I’ve been a little depressed lately and I figured the thing to cheer me up would be some bouncy candy. So I headed down to Little Tokyo over the weekend to buy myself some candy. I was lucky enough to find the Juntsuyu that I love so much (they were out the last time I was in there) so I bought two packages. I also scoured the aisles for something new to lift my spirits.

I enjoyed the Strawberry Hi-CHEW I had last year and a friend at the office recently gave me some green apple ones that were equally lifting. I found a new variety I hadn’t seen before, Grapefruit!
Flavored with real grapefruit juice, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. They’d be like a super soft version of the Pampelmousse Mentos.
These did not disappoint. The chew is soft and smooth and has a sort of pleasant rubbery quality that I can only report as ‘bounce’. The flavor is complex, with sweet and tart notes and some of the grapefruit oil essence in there, too.
If you’re ever confused about Japanese candy, so far I can say that the Morinaga brand is one that doesn’t disappoint. The candy has always been of high quality, the flavors good and the packaging is great. So if you’re standing in front of a big display of Japanese candy, try something Morinaga. (I like Meiji, too.)
If you wanted to try the Pink Grapefruit Mentos but you’re a vegetarian, you’ll be happy to hear that there is no gelatin in Hi-CHEW, it’s all vegatable ingredients in there!
| Name: |
Grapefruit Hi-CHEW |
RATING:
-
SUPERB
-
YUMMY
-
TASTY
-
WORTH IT
-
TEMPTING
-
PLEASANT
-
BENIGN
-
UNAPPEALING
-
APPALLING
-
INEDIBLE
|
| Brand: |
Morinaga |
| Place Purchased: |
Mitsuwa (Little Tokyo, LA) |
| Price: |
$.99 |
| Size: |
2.0 ounces |
| Calories per ounce: |
110 |
| Categories: |
Chew, Japan, Morinaga |
One of the things I forgot to tell you about from my Little Tokyo excursion is Hi-CHEW. I’m guessing it’s the Starburst of Japan. It’s a fruit flavored taffy - white on the outside with a corresponding colored center to the flavor. I tried strawberry. It’s very flavorful and has a good soft chew. However, because they’re made with millet jelly, they have an odd sort of latexy chew to them. It takes some getting used to, but it’s a nice texture.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Related Candies
- HiCHEW Aloe Yogurt
- Japanese Black Sugar & Tropical Chews
- Starburst Berries & Creme and Fruit & Creme
- Starburst
- HiCHEW Assortment
- HiCHEW Grapefruit
| Name: |
HiCHEW Strawberry |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
| Brand: |
Morinaga |
| Place Purchased: |
Mitsuwa Marketplace (Little Tokyo, Los Angeles) |
| Price: |
$.99 |
| Size: |
2.0 ounces |
| Calories per ounce: |
115 |
| Categories: |
Candy, HiCHEW, Morinaga, Chews, 7-Worth It, Japan, Taiwan |