In the future, food will be served in tablet form. We've learned this from comic books and the better researched sci-fi films — once the Earth has been depleted of its natural resources, humans will derive nutrients from synthetic, capsuled sources, and taste will become irrelevant. Luckily, the future is not now. The future is tomorrow — unless you live in Japan, where it's already tomorrow, and years ahead technologically. Japan has been manufacturing Sakuma Drops hard candies since World War II, in flavors suspiciously like real food. Are they merely a novelty, or a taste of things to come? As we approach a new year, we may begin to consider the list below as we would an airplane menu on a flight for which we have not packed a sandwich: a reluctant necessity of survival. Or just a laugh.

10.

beer drop; Credit: jbox

beer drop; Credit: jbox

7.

sashimi drops

sashimi drops

3. SASHIMI – Katsuo no Tataki (Kochi)

How can a tablet capture the taste of bonito, sliced thicker than other sashimi, with the surface seared slightly? It can't. At least not yet. But the Sakuma drop version is indeed fishy, and much MUCH cheaper than the real thing.

2. Cheese Fondue

Sakuma believes in a little something for everyone. Hence, The World of Food Drops, a line of drop candy with international flavors: Shrimp with Chili Sauce for China, Spaghetti Peperoncino for Italy, and Cheese Fondue is a drop candy for the Swiss.

1. Ikura Don Drops

A traditional Japanese dish, ikura don is a simple bowl of rice topped with a massive amount of salmon roe. Ikura Don have a milder sweetness than most sweet Sakuma drops, and are only available in Hokkaido and online.

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