Neri Ame (Mizu Ame): It’s fun to knead the honey-like candy

A number of simple, good old candies have long been loved in Japan by both adults and children, and the representative example includes “Shio Ame (塩飴)“, “Kuro Ame (黒飴)“, and “Hakka Ame (ハッカ飴)“.

And what I introduce here today is also a classic Japanese candy of that kind which is called “Neri Ame (練り飴, ねりあめ)”. 

Neri-Ame (ねりあめ) or Mizu-Ame (水飴)

Unlike Shio Ame, Kuro Ame, or Hakka Ame, “NeriAme (ねりあめ)” is a candy marketed mainly towards kids, for it is a kind of DIY candy.

Neri Ame is also called “Mizuame (水飴)”, in which name “Mizu (水)” means water in Japanese. 

I think the reason why Neri Ame has another name of Mizu Ame is that the base candy has a clear transparent color like water.

Neri Ame or Mizu Ame is a casual, cheap sugar candy classified into “Dagashi (駄菓子)“. As a matter of fact, this one from Yaokin only costs 50 yen (0.5 USD).

In the package, accompanied by a pair of short wooden chopsticks, there is a small cup of base candy of Neri Ame with a consistency like honey.

Neri Ame comes in various flavors, and this one has a lemon flavor. Because of that, its color is yellow.

Texture-wise, compared to ordinary honey, the Japanese treat is somewhat more thick, sticky, and stretchy. 

How to Enjoy

As I mentioned above, Neri Ame is a DIY candy. So as preparation, first scoop up the base candy with the chopsticks and put on them.

As the word “Neri (ねり)” means “kneading” in Japanese, to complete the making, next, you need to knead the honey-like candy sufficiently.

While kneading for a few minutes, the candy paste mixes with air and becomes pretty soft.

In addition, its color also changes from transparent to translucent, which means it is ready to eat.

The preparation process is fun, making kids excited. It had been a long time since I last ate Neri Ame. But even now, I could enjoy the making and taste.

Ingredients

Lastly, let’s see the ingredients. Based on the label pictured above, the Neri Ame from Yaokin mainly consists of starch syrup, flavoring, acidifier, and colors.