Japanese Festival Food: Candied Grapes

While walking around Kawagoe Festival this weekend, I was surprised to see a food stall dedicated to candied grapes. Candy Apples have been around a long time and in recent years candied strawberries are becoming more popular, but I think this was the first time I saw candied grapes!

One thing that immediately caught my attention was how the candied grapes were displayed. Rather than being piled into containers, they were lined up on skewers across the stall's counter, much like dango or yakitori. The rows of shiny purple grapes created an eye-catching display that was difficult to miss amongst the festival crowds.

Known as budō ame, this festival snack combines fresh grapes with a hard sugar coating. The thin candy shell provides a satisfying crunch when you bite into it, while the grapes inside remain juicy and sweet. The contrast between the crisp exterior and the fresh fruit is part of what has made candied fruit stalls increasingly popular at Japanese festivals.

Have you ever seen candied grapes before?