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In Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
, oblaat ( ja, オブラート, oburāto) is a thin, edible layer of starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets ...
used to wrap some candies and pharmaceuticals, similar to capsules.
Description
Many types of Japanese candy are wrapped in oblate film, which is an edible, thincellophane
Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria, and liquid water makes it useful for food packaging. Cellophane is highly permeable to water vapour, but may be coated w ...
made of rice starch
Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diets, ...
. It has no taste nor odor, and is transparent. It is useful to preserve gelatinous
Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...
sweets by absorbing humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity depe ...
. In America, these films are called oblate discs, blate papes, and edible films. They're most commonly used to take powdered herbs, supplements, and medications, allowing the user to consume multiple grams at one time more quickly and pleasantly than with capsules or other methods.Etymology
The name comes from theDutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
word "oblaat".
History
Oblaat was introduced toJapan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
by Dutch pharmaceutical companies in the late 19th century to wrap bad tasting medicine so that it could be swallowed without tasting any bitter powder. Oblaat's moisture-absorbing properties have since given rise to its use for a candy wrapper, to keep the pieces of candy from sticking together.
See also
*Capsule (pharmacy)
In the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, encapsulation refers to a range of dosage forms—techniques used to enclose medicines—in a relatively stable shell known as a capsule, allowing them to, for example, be taken orally or be used as supposit ...
* Confectionery
Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...
* Dagashi
''Dagashi'' (Japanese: 駄菓子) refers to cheap candies and snack foods. ''Dagashi'' are comparable to American penny candy.
The word ''dagashi'' is derived from the Japanese words ''da'' ("futile" or "negligible") and ''kashi'' (snacks). The ...
* Botan Rice Candy
Botan Rice Candy is a specific brand of a category of Japanese candy called bontan ame (ボンタンアメ). Bontan ame are soft, chewy, citrus-flavored candy with an outer layer of rice paper or Oblaat. The rice paper is clear and plastic-like w ...
* White Rabbit (candy)
White Rabbit Creamy Candy () is a brand of milk candy manufactured by Shanghai Guan Sheng Yuan Food, Ltd. (), in China. It is an iconic cultural brand and has been in production since 1943.
Ingredients and varieties
White Rabbit candies are ...
* Bánh đa nem (Northern Vietnamese rice paper)
* List of Japanese foods
Below is a list of dishes found in Japanese cuisine. Apart from rice, staples in Japanese cuisine include noodles, such as soba and udon. Japan has many simmered dishes such as fish products in broth called oden, or beef in sukiyaki and nikuja ...
* Parachute (drugs)
References
Confectionery {{ingredient-stub