Hi-Chew Heaven: Your Guide to Japan's Favorite Fruity Candy

Nov 07, 2024by Bokksu Staff

Is it chewing gum or is it fruit-flavored candy? That’s the question that runs through the mind of anyone tasting Hi-Chew for the first time. The fact is, Hi-Chew is a Japanese fruit-flavored candy with a chewy texture.

With a plain, chewy outer coating and a flavored interior, it’s basically edible chewing gum. The brand is owned by Morinaga & Company, one of the biggest Japanese confectionery companies.

Hi-Chew is beloved all around the world and well-known for its unique texture, long-lasting content, and burst of fruit flavors. In this post, we’ll unpack the history, popularity, varieties, and cultural impact of this candy brand. Let’s get started!

The History of Hi-Chew in Japan

Hi-Chew was released in Japan by Morinaga & Company in 1975, but to fully understand its origins, we need to look at how its predecessor, Chewlet, was created and replaced.

Taichiro Morinaga, founder of Morinaga & Co., wanted to solve a nagging problem using cultivated manufacturing know-how from the U.S. In Japan, it was considered taboo to take food out of your mouth while eating, and this social rule applied to chewing gum.

Morinaga created a chewy caramel candy mixed with fruit flavors in 1931. In 1956, Chewlet, Hi-Chew’s strawberry-based predecessor, was launched. Sales suffered at the end of World War II and Chewlet had to undergo a massive rebrand. This led to the creation of Hi-Chew as a direct replacement of the now discontinued Chewlet. Hi-Chew started off with box packaging but later evolved into the stick-like pack we know today. As the brand continued to expand its range of variants, it was rewarded with greater popularity.

Unpacking the Popularity of Hi-Chew

Hi-Chew has become a global sensation. You’ll find it in the U.S., Canada, China, Thailand, Australia, Germany, and many other countries. There are several reasons for its strong appeal across different age groups and cultures.

The first one is Hi-Chew’s unique double layer structure, which allows the candy to recreate real fruits taste and juicy feeling. The brand is also famous for having an abundant variety of fruit and vegetable flavors that range from sweet to sour. Some of these flavors were released as region-exclusive variants. Perhaps the biggest reason for the widespread love for Hi-Chew is the brand’s soft and chewy texture.

Exploring the Range of Hi-Chew Flavors

The Hi-Chew brand has innovated over the years to include a wide array of tastes. Since its creation in 1975, it has released over 200 different flavors. The following are popular varieties of Hi-Chew flavors from all over the world:

Fantasy Mix: This is a combo pack that features three tropical flavors, which are blue Hawaii, rainbow sherbet, and blue raspberry.

Assorted Mix: This pack contains all kinds of everyday flavors you would expect from a regular candy. These flavors include strawberry, apple, and grape.

Morinaga Hi-Chew: Assorted Mix

This bag includes strawberry, grape, apple, and more fan favorites. Want to know the secret behind the true-to-life flavors of the beloved ultra-chewy Hi-Chew? Real juice concentrate! Bright colors on the inside and wrapped in the signature Hi-Chew white, these little squares of fruit magic are the perfect pop of sugar.

Common Allergens: Milk, Soy.

3.53 oz

Sweet & Sour: You can enjoy the taste of sweetness with mild sourness from the fruit’s flesh thanks to this Hi-Chew release. It features watermelon, grapefruit, and lemon flavors.

Superfruits: Inspired by the results of a survey carried out in the U.S. in 2018 to celebrate Hi-Chew’s 10-year presence in the country, this product is extremely unique. It contains the taste of kiwi, dragon fruit, and açai.

Morinaga Hi-Chew: Superfruits

In 2018, Hi-Chew celebrated the 10th anniversary of its arrival in America by paying homage to its Japanese roots. Moringa conducted an East Meets West Flavor Challenge in which fans voted for the Japanese flavor they would most like to have in America. The winner? Dragon fruit! Fast forward to this special Superfruit mix, which now boasts an assortment of fun flavors including açai, kiwi fruit, and, of course, dragon fruit! This uniquely chewy candy has real concentrated fruit juice, making it refreshingly sweet, juicy, and true-to-taste! Plus, these vibrant Japanese candies have the addition of chia seeds to add texture and mimic the look of the fruit seeds! How cute and delicious!

Common Allergens: Soy.

3.17 oz

Spotlight on Japan’s Exclusive Hi-Chew Flavors

In the midst of all the different fruit assortments, blends, and mixes, there are certain unique flavors that are typically found only in Japan. These include:

Chugoku-Shikoku Assortment: This product is only available in the Chugoku-Shikoku region of Japan. It contains flavors made with locally sourced yuzu, Setouchi lemon, and Shimizu white peach.

Tohoku (Cherry): This offers the taste of cherry from Tohoku. It’s one of the most popular flavors during spring’s cherry blossom (sakura) viewing season in Japan.

Matcha Yatsuhashi: This candy uses Asian green tea flavors.

Hokkaido (Yubari Melon): It contains the taste of melon juice made in Yubari, Hokkaido.

How Hi-Chew is Made: A Look Behind the Scenes

We did some digging and uncovered the manufacturing process that gives Hi-Chew its distinctive chewy texture.

It begins with the mixture of a cooked base and fruit concentrate to form a stretchy candy mass. The cooked base is typically made from sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and glucose syrup, while the concentrate is made of real fruit juices. The resulting candy mass is allowed to cool off before being shaped into long strands, known at the factories as “snakes.”

Hi-Chew have been secretive about how they achieve their double layer structure and their sugar crystal control technology. What we know for certain is that the “snakes” are cut into small pieces of candy, which are then packaged and sent out for distribution.

Comparing Hi-Chew Flavors: Japan vs. The World

The Hi-Chew scene in Japan contains a mix of fruity flavors, blends, and mixes, just like that of other countries. However, while internationally available Hi-Chews use quality fruits from all over the world, those in Japan may use fruits from a specific region in the country. Hence, you can find flavors like Tohoku Apple, Hokkaido Furano Melon, Kyushu Amaou Strawberry, and Okinawa Pineapple in Japan.

Hi-Chew in Japanese Culture

In Japanese daily life, Hi-Chew is eaten as an alternative to traditional chewing gum. Since Hi-Chew is designed for swallowing, people don’t have to wait until they are alone to spit out the gum. Hence, the fruit candy is loved by both adults and kids throughout the country.

Hi-Chew is also considered a pop culture icon, thanks to its fun, colorful TV ads and iconic catchphrase: “The texture is good! The juice is so strong!” The brand has also collaborated with popular media franchises such as Sanrio, Pokemon, Doraemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Snoopy, and Super Mario.

August 12 is the dedicated Hi-Chew Day in Japan. People celebrate the event by eating and sharing different flavors of the candy with loved ones while on summer vacation. Hi-Chew is also a popular gift in Japan throughout the year, especially at seasonal festivals in which people eat real fruits fresh from local farms.

Morinaga Hi-Chew: Superfruits

In 2018, Hi-Chew celebrated the 10th anniversary of its arrival in America by paying homage to its Japanese roots. Moringa conducted an East Meets West Flavor Challenge in which fans voted for the Japanese flavor they would most like to have in America. The winner? Dragon fruit! Fast forward to this special Superfruit mix, which now boasts an assortment of fun flavors including açai, kiwi fruit, and, of course, dragon fruit! This uniquely chewy candy has real concentrated fruit juice, making it refreshingly sweet, juicy, and true-to-taste! Plus, these vibrant Japanese candies have the addition of chia seeds to add texture and mimic the look of the fruit seeds! How cute and delicious!

Common Allergens: Soy.

3.17 oz

Health and Dietary Information of Hi-Chew

Hi-Chew candies are particularly high in calories, with an average of about 435 calories per 100 g. Other common ingredients in the treat are citric acid, gelatin, natural and artificial flavoring, glucose syrup, vegetable oil, and sugar.

The gelatin in the candy comes from pork, which makes it ineligible for people following a hala, vegan, or kosher diet. Hi-Chew was certified gluten-free in 2012, not because it ever contained gluten, but because it switched to factories that don’t handle gluten materials.

Where to Start with Hi-Chew: A Beginner’s Guide

Newcomers wanting to experience the best of what the brand offers should begin with the following starter selection of Hi-Chew flavors: classic strawberry, green apple, pineapple, and grapefruit. Once you’ve gotten used to those delights, you can start choosing Hi-Chew with more complex flavors like dragon fruit, watermelon, açaí, and kiwi.

Finding Hi-Chew: Accessing Japan’s Fruity Treats

You can find international Hi-Chews in your local candy shops, supermarkets, and convenience stores. However, if you want to get Japanese flavors, trust a reliable online platform like Bokksu Market. We offer dozens of varieties, including Soda Pop Mix, Superfruits, Assorted Mix, Dessert Mix, and Tropical Mix.

The Enduring Charm of Hi-Chew

The long-lasting and delicious Hi-Chew pleasant chewing property has made it a staple candy in the United States, Japan, and other countries. It offers an addictive soft texture with the sense-spreading sweetness of real fruits, thanks to the double-layer structure. Get in on the trend and explore the delightful world of this fruity candy.

Back to Magazine - Bokksu Market