Kabaya Ju-C: One of Japan’s Most Loved Ramune Candies
When you hear “Ramune (ラムネ)”, you may bring to mind the Japanese carbonated soft drink that was derived from lemonade, but there is another Ramune in Japan, which is not a beverage but a tablet of sugar candy.
The Japanese treat, Ramune is said to have more than 100 years of history and basically consists of sugar or glucose, starch (potato or corn), and acidifier (citric acid), but today comes in many varieties and various flavors.
Ramune is generally characterized by its chalky texture and refreshing taste characteristic of citric acid or the like and is produced and sold by many food companies here in Japan.
But when it comes to brand recognition, Morinaga Ramune Soda Candy and what I introduce here Kabaya Ju-C are especially famous.
Kabaya Ju-C
“Ju-C (ジューC)” is a long-selling Ramune candy that Kabaya Foods started to sell in 1965 and actually was released earlier than the Ramune Fizzy Soda Candy introduced by Morinaga in 1973.
Flavors
This time I bought the cider flavor, which doesn’t recreate the taste of the alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples but has a taste similar to Sprite or Mitsuya Cider.
By the way, according to the official website of Kabaya Foods, the classic Ramune candy, Ju-C is currently also available in grape, soda, and glucose flavors.
Features
Unlike Morinaga Ramune Soda Candy, tiny green candy bits are incorporated throughout the Ju-C Ramune tablet. These tablets are neither sour nor acidic but have a refreshing taste literally close to the Japanese soda drink, cider.
Although the texture of the Japanese treat is somewhat hard like chalk, while the candy is crunched in the mouth, it slowly melts away, leaving refreshing sweetness.
Ingredients and Nutrition Facts
Lastly, let’s see the ingredients and nutrition facts label. According to that, with 87 kcal per one case (15 grains/24 grams), the Kabaya Ju-C Cider Flavor Ramune tablet candy is made from glucose, sugar, starch syrup, corn starch, acidifier, emulsifier, flavoring (originating from milk), and colors (Monascus, cape jasmine).
