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This beautiful confection with an equally beautiful name is captivating internet users across Japan!

But what exactly are these colorful disc-shaped creations? They’re a treat produced by Confectionery Tsuchiya (Okashi Tsuchiya), a traditional Japanese confection maker based in Gifu Prefecture in Central Japan with a 250-year history, and they’ve given the sweet an aptly elegant name — the “Color of Water (Mizu no Iro)”.

The eye-catching confection is made from a Japanese sweet called hoshi-kingyoku, which is created by boiling agar and sugar thoroughly enough to achieve a substantially high sugar content and then solidifying the mixture. The folks at Tsuchiya have further added their own touch to this sugary item by flattening it as thinly as possible, and adding various herbal flavors to it.

The delicate and bright colors are breathtaking, aren’t they? Each of the colors come in a different flavor: hibiscus and rose hip for red, orange peel for orange, camomile for yellow, spearmint for green and butterfly pea for blue.

As colorful as these are, you may think that “Color of Water” is an unusual name for the confection, as water is typically considered colorless. According to the description on their website, the creators of the sweet wanted to convey how water can take on different colors as different scenery and seasons are reflected in it.

And not only are the sweets striking to look at, they’re sure to make for a special gift, as each piece of the confection is made by hand, meaning that no two pieces are the same shape. The sweet is also strictly made to order and available only for pick up at one of the seven Tsuchiya shops in the Gifu area, as they are quite time-consuming to produce and extremely delicate, making them unsuitable for shipping. It seems like there is currently a 10 day wait to receive your order of the confection.

Not surprisingly, when the Color of Water was introduced on TV earlier this month, it quickly attracted considerable attention, prompting many comments by Japanese Twitter users such as “They’re too beautiful!” and “I wonder what they taste like.”

https://twitter.com/konekobanri1/status/719702984133713920

The Color of Water is available in a box of 10 pieces for 1,080 yen (US$9.92). If you’re going to be in Gifu Prefecture, this could be a rare treat that is a feast not just for your taste buds but for your eyes as well!

Source: Okashi Tsuchiya
Top image: Facebook/ Okashi Tsuchiya