Why Puchao Candy Is Japan’s Chewy Treat You Can’t Resist

If you like your candies soft, chewy, and juicy, Puchao was made for you. There are dozens of flavors available within and outside Japan. Read our guide to learn everything there is to know about Puchao and its many flavors. What Is Puchao? Puchao (or Puccho) is a Japanese soft and chewy candy with bits of juicy gummies inside. By keeping most of the fruity or fizzy bits on the inside, the candy combines chewy textures with bursts of flavor. Puchao is manufactured by UHA Mikakuto, a renowned Japanese confectionery company with a knack for producing hearty and delicious tastes. It’s known as Puccho in Japan. In this post, we'll focus on Puchao, the version made for consumers outside Japan. Each pack of Puchao contains multiple pieces of individually wrapped candy pieces. They come in a wide variety of fruity, soda, or herbal flavors, including strawberry, mango, grape, cola, ramune soda, and matcha. Puchao is one of the most popular candies in Japan because of its unique traits, which include the combination of chewy gummies and fruit or soda flavors. The Origins of Puchao Candy Puchao was created by UHA Mikakuto, a Japanese company founded in 1949. The company launched its first gummy candy series in 1987. Upon release, Puchao was considered a major competitor to Morinaga’s Hi-Chew candy. However, with the release of several new flavors, the soft candy carved a niche for itself in the Japanese candy market. Today, many locals and tourists still compare the two chewy candy brands. What Are the Ingredients in Puchao? Join us as we unlock the secrets to Puchao’s exquisite taste and texture by taking a look at all of its core ingredients. Chewy candy base Every Puchao product contains a chewy and soft candy base made from gelatin. Fun fact: gelatin is a colorless and flavorless ingredient derived from animal parts. It’s a major component in most gummy candies. The gelatin in Puchao candies is derived from pork. Juicy gummy flavor Each piece contains several bits of flavored gummies embedded in the chewy candy base. There are three main types of Puchao flavors: fruit, soda, and green tea. Fizzy tablet Only Puchao flavors that fall in the soda variety contain fizzy tablets. Like the juicy gummies, they are embedded in the chewy base, but in significantly fewer numbers. Fizzy tablets give consumers the sensation of tasting real soda. Other Ingredients The chewy base and gummies contain other ingredients in small quantities. These ingredients include milk, corn syrup, coconut, and palm kernel oil. Why Are Japanese Gummies So Good? Japanese gummies are much better than gummy candies made in Western regions. Their most innovative trait is that they do not rely on regular fruit tastes but instead offer a wide range of flavors. Many of them include flavors of soda, cola, and other drinks. Some even contain healthy and natural ingredients like green tea. Japanese gummies also come in a wide variety of textures ranging from soft to hard. Some of them use gelatin, but there are more than a few that use agar jelly, a plant-based ingredient. Hence, they appeal to a wider range of consumers around the world. Puchao vs. Hi-Chew: How Do They Compare? The stick version of Puchao soft candy is most similar to Hi-Chew, the Japanese fruit gummy sold by Morinaga. In terms of texture, they are both chewy. However, Puchao has a softer texture and lasts longer when you chew it. While Hi-Chew has over 200 flavors, Puchao barely has a dozen. Hi-Chew also has more Japan-exclusive options compared to Puccho. We’re still on the fence about which of the two gummy candy brands is better. Judging from global polls, candy lovers can’t seem to decide either, as some prefer Puchao’s texture while others like the taste of Hi-Chew better. Popular Puchao Flavors You Need to Try In this section, we’ll spotlight some of the must-try flavors available at Bokksu Market, the No. 1 platform to shop for Asian snacks and candies. Fruit Mix The Puchao Fruit Mix is the most popular pure fruity flavor. The springy gummy is flavored with the taste of any one of four different fruits, namely, mango, grape, melon, and strawberry. The product is 100% made in Japan and is available to you via Bokksu Market. ==https://www.bokksumarket.com/products/puchao-gummy-candy-fruit-mix== Soda Mix This version also contains the taste of real fruits. However, the flavors are combined with fizzy tablets, giving consumers the special sensation of enjoying fruit soda. One bag contains four flavors, which are grape soda, apple soda, orange soda, and watermelon soda. ==https://www.bokksumarket.com/products/puchao-gummy-candy-soda-mix== Ramune & Cola This product features a combo of two soda-flavored gummies, ramune and cola. Also known as Bubbly Soda Puchao, it's the perfect treat to share in social gatherings among friends. ==https://www.bokksumarket.com/products/uha-mikakuto-puchao-gummy-candy-cola== Limited-Edition Puchao Flavors and Seasonal Releases Over the decades, there have been special editions and regional Puchao flavors that showcase UHA Mikakuto’s creative approach to candy-making. While some are impossible to buy, a few can still be found among rare collections. Puchao x Demon Slayer: Peach Soda In March 2022, Puchao joined forces with popular anime franchise Demon Slayer to create peach-flavored and grape-flavored soda gummies. The peach soda version turned out to be a favorite among our customers. It contained rewards, most notably collectible roll tapes decorated with pictures of 10 characters from the anime, including Nezuko, Tanjiro, Rengoku, and Inosuke. This special edition was packaged in two types of bags: one with a Tanjiro theme and the other with a Nezuko theme. Lovers of refreshing peach flavors and the Demon Slayer series couldn’t get enough of the limited edition Puchao when it was released in 2022. Unfortunately, it’s currently out of stock. Puchao Cold Watermelon In the summer of 2024, UHA Mikakuto launched the perfect solution to the searing heat, an innovative gummy candy featuring the taste of chilled watermelon. Inspired by the Japanese summer tradition of chilling fruits with cold river water, the juice used comes from real watermelon found in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. If you’re lucky, you may still find this product in Japanese stores. Puchao Trick Halloween Mix In October 2024, Puchao released its limited-edition Halloween Mix in celebration of the spooky season. It featured themed designs and flavors, including originals like grape, orange, and muscat. There was a fourth seasonal flavor known as “Devil,” which was actually the flavor of spicy chilli pepper. Why Is Puchao One of the Most Popular Asian Candies? Puchao is a top-tier Asian candy brand. It’s one of the most popular candies to come out of the continent because of the bits of juicy gummies embedded in each piece, which gives it a unique texture and creates a burst of flavors. Its soda flavors are the most popular products in the lineup, thanks to their massive global appeal. Puchao’s Role in Japanese Candy Culture Puchao reflects the innovation and tradition of Japanese confectionery through its flavors. The use of flavors like ramune soda and cold watermelon are just some of the many examples of the brand’s interpretation of Japanese culture. Puchao also plays a prominent role as a popular alternative to Hi-Chew, the most famous gummy in Japan. It’s enjoyed by both kids and adults. Exploring Japanese Gummy Candy Beyond Puchao Puchao may be one of the best, but there are many other popular Japanese gummy brands. Visit a local supermarket in any Japanese city, and you will find several of them stacked in the candy section of the store. They include the following: Hi-Chew Kasugai Goldbears Sharimoni Gummy Candy Poifull Tough Gummy Bokksu Market’s Selection of Puchao Candy Bokksu Market offers a wide range of Puchao Gummy Candy products. You’ll find packs like Fruit Mix, Soda Mix, and Ramune & Cola. We also offer Puchao sticks, such as Melon, Mango, and Grape flavors. Explore our site today and try some of these treats. You’ll love our free shipping and discount deals! How to Enjoy Puchao Candy Pop any flavor of Puchao in your mouth and slowly chew the candy until you run out. Unlike gum, you don’t have to spit out the soft candy after chewing. You may swallow it. Feel free to pair different flavors with tea or share a pack with friends and family. Asian Candy You Can’t Miss: A Quick Guide Don’t miss out on the high-quality ingredients and unique flavors that make Japanese sweets stand out. Visit Bokksu Market to get access to other must-try Asian candies. Our lineup of products includes Kracie Popin Cookin DIY Candy, Morinaga Hi-Chew, Skittles Rainbow Lollipops, Kawaguchi Awawa Soda Hard Candy, and Milkita Creamy Candy. We have multiple flavors of each brand on our site, and all of them are worth a try. Enjoy!