A Japanese Candy Tasted Like Nothing. Why Do People Miss It?

A flavorless candy appeared briefly in Japanese convenience stores and may never be sold again. We consider this news.

It had no taste by design. Even its name, Flavorless (?) Candy — yes, with a question mark — suggested more of an absence than a presence. But people in Japan are still talking about it, and in some cases missing it. That has given the product a sort of mystical allure.

The candy was manufactured by Kanro, one of Japan’s major candy companies, and test marketed in some…