Hakka Ame: Classic Japanese Peppermint Candy
Japan has some unique candies not seen in other parts of the world.
Among those treats, I think, nowadays, hard candies with the flavor of Umeboshi plums and the flavor of Matcha green tea are especially popular overseas.
Besides these two flavors, there are several one-of-a-kind Japanese candies that you might not know yet.
For example, Shoyu Ame (醤油飴) is a good-old candy with the umami of soy sauce, and Kuro Ame (黒飴) is a long-time favorite of Japanese featuring the gentle sweetness from Okinawan brown sugar.
And if I give you one more representative of such Japanese hard candy, Hakka Ame (ハッカ飴) is the one.
Hakka Ame (ハッカ飴)
Image: Amazon.co.jp
Hakka Ame is a classic Japanese peppermint candy that we have long loved. It is a simple hard candy made from Japanese peppermint called Hakka or Nihon Hakka combined with sugar and starch syrup.
The Japanese treat differs in taste from Western peppermint candies. The former has a distinctive minty flavor characteristic of Hakka, and its moderate sweetness accentuates the refreshing taste.
Hakka Ame is not cough drops, just a piece of candy. But you will feel like the Ame/飴 treat soothes your throat while sucking on it, and after your first try, I think you will either like it or hate it.
Image: Wikipedia
Here in Japan, many varieties of Hakka Ame, from colored to clear and transparent, are available in supermarkets, and their taste is somewhat different depending on the manufacturer and ingredients.
