Black Black facts for kids
| Product type | Chewing gum |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lotte Confectionery |
| Country |  Japan |
| Introduced | 1983 |
| Website | http://www.lotte.co.jp/ |
Black Black is a special kind of chewing gum made in Japan by a company called Lotte. It's known for having caffeine in it, which is the same stuff found in coffee or energy drinks that helps you feel more awake. This gum has been around since 1983 and is very popular in Japan.
One reason it became so well-known is because of its funny and memorable TV commercials. These ads even featured famous actor Jean-Claude Van Damme! Black Black gum also became popular in the United States after a magazine called Wired wrote about it in 2003. They said it had a very strong and unique taste. The gum gets its name "Black Black" because it has a dark, almost charcoal-like color.
Contents
What's Inside Black Black Gum?
Black Black gum is made with several ingredients that give it its special taste and kick.
Key Ingredients
Some of the main things you'll find in Black Black gum include:
- Sugar and starch syrup: These make the gum sweet.
- Grape sugar: Another type of sugar.
- Erythritol: A sugar alcohol often used as a sweetener.
- Oolong tea extract: This adds a unique flavor.
- Ginkgo extract: From the ginkgo tree, often used in supplements.
- Chrysanthemum flower extract: Another plant extract for flavor.
- Gum base: This is what makes it chewy!
- Flavorings: To give it its distinct taste.
- Coloring agents: Like cacao and gardenia to make it black.
- Caffeine: The ingredient that gives you a little boost.
- Nicotinamide: A type of B vitamin.
Clearing Up a Common Mix-Up
For a long time, there was a common story going around that Black Black gum contained nicotine. This is not true. The confusion happened because one of the ingredients is called nicotinamide. Even though the names sound a bit similar, nicotinamide is a harmless B vitamin, and it's completely different from nicotine, which is found in tobacco. So, you don't need to worry about that!
Fun Phrases on the Wrapper
Sometimes, the gum wrappers have interesting English phrases printed on them. One common phrase you might see is "HI-TECHNICAL * EXCELLENT TASTE AND FLAVOR". Some sticks also say "YES, CHEWING!". These phrases are a fun part of the gum's unique style.
