The caffeine-infused foods are set to hit the streets of Japan on Sept. 18, and will be available in two flavors.
ight owls looking for an alternative to energy drinks can soon turn to caffeinated noodles and rice by Japanese noodle maker Nissin.
The products are being rolled out in a bid to appeal to a burgeoning video-gaming crowd in Japan, which has been growing annually, the international food giant announced in a statement on Monday.
The number of gamers in the land of the rising sun is said to have exceeded 50 million, according to the company. That is roughly 40 percent of the country’s population in 2022.
The caffeine-infused foods are set to hit the streets of Japan on Sept. 18. They will be available in two flavors: garlic and black pepper yakisoba and ginger keema curry rice.
Both products contain ingredients present in energy drinks. These are caffeine, arginine – a type of amino acid that helps the body produce proteins – and niacin, also known as Vitamin B3.
Both products are soupless so gamers will not need to fret about getting their hands or surroundings dirty, Nissin said.
They are expected to deliver copious amounts of energy, with Nissin touting the snacks as “buff meshi”, or buff meal.
In the gaming world, a buff gives in-game characters an advantage by improving their strength, according to Tokyo-based news site SoraNews24.
The yakisoba will be sold at the recommended retail price of 280 yen (US$1.89) while the curry rice will cost 298 yen.
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