This product is a traditional Japanese sugar candy called konpeito. Although konpeito is actually one of the dagashis (Japanese cheap snacks), it requires some professional skills to produce it.

Konpeito is a tiny sugar lump repeatedly coated with sugar-based syrup. To produce this snack, the sugar lumps are heated slowly in a large inclined rotating pot called “dora” and by applying the syrup drop by drop, it eventually turns to a ball with a number of horny prongs.

This assortment features five different colors and flavors: white (plain sugar), purple (grape), orange (peach), yellow (apple), and green (soda pop). The colored konpeitos are pigmented only with natural colorants.

Enjoy its simple sugar taste, crunchy texture, and a distinctive sound every time you bite. You can also enjoy this snack by adding it into tea, coffee, plain yogurt, or ice cream.

Trivia: konpeito is said to be a corrupt form of Portuguese word “confeito” which is Portugal’s local confectionary and was first introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders in the early 16th century. Despite konpeito is renowned for its horny bulges, the reasons for their formulation have not theoretically proven yet.