Kuro Ame: Classic Japanese “Kokuto” Brown Sugar Candy

Raw brown sugar made from sugarcane, “Kokuto (黒糖: literally meaning “Black Sugar” in Japanese)” is a specialty of Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan,

And in Japan, a hard candy using it, called “Kuroame (黒飴, 黒あめ)”, has been loved through generations.

Kuroame (黒あめ)

Today, the Kokuto brown sugar candy “Kuroame (黒あめ)” is produced and sold by a number of confectionery companies, among which, “Kasugai Seika (春日井製菓)” is especially famous for its Kuroame candy.

The name of the Japanese treat, Kuroame is actually composed of 2 words, “Kuro (黒)” meaning “black”, which derives from Kokuto sugar, and “Ame (飴)“, which is the Japanese word for “hard candy”.

Kasugai Seika Kuro Ame

Kasugai Seika introduced its Kuro Ame candy in 1980 to enable the common people to easily get Kokuto candy at a low price because at the time sweets using raw brown sugar were expensive in Japan.

Therefore, it may be no exaggeration to say that, thanks to Kasugai Seika’s Kuro Ame product, Kokuto candy spread out around Japan and became common among ordinary people.

Taste

The Kasugai Kuro Ame candy has an aromatic sweetness characteristic of raw brown sugar and is packed with plenty of delicious flavor, as it uses high-quality Okinawan Kokuto sugar made by boiling over direct heat. 

Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

Lastly, let’s see the specific ingredients, nutrition facts, and calories of the Kasugai Seika Kuro Ame candy.

Based on the labels pictured above, this Japanese sweet is made from sugar, Okinawan Kokuto raw brown sugar, salt, caramel pigment, emulsifier, and seasoning (including amino acids).

The calories per 100 grams are 382 kcal and the Kokuto candy contains 0.3 g salt equivalents.