It’s widely known that Japanese people love to eat fish (although in recent years, hamburgers and pizza have become increasingly a part of our diet). But even in a country where fish is treasured – so much so that a single tuna can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at the fish market – you normally wouldn’t expect to see a product this “fishy” – fish flavored chewing gum!

Web service provider Es Corporation has announced that they will be selling chewing gum in the flavor of mackerel braised in miso sauce, a popular Japanese fish dish known as “saba no misoni“, or “saba-miso” for short.  And according to their web page for pre-ordering the mackerel flavored gum, this unique sncak, advertised at 500yen ($6.25) for 10 pieces, has been so popoular that they have already sold out just with the pre-orders, even before they have actually started selling the product!

The gum is supposed to taste like “saba-miso” made with the very best ingredients; they’ve tried to recreat the taste of “seki-saba” – a particular type of mackerel well-known in Japan for its high quality that is caught specifically in the Hoyo Strait located between Oita Prefecture in the Kyushu region and Ehime Prefecture in the shikoku region of Japan – cooked in a combination of various famous miso pastes from around the coutry.

According to comments from Es Corporation, their initial idea was to create a gum that contains DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), an omega-3 fatty acid that is found in high concentration in oceanic fish oil, as a healthy snack for students studying for entrance exams, since DHA is said to be good for brain development. They are also advertising that the gum will make excellent party favors and suprise gifts for the health conscious.

We have to say that it’s difficult even for Japanese people familaiar with saba-miso to imagine what this gum tastes like. Es Corporation has described it as a “revolutionary collaboration of taste” and that the gum has an unforgettable taste unlike anything you’ve experienced before. Would you be willing to give it a try? Who knows, it may help improve your brain function!

Source:Es shop website (Japanese)via ITmedia (Japanese)


The package contains 10 pieces of the saba-miso gum.