This article is about the caffeinated Japanese chewing gum. For the musical group, see
Blackblack.
Black Black (ブラックブラック, Burakku Burakku) is a brand of caffeinated chewing gum produced in Japan by Lotte. It has been sold since 1983.[1] It is popular in Japan, partially due to its television commercials that star Jean-Claude Van Damme. After being mentioned by Wired in 2003, which described its effect as "Sambuca spiked with Vicks VapoRub",[2] Lotte Black Black became popular in the United States[citation needed]. The gum's name is derived from its charcoal-like color.[clarification needed]
Ingredients include sugar, starch syrup, grape sugar, erythritol, oolong tea extract, ginkgo extract, chrysanthemum flower extract, gum base, flavorings, coloring agents (cacao, gardenia), caffeine, and nicotinamide. A persistent urban legend holds that the gum contains nicotine, the misconception stemming from confusion with nicotinamide, a different substance related to the B vitamins.
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