What Is Mizoredama? Japan’s Award-Winning Sugar-Coated Candy

Mizoredama (みぞれ玉), also written Mizore Dama, is a Japanese hard candy made by Matsuya Seika (松屋製菓) in Ise, Mie Prefecture. Each piece is a big, round candy of about 10g, coated in coarse zarame sugar and wrapped one by one. It has been on sale since 1986, and in 1989 it won an award at Japan's biggest confectionery exhibition.

What Is Mizoredama?

Mizoredama is a large hard candy with a sweet, fruity centre and a crunchy crust of zarame (ザラメ), coarse crystal sugar. The maker calls it 甘酸っぱい (amazuppai), which means sweet with a fruity tang. In practice it's mostly sweet, with only a light tartness. Matsuya Seika describes it as a long-seller made to recreate a simple, nostalgic taste.

Six Flavours in the Mix

Each bag is a mix of six flavours: strawberry, lemon, grape, orange, melon and cider (Japanese soda). The maker notes that the mix can vary, so not every bag is guaranteed to hold all six.

Shop Mizoredama Pack of 10 bags

Coloured With Plants, Not Synthetic Dyes

Look at the ingredient list and you'll find only four colourings, all from plants: elderberry, safflower, gardenia and paprika. Japanese labelling rules require every additive to be listed, so there are no synthetic dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5 or Blue 1 in Mizoredama. The bright colours come from the plants themselves.

Who Makes Mizoredama?

Matsuya Seika is a candy maker founded in 1962 and based in Ise, the city best known as the home of Ise Grand Shrine. The company launched Mizoredama in 1986 and still makes it in Ise today. Its factory can produce up to 20 tonnes of candy a day.

A Candy From the Home of Ise Grand Shrine

Ise Grand Shrine (伊勢神宮, Ise Jingū) is one of Japan's most sacred places. It is made up of 125 shrines, centred on the Inner Shrine (Naikū) and the Outer Shrine (Gekū), and its main buildings have been rebuilt every 20 years for around 1,300 years.

Every October, people from Ise haul carts of newly harvested rice to the shrine in a festival called the Hatsuho-hiki (初穂曳). Matsuya Seika's own company page lists a letter of thanks connected to the Hatsuho-hiki, along with a certificate for an offering made to the Outer Shrine. Mizoredama's maker has its own connection to the shrine's traditions.

Mizoredama's 1989 Award

In 1989, Mizoredama won the Chairman's Award (会長賞) at the 21st National Confectionery Exposition (全国菓子大博覧会), held in Matsue, Shimane. The exposition began in 1911 and is held roughly every four years. It is Japan's largest confectionery exhibition, and the 1989 event drew more than 730,000 visitors. In Japan's sweets industry, an award there is regarded as one of the highest honours.

The award is still printed on the front of the bag today: 第21回全国菓子大博覧会 会長賞受賞 1989.

What Does Mizoredama Taste Like?

The first thing you notice is the crust. The coarse sugar crystals give every candy a sparkle and a crunch. When our team first tried them, four bags were gone before we'd even taken photos. Underneath is a big hard candy that's sweet and fruity, with a light tang. At about 10g each, the maker calls it 大粒 (ōtsubu), a "big piece" candy.

What Does "Mizore" Mean?

みぞれ (mizore) has two meanings in Japanese. It is the word for sleet, snow that half-melts and falls mixed with rain. It is also the name for shaved ice (kakigori) topped with sugar syrup. 玉 (tama, read "dama" here) means ball.

Matsuya Seika doesn't say which meaning inspired the name. Either way, one look at that frosty sugar coat and it fits.

Where to Buy Mizoredama

Mizoredama is available at Oyatsu Mart as a single bag or a pack of ten 160g bags, shipped from Japan. Looking for more? Browse our full range of Japanese snacks.

Shop Mizoredama Pack of 10 bags

Product Details

Allergens: None of Japan's specified allergens are used. Made in a factory that also handles wheat, milk, gelatin, soy, peach and apple.

Ingredients: Sugar (made in Japan), starch syrup, acidulant, flavouring, colourings (elderberry, safflower yellow, gardenia blue, paprika)

Storage: Room temperature, away from direct sunlight, heat and humidity

Product details from Matsuya Seika's official product page and packaging.