth of TongTong at Ueno Zoo the year before.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Meiji Hello Panda: The Japanese Filled Biscuit, in summary: Japan's bite-size filled biscuit: a thin printed shell with chocolate flavoured cream sealed inside, first sold as Konnichiwa Panda in 1987. Eat it dry, seal the pack tightly, and give the grown-ups a plain black tea.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Hello Panda began in Japan in 1987 as Konnichiwa Panda, launched on the wave of panda enthusiasm that followed the birth of TongTong at Ueno Zoo the year before. Its design is still unlike the British biscuit tradition: the chocolate cream sits inside a crisp shell rather than on top of it.

From Konnichiwa Panda to Hello Panda

Meiji is a Japanese confectionery and dairy group, now organised under Meiji Holdings, which was created in 2009 by bringing Meiji Seika and Meiji Dairies together. The panda biscuit is older than that holding company. In 1991 Meiji began making and marketing it in Singapore, a business that reached its thirtieth year in 2021, and the line is now sold across Asia, North America, Oceania, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

The format reflects where it came from. Filled bite-size biscuits with character printing are a style that Japanese and other East Asian makers have taken much further than British bakers, and the panda on each piece is part of the product rather than decoration. The designs vary through the pack, which is why children tend to study each one before eating it.

Why the cream goes inside

A British chocolate biscuit usually wears its chocolate on the outside. Hello Panda turns that round: a thin, lightly toasted shell holds a soft chocolate flavoured cream, and Meiji says the result does not stain your hands. The shell has to be thin enough for the filling to dominate yet strong enough to stay hollow, so it tastes faintly of baked cereal and is there mostly for its snap.

The published allergen statement lists wheat and barley (gluten), milk and soya. The brand calls the filling chocolate flavoured, and it eats mild and sweet rather than dark. Each piece is gone in one bite, so the sweetness arrives and fades fast; children keep going, while grown-ups usually stop after a handful.

Keeping the shell crisp, and what to pour

A hollow filled biscuit goes stale from two sides at once: damp air works on the thin shell from outside while the soft cream works on it from within. Seal an opened pack tightly and think in days, not weeks. The fridge is no help, because cold makes the filling firm and flat without doing anything for the shell, and dunking is out, as the shell floods instantly.

For adults, a plain black tea or a black coffee gives the body and slight bitterness that a sweet, mild filling needs, while very delicate green and white teas tend to vanish under it. A toasty genmaicha is the lighter option worth trying, since its roasted rice picks up the baked note of the shell. For children, a milky hot chocolate is the obvious partner.

The packs we stock

Meiji Hello Panda Biscuits with Chocolate Flavoured Filling, 50g (barcode 8888077109152)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Meiji Hello Panda Biscuits with Chocolate Flavoured Filling, 50g says it contains wheat and barley (gluten), milk and soya. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Typical values per 100g	Per 100g
Energy	526 kcal
Fat	28.0g
of which saturates	15.0g
Carbohydrate	62.3g
of which sugars	29.0g
Fibre	0.8g
Protein	6.1g
Salt	0.7g

Ingredient and nutrition information for this product, as published on the manufacturer's label. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

Yorkshire Tea Original Everyday Blend, 80 Tea Bags 250g: a plain, full-bodied everyday black tea with the weight to balance a sweet filling.
Twinings English Breakfast Decaffeinated, 80 Tea Bags 218g: a decaffeinated breakfast cup for the grown-ups at an afternoon table with the children.
Nescafe Gold Blend Intense Instant Coffee, 190g: an intense instant coffee whose bitterness sets off the mild chocolate cream.

Elsewhere in the Meiji range

The full range is on the Meiji brand page.

FAQ

Where do Hello Panda biscuits come from? Japan. Meiji launched them there in 1987 as Konnichiwa Panda and began making and marketing them in Singapore in 1991.

Why is there a panda on every biscuit? The line was born in the panda boom after TongTong's birth at Ueno Zoo in 1986, and the printed designs vary across the pack.

Why does an open pack of Hello Panda go soft so quickly? The thin shell meets damp air on one side and soft cream on the other, so seal the pack tightly and finish it within days.

Do Hello Panda biscuits contain milk? Yes. The published allergen statement lists milk and soya, along with wheat and barley (gluten).

Should Hello Panda go in the fridge? No. Cold firms and flattens the filling; a tightly sealed pack in a cool cupboard is better.

Curator's note: Tip a few into a small bowl for the children and let them compare pandas while the grown-ups get a proper pot on. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Meiji Hello Panda: The Japanese Filled Biscuit

Field	Detail
Brand	Meiji
Packs we stock	50g
Category	Chocolate Biscuits
Allergens (as published)	It contains wheat and barley (gluten), milk and soya.
Dunkable	No, eat them dry
Best with	Plain black tea; hot chocolate for children
Occasion	Lunchbox, handbag or the children's table