Calorie Mate: Japan’s Tasty Meal Supplement and a Hiker’s Best Friend

History of the Calorie Mate

The story of Calorie Mate started with a simple question: "What is health?" A Japanese researcher pondered this question as he attempted to come up with an idea for a revolutionary new product that would improve the overall well-being and health of others. As he visited local hospitals to conduct research, he encountered a young patient who, although cured of their illness, was still struggling to recover completely as he could not eat properly and was still reliant on an IV drip.

From there, the researcher's goal became to make a supplement that recovering patients could ingest to help wean them off of their IV. For clues on how to make such a product, the researcher turned his attention to the stars as the race to be the first man on the moon was raging at the time. Inspired by the space-saving and nutrient-rich space food that astronauts were set to bring on their manned mission to the moon, Calorie Mate's development team applied these same principles to their product and went into development.

The first product that the group put on the market was called "Hinex-R" and was a nutritional powder meant for oral consumption. While this was effective as a medical supplement, the product was slow to catch on simply because people just didn't enjoy eating raw powder. The problem was that although they had mastered the nutritious element of the product, they had yet to make something that consumers genuinely enjoyed eating. So after four years, it was back to the drawing board to create a new product that people could genuinely enjoy.

Eventually, the development team got the idea of making the product a more solid bar, similar to a cookie or biscuit, to be easier and more enjoyable to consume. Finally, after six more years of research and testing, Calorie Mate hit Japanese shelves back in 1983 and has been produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. ever since.

What Does Calorie Mate Taste Like?

Calorie Mate has a simple, pleasant taste that can be roughly compared to shortbread cookies. It has a nice sweetness to it and a crumbly texture, but after you take a bite, you'll want some water or a drink on hand as it is quite dry. In terms of ingredients, flour, margarine, sugar, assorted vitamins, and some additional flavor agents are the backbone of the Calorie Mate. When it comes to flavor, while it's nothing too fancy, it will keep you very full for an extended period of time which is the intended purpose.

At the time of its debut in 1973, Calorie Mate only came in its original cheese flavor, but the following year a fruit flavor became available in stores. Seeing rising sales and a surge in popularity, a chocolate flavor was introduced in 1993, a maple flavor in 2009, and most recently, a plain flavor in 2014. 

In addition to the original Calorie Mate block, Calorie Mate is also sold as a Jelly and in a canned liquid form. The Flavors for the jelly are apple, fruity milk, lime &grapefruit, and 100kcal. And the flavors for the canned drink version are corn soup, café au lait, coffee, cocoa, fruit mix, and yogurt.

Why Do People Eat Calorie Mate?

While the original focus of the Calorie Mate was centered around health, today, a diverse spread of people enjoy and use Calorie Mate for a number of things. Some people use it as a true meal supplement for when they are simply out of time or need to work late at the office. Other people use it as a filler to tie you over between meals. It is also commonly stocked as an emergency food in case of a natural disaster, of which Japan has plenty.

However, one of the most popular uses of Calorie Mate is for hiking due to its compact and light nature. Similar to how the inspiration for the Calorie Mate was drawn from the food being used in space travel, since Calorie Mate takes up very little space and is very calorie-dense, many hikers have turned to using Calorie Mate as their preferred snack when hiking. Calorie Mate is especially prized by backpackers making long treks across rugged mountains for many days but need to minimize the weight of their bags.

Where to buy Calorie Mate

Due to its popularity in Japan, Calorie Mate is sold nationwide at virtually every supermarket, convenience store, and drug store. At the foot of many mountains, it is not uncommon to find Calorie Mate being sold at gift stores or mountain visitor centers as well.

Another place that one can find Calorie Mate would be in vending machines such as the ones in train stations. While typically only drinks are sold from Japanese vending machines and not food, more often than not, Calorie Mate appears to be the one exception.

Appearances in Pop Culture

Calorie Mate’s popularity has seeped its way into Japanese pop culture as well, making several notable appearances in anime, manga, and video games. In the 1995 Studio Ghibli classic Whisper of the Heart, the main character, Suzuki, is seen eating an unbranded stick of Calorie Mate as she feverishly writes her novel. In Full Metal Panic!, a parodied version of Calorie Mate known as “CalorieMark” is the favorite food of character Sagara Sousuke.

In video games, Calorie Mate makes appearances in popular titles such as Metal Gear Solid, EarthBound, and Disaster Report 3. And if reading manga is more your style, Calorie Mate has been seen to grace the pages of popular manga such as K-Days of Blue, Ping Pong, and Wild Adapter. 

Give Calorie Mate a Try Next Time You're On the Go in Japan!

Calorie Mate has found its place in Japanese food culture as a versatile snack that can be enjoyed in a huge variety of situations. While you're traveling around Japan, be sure to pick up a box to have on hand in case you need a filling snack to tide you over between meals. And if you're wondering what to wash it down with, check out our article on 25 Must-Try Japanese Drinks!