The appeal of Sweet Lip is not limited to its beautiful packaging or cosmetic-like design. Despite offering such natural, vivid colors, the product uses no added colorants or fragrances. We were surprised to hear how those colors are created. The color comes from pureeing whole fruit—from the skin to the fruit itself—and adding it to the candy. Uwajima Blood Orange, for example, provides lustrous color, full-bodied sweetness, refreshing acidity and a rich citrus aroma. This is made using blood oranges from Uwajima, in Ehime Prefecture, which benefit from bright sunshine and a warm climate. “We are particularly fond of this flavor, since when creating the product we traveled all the way to Ehime to visit the farmers there,” says Ms. Kawaguchi. Normally, most farmers have no idea how their products end up once the fruit has been shipped, so they’re surprised when someone brings them the finished Sweet Lip product. As Ms. Kawaguchi explains, “Once they actually try it, their reaction is often one of surprise since the flavor of the fruit comes through much more than they expected.” It must make them very happy to know that the fruit they so carefully cultivated is being pureed and used right down to the peel. Ms. Kawaguchi told us about something else the brand is committed to: “We choose fruit that tastes great as candy, and won’t be too cloying even if you finish a whole piece.” What is important is not just the color and flavor of the fruit, but its compatibility with the candy about which Ameya Eitaro is so passionate.

 

After going through this process, the finished Sweet Lip is more than just a candy to be eaten; it has a variety of other uses. You can of course slip one into your bag to replenish sugar when you’re tired, or pour it over plain yogurt, or even use it in your tea in place of sugar. This, too, reflects Ameya Eitaro’s belief that candy should be freely enjoyed, and the company hopes that people will enjoy it however they wish to.