"Worry-Free Restroom Trips: The 100-Year-Old Jelly You Must Bring to Concerts and Theaters [Sunday Culture]"

Tracing the Roots of Bontan Ame:
Inspired by Regional Confectioneries and the Original Chosen Candy
A Centenarian Jelly Becomes a Must-Have
for Concerts and Theaters Among Japanese Youth

"I tried the Japanese jelly you can eat with the wrapper on."

Bontan Ame introduced on Korean YouTube. YouTube.

This Japanese jelly has been appearing frequently on social media platforms lately. Old-fashioned jellies wrapped in edible film are gaining popularity. From Kinjo Jelly by Kinjo Confectionery to many other varieties, these jellies are trending, but the most fundamental one is 'Bontan Ame.' This jelly boasts a 100-year history. Recently, this retro jelly has been attracting attention among young Japanese people for an unexpected use. Today, I will share the story of Bontan Ame, the Japanese jelly with an edible wrapper that has also been spotlighted on social media in Korea.

Tracing Back to the Origin: Chosen Ame

In Japanese, 'Ame' (飴) means candy. 'Bontan' refers to pomelo, a fruit that is now also imported into Korea. It is called either 'bontan' or 'buntan,' and it is said to have been introduced to Japan from abroad through Kagoshima. Because the flesh of the bontan is sour and bitter, people in Kagoshima have long preserved the inner peel of the bontan in sugar, creating 'Bontanzuke,' a traditional preserved fruit.

Bontan Ame was first produced in 1925 by 'Kagoshima Confectionery,' the predecessor of today's Seika Foods. At that time, the company manufactured not only candy but also syrup, and they used syrup to make 'Chosen Ame' (朝鮮飴, Chosen Candy). The name 'Chosen Candy' is quite unique, isn't it? It is a specialty of Kumamoto Prefecture, near Kagoshima, and is made by shaping syrup into a jelly-like form and coating it with starch powder. It is shaped as a long rectangle. There is a painful history behind this. Originally, it was called 'Chosei Ame' (長生飴, Longevity Candy) to emphasize its good preservation qualities. However, during the Japanese invasions of Korea, Japanese general Kato Kiyomasa brought it with him to the Korean Peninsula. After that, the name evolved into 'Chosen Ame,' or Chosen Candy, due to the similarity in pronunciation.

Chosen Ame sold in Kumamoto. Kumamoto Tourism Bureau.

In any case, the founder of Kagoshima Confectionery saw factory workers cutting the rectangular Chosen Ame into small pieces for fun. This inspired the idea to create a jelly shaped in small pieces. By adding the flavor and aroma of the local specialty, bontan, and shaping it like caramel, Bontan Ame was born. Since the traditional method has been preserved, the recipe still uses syrup, sugar, and glutinous rice as the dough. In Korea, there was also a nostalgic stationery store snack called 'Oburaito,' which was famous for being wrapped in a film-like sheet that melted in your mouth, earning it the nickname 'jelly you can eat with the wrapper on.'

Scarcity Among Millennials & Gen Z... Famous as the 'Jelly for Holding It In'

This jelly is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and it has gained huge popularity in Japan for a different reason. The belief is that 'eating Bontan Ame allows you to avoid going to the restroom.' Young people now consider it an essential item when attending concerts or movie theaters, where it's inconvenient to leave for the restroom, because they believe it helps them hold it in. As a result, some stores have even posted 'Bontan Ame Sold Out' signs, leading to a shortage.

In fact, the regional newspaper Nishinippon Shimbun conducted an experiment with 10 university students, comparing a group that drank water and ate Bontan Ame before class with a group that only drank water. Seven out of ten said they went to the restroom later when they ate Bontan Ame. However, of those seven, five had already heard the rumor that Bontan Ame suppresses the urge to go to the restroom. This suggests that the placebo effect could be at play.

The store is announcing that the Bontan Americano is sold out. TBS.

However, it is not entirely without scientific basis. Bontan Ame is mainly made from syrup, glutinous rice, and other sugars and carbohydrates, which bind to water molecules and are stored in the body as glycogen. This makes it easier for the body to retain water, which theoretically could reduce the amount of urine produced. Still, it is difficult to guarantee how effective eating just a few pieces of jelly would be.

Before the Bontan Ame trend, there was already a belief that eating high-sugar foods like glutinous rice cakes or castella would help people avoid frequent restroom trips. Some analysts believe Bontan Ame's popularity is an extension of this idea. In any case, what seemed like just a popular snack on TikTok actually has a much richer story behind it than expected.