Japanese candy is known to be weird and wonderful, usually both at the same time! When it comes to Japanese soda drinks, you can expect a few surprises here too. One of the most popular is Ramune Soda, also called the ‘marble drink’, read on and we’ll shed some light on exactly why.
Ramune soda was originally developed in the 1850s but came into its own in 1888 when it began to be packaged in its iconic ‘codd-neck’ bottles. It’s become Japan’s national soft drink, and especially popular during the summertime and festivals. McDonald’s in Japan even produced a ramune-flavored shake in 2020.
Ramune is from the English lemonade, although Ramune is different to lemonade in the Western world which is known as remone-do or remoneedo in Japanese.
Ramune Flavours
Today Ramune comes in a variety of flavours, including melon, strawberry, orange, and blueberry and is very much admired in modern Japanese culture. The most popular variety remains the original 'ramune' flavour; a refreshing lemon and lime that has remained largely unchanged. Check out the full range and different flavours of Ramune Soda drinks here.
How to Open Ramune Soda Bottles
Whilst this might sound slightly peculiar, remember we’re talking Japanese soda, so there’s got to be something quirky about Ramune soda bottles, right? Absolutely, it’s why Ramune drinks are also known as ‘marble drinks’ because there is a bizarre bottle opening technique. Whilst you don’t usually require ‘How to’ instructions to open a bottle, Ramune drinks do! So here it goes…read carefully.
- Place your Ramune drink on a flat and stable surface.
- Remove the outer wrapper/seal from the top of the bottle.
- You’ll see a loose plastic ring and plunger topper; you need to pop out the plunger and discard the plastic ring.
- Put the plunger in the top of the bottle and push down the tab until the marble pops down into the special chamber along the bottle neck (known as a codd-neck).
- HOLD THE PUSH TAB for a few seconds to prevent drink exploding!
- The marble stays in the special chamber or codd-neck and you can pour the drink.
Ramune top tip….
Some bottles have two grooves on the side of Ramune bottles where you’re supposed to hold the soda and the marble sits in the groves to help keep the marble away from the cap and let the soda flow.
If you still can’t open your Ramune soda bottle, take a look at Tiktok, there are some highly amusing attempts to open Ramune drinks and hopefully you’ll get the right idea.
Why is a Marble Ball in Ramune Soda Drinks?
With both the Ramune bottle and marble being glass, the marble in Ramune Soda creates a seal to keep the soda’s carbonation and used as a cap so the soda stays fizzy. It also makes it stand out from the crowd when it comes to soda drinks.
Hence Ramune soda got the name as the ‘marble drink’, but don’t worry it can’t fall out of the bottle, so there’s no risk of choking. It’s got to be one of the most entertaining and unique drink bottles for both kids and adults, not only in Japan but across the world.
Japanese Soda Drinks
Here at Candymail.co.uk, we have a huge collection of the most popular sweets and snacks from Japan, so why not try some Japanese soda drinks to go your Japanese candy and feel the zen while you sip your soda this summer.