If you can get one of these, you’ll make everyone jelly.
In the pantheon of Japanese candy, a special place is reserved for Nerunerunerune, a creamy concoction of water and powder that changes colors and flavors before the amazed eyes of children for decades. It has led to a range of powder-based candy marvels ever since with the latest version being a drink.
However, the combination of its novelty and attraction as a cold drink during these hot days has made Nerunerunerune Jelly Drink possibly the hottest candy on the market. They’re sold exclusively at convenience store chain Family Mart and I personally went to 11 stores only to find that it was sold out everywhere.
▼ I did find these neat squid ink potato chips in the bargain bin that used to be an oden table of one Family Mart, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Luckily our writer Saya Togashi managed to find one at the second Family Mart she checked and excitedly bought it to try it out. It’s sold in a plastic cup with a window on the front so you can see the jelly inside. Saya was immediately drawn to the somewhat smoky blue tint of it.
On top is a plastic dome lid holding the packets of powder we’ve come to expect from Nerunerunerune.
Since the base jelly is already made, there are only two packets in this kit. One is the Neruneru No Motto which usually causes the color and flavor change. The other is Shuwa Shuwa Powder whose effervescent name suggests it will make the drink fizz (shuwa shuwa meaning “bubbly” or “fizzy” in Japanese).
As with any Nerunerunerune product, it’s important to read the instructions first. In the case of this drink, you are recommended to shake well before opening.
After peeling off the plastic film, Saya was greeted with the nostalgic scent of candy. It reminded her of Champagne Cider to be exact, which was a little pack of powder that kids are supposed to mix with water to make a soda-like drink. However, the concentrated powder itself tasted better so she would always just eat it straight.
Feeling like a kid again, she opened the pack of Neruneru No Motto and poured it in.
Right away, the blue jelly drink began turning a vibrant purple color.
Not only that, but the whole mixture began to foam up.
After stirring it up, the drink began to take on the consistency of a smoothie and the flavor which was once soda had now become grape.
The last step was to add the Shuwa Shuwa Powder. This seemed strange since the drink was already very foamy, so Saya didn’t know what to expect.
Unlike the previous eye-catching reaction, the drink seemed to just swallow up the Shuwa Shuwa Powder.
She could see through the window that these colorful sprinkles were actually dissolving inside and making the drink fizzy like a carbonated beverage.
As for the taste, this was candy through and through. There were no deeply complex flavors or aromas, but it was a lot of fun to make and that’s all that matters here.
Of course, there are no rules when it comes to Nerunerunerune and the website even suggests other ways you can enjoy it. One way Saya tried was to chill the the blue jelly and only add the Shuwa Shuwa Powder for a crisper and more refreshing drink.
Nerunerunerune embodies the true spirit of playing with your food, and this jelly is no exception. If you ever come across one, be sure to try it out because they’re incredibly scarce at this point and we don’t know if or when the next shipment will arrive.
Same goes for the squid ink chips. I have a feeling if they haven’t yet, they will get a call from Nintendo regarding their package design and it might be harder to find too…
Related: Kracie
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[ Read in Japanese ]