The fact that Black Black (ブラックブラック)—Japanese chewing gum sold by Lotte since 1983—has “Hi-Technical Excellent Taste And Flavor” written all over the package was in-itself cool enough to get my attention, but a late-night coder that I am, it’s not until I saw the ingredient list that I made my purchase decision. Oolong tea extract, ginkgo biloba, caffeine, ginseng, chrysanthemum flower, niacinamide… Believe me or not, it not only works as advertised, but also has a great taste!
The gum actually isn’t totally black in color, but thankfully, that doesn’t make it neither less hi-tech, nor less tasty. The moment it touches your mouth, and even more so after a few minutes of chewing, you’ll feel that this is something new, something different from anything you’ve ever tasted before. It’s mint, but not too strong. It’s sweet, but not too much. It’s very refreshing, it has a long lasting flavor, and loaded with caffeine—found to be absorbed four to five times faster in the chewing gum form, than in any other form—this gum really wakes you up. If you don’t believe me, just check these ads starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Golgo 13 (ゴルゴ13).
