Botan Rice Candy facts for kids
Botan Rice Candy is a super popular Japanese candy. It's soft and chewy, with a yummy citrus flavor. What makes it special is its outer layer, which looks like plastic but is actually made of rice paper! This thin, clear paper is edible and melts right in your mouth.
Contents
What is Botan Rice Candy?
Botan Rice Candy is a famous type of Japanese candy called bontan ame. It was first made in Japan in 1924 by a company called Seika Foods. Around that time, more Western-style sweets like caramels were becoming popular in Japan. So, bontan ame was designed to look a bit like those candies.
In Japan, these candies are often sold as Dagashi. This means they are cheap and fun snacks, usually aimed at schoolchildren. They often come in small sizes with bright, colorful wrappers and sometimes even include stickers or little prizes!
The word Bontan (or buntan) is the Japanese name for a fruit called Pomelo. This fruit is a bit like a large grapefruit and is often used for the candy's citrus flavor.
The Famous Botan Rice Candy Brand
The specific brand, Botan Rice Candy, is very well known, especially outside Japan. Its packaging has looked almost the same for many years, making it easy to spot! Today, a company called JFC International brings these candies to places like North America.
A box of JFC's Botan Rice Candies usually holds six individual pieces. Each box also comes with a fun sticker inside! The candy's name, Botan (ぼたん), is a clever play on words. While bontan ame refers to the pomelo fruit, botan actually means peony flower. You can even see a peony blossom on the candy's label! Next to the flower, there's an inu-hariko, which is a traditional dog-shaped toy for Japanese children.
What's in Botan Rice Candy?
Here are some of the main things you'll find in Botan Rice Candy:
- Glucose Syrup (made from corn starch and water)
- Sugar
- Sweet rice
- Water
- Lemon and orange flavoring
- A food coloring called FD&C Red No. 40
Some versions might use Millet Jelly instead of corn syrup. The USA import version uses corn syrup, glutinous rice flour, and a special wafer paper made from potato starch, sweet potato starch, rapeseed oil, and soy lecithin.
Nutrition Facts
Here's a quick look at the nutrition for one serving (6 pieces):
- Calories: 60
- Total Fat: 0.0g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 14g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 0g
Other Brands of Bontan Ame
While Botan Rice Candy is very popular, Seika Foods was the company that first created the original Bontan Ame in 1924. They also make other types of candies, like Pineapple Ame.
Another brand that tastes and looks similar is Tomoe Ame. It also comes with fun stickers inside! Other kinds of bontan ame include Satsumaimo and Hyōrokumochi.
