Shoyu Ame: Classic Japanese Soy Sauce Candy

When it comes to hard candy that represents Japan, I think Sakuma Drops is famous

because the Japanese fruit candy appears in the anime movie released in 1988 by Studio Ghibli, Hotaru no Haka or Grave of the Fireflies.

Shoyu Ame (しょうゆ飴)

Meanwhile, when I think of unique hard candy widely enjoyed by us Japanese, what comes to my mind right away is Shoyu Ame (しょうゆ飴) or soy sauce candy.

Although you might imagine from its name that the soy sauce-flavored hard candy is somewhat salty, it isn’t but has a gentle sweetness that everyone can like.

Since today I picked up one of Japan’s best and most loved Shoyu Ame at a supermarket, I will introduce it this time.

Kanro Ame (カンロ飴)

The quintessential Japanese Shoyu Ame is this Kanro Ame (カンロ飴), a soy sauce candy introduced by the Tokyo-based confectionery company Kanro (カンロ) in 1954.

These Kanro’s signature treats are individually wrapped, and you can easily remove the plastic wrapper by pulling both sides.

The Kanro Ame candy has a small ball shape featuring its semitransparent golden hue mainly from the main ingredient, Shoyu or soy sauce.

As you can see from the red roman text on the package front, this Kanro Ame is a sweet soy sauce candy produced by making the most of the umami taste of a special soy sauce.

Ingredients

Kanro Ame is a good-old candy made only with four ingredients, sugar, starch syrup, soy sauce, and salt. As it contains no scents or coloring, you can serve it to your children without worries.

Conclusion

If you are a candy lover, Shoyu Ame is a must-try, and I highly recommend this Kanro Ame that has been a favorite in Japan for more than 60 years.