This is the Kaneka Foods x JA Kanagawa Shōnan Gold Gumi. It used the juice of shōnan gold, a yellow citrus fruit produced by crossing ōgonkan and imamura unshū grown in western Kanagawa Prefecture. It contained 2.4 billion CFUs of labre lactic acid bacteria.
Each piece was an opaque orange hue, measuring approximately 2 cm in diameter and 1 cm in height, and emitted a vibrant lemony aroma reminiscent of fresh Sicilian lemons. On tasting, the gummy exterior had a moderate bounce, around 3 out of 5 on the Meiji softness to hardness scale, before swiftly reaching the soft jelly centre. The gummy exterior provided a steady, mellow sourness with a subtle lemon flavour, while the jelly centre released a richer citrusy taste that recalled sweet lemon juice with a fresh hint of tartness and a lingering, almost floral quality on the palate, without any notable presence of citrus oils. Chewing the gummy extended the presence of the jelly on the palate, revealing an increasingly juicy flavour.
Overall, these gummies elegantly captured the refreshing sweetness and hint of the tartness of the Shōnan Gold citrus, enticing one to try the fruit itself.
This Kaneka Foods x JA Kanagawa Shōnan Gold Gumi contained 40 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Hong Kong in 2023.