Japanese Salt Candies & Tablets to Prevent Heat Stroke

Here in Niigata, Japan, the weather outside is scorching hot, and the temperature is gradually climbing.

So when I went out shopping today, I stopped by a supermarket and bought salt candies to prevent heatstroke. 

As I wrote in this article, salt candy, or Shio Ame (塩飴), has long been a summertime favorite of us Japanese.

The hard candy contains a small amount of salt, and by its intake, you can replenish salts lost by sweating.

When I was small, Shio Ame was only available in plain flavors, but today, Japanese salt candy has evolved and comes in various varieties, including these.

Lotte Koume Salt Candy & Kabaya Salt Charge Tablet

The products I picked up today, shown in the picture above, are Koume Salt Candy from Lotte and Salt Charge Tablet from Kabaya.

Unlike the classic Shio Ame I used to eat as a kid, in addition to sodium chloride, they both contain potassium and citric acid to replenish minerals lost in sweat.

Flavors/Taste

The Kabaya Salt Charge Tablet has a sports drink flavor, while the Lotte Koume Salt Hard Candy comes in Ume plum and lemon flavors.

These treats only contain minimal salt and are very easy to eat and delicious. The faint saltiness even helps accentuate the sweet taste.

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

Lastly, here are the ingredients and nutrition facts of the Kabaya Salt Charge Tablet and Lotte Koume Salt Candy.

Based on the label, the salt candy tablet (per piece/2.8 grams) has 10.3 kcal and contains 0.108 g salt equivalents, 15.5 mg potassium, and 155 mg citric acid equivalents.

On the other hand, the Koume hard candies have 11 kcal per piece (3.1 grams) and contain 0.12/0.13 (Ume/Lemon) g salt equivalents, 13 mg potassium, 1.2 mg vitamin C, and 82 mg citric acid.

(Reference Page: Pixiv Encyclopedia 塩飴 )