Costco Japan Is Taking Its Pumpkin Pies To The Next Level

Costco's pumpkin pies have a track record any bakery will be proud of. A 2015 edition of Costco Connection indicated that the store sold 5.3 million pies that year, per Insider. Given that Costco also had 698 stores at the end of that year and 838 warehouses today, per The Motley Fool, we can't even guess at how many more pumpkin pies the warehouse chain is expected to sell this year.

What we do know is that Costco has stuck by what is tried and true, and other than messing with its size (10 inches in 1987 vs 12 inches today), Insider says nothing appears to have changed with the warehouse chain's pumpkin pies. Costco's bakers still make use of preservative-free pumpkin pie filling, along with spices, whole eggs, and water. And if you've never had one before, consider that the pie has its own Facebook fan page, which indicates how popular it actually is.

But no matter how much we love Costco's pumpkin pies, the one thing we can't say about this seasonal treat is that it is dressed to impress — in fact, it's quite the opposite. Although the very plainness of the pie appears designed to underwhelm, in Costco Japan, the opposite appears to be the case. As one Reddit user posted, Costco's pumpkin pies in Japan are as pretty to look at, as they are to eat. 

The image on the Reddit thread shows a Costco pumpkin pie dolled up using a stencil, powdered sugar, and whipped cream to create a pie topped with images of several different smiling pumpkins. And if you're not sure this pie shares the same history as its less fancy American siblings, the Reddit user says: "Saw a pumpkin pie post about blobs and whatnot earlier and realized y'all's PPs are pretty standard looking. They going the extra mile here in Japan."

Some Redditors took to the comments agreeing with one statement: "Japanese desserts are always 10/10 for beauty. Sometimes bland tasting by American standards, but maybe that's not such a bad thing." Others are using the pie as inspiration, as one user wrote, "Saved this post so I can do this with my pie next week (Canadian!)"

Of course, many Redditors used the OP's own words, "PPs are pretty standard looking," as the inspiration for their comments and, we must admit, it makes for an entertaining thread.

In any case, you do get what you pay for, because Costco sells its fancier pumpkin pies in Japan for $11, nearly double what it goes for in the U.S. Whether the extra effort Costco Japan put into the pie is worth the money, is entirely up to the person consuming it.