2 Types of Ramune: Soda Drinks and Dagashi Sugar Candy

When you hear “Ramune (ラムネ)”, what comes to your mind? 

I think many will probably bring to mind the classic Japanese soda pop with its root in lemonade “Ramune (ラムネ)”.

As a matter of fact, we Japanese often drink the carbonated beverage Ramune, especially in the hot summer season.

Since it is definitely sold at summer festivals, drinking Ramune soda is said to be one of Japan’s summer traditions.

In recent years, Ramune is available in a variety of flavors even outside of Japan via the internet and is widely enjoyed in many countries.

But have you ever heard that there is one more Ramune in Japan?

Dagashi: Ramune Sugar Candy 

When we Japanese think of “Ramune”, what comes to our mind is two types of products, that is, Ramune soda drinks and Ramune sugar candy.

The latter Ramune is actually a tablet-shaped “Dagashi (駄菓子)” sugar candy. 

Dagashi is the generic name for cheap Japanese snacks and candies, which are favored by children because of their uniqueness as well as cheapness.

Ingredients

Traditional Ramune sweets, like the one shown above, basically consist of Katakuriko or potato starch, dextrose, and citric acid.

Texture and Taste

Ramune has a powdery, chalky texture and melts away in the mouth. The sugar candy features a pleasant refreshing taste that comes from citric acid.

Manufacturers

Even now, the Ramune sugar candy is one of the most commonly eaten sweets in Japan, so a number of confectionery companies only specialize in Ramune.

For example, “Mitsuya Seika (三矢製菓)” is a confectionery maker producing only Ramune candies for over 80 years.

Japan’s Most Famous Ramune Candy

There are many Ramune brands in Japan. But among others, Morinaga Ramune Soda Candy is the most famous.

These sugar candy balls have been a favorite of Japanese people for over 40 years.

(Reference Page: Wikipedia ラムネ (錠菓) )