There are many different sweet treats and confectionery options available on the market today.
The candy industry is one of the biggest in the world and offers consumers with a sweet tooth an incredibly diverse range of products that can deliver an energy-boosting sugar hit.
While consuming sugar in extremely large amounts is undeniably not so great for the body, the World Health Organization advises that it’s OK to consume up to 20 grams of sugar daily.
Choosing between chewing gum and candy can be difficult. Candy delivers a hit of sugar and flavor, but is often gone before you realise.
Chewing gum, however, can leave a mess and require the discreet disposal of chewed gum, which can be socially unacceptable in some situations.
Hi-Chew is a candy product that offers the best of both worlds, and has been providing consumers around the world with delicious chewable candy for more than 100 years.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the Hi-Chew story, their range, and check out what Hi-Chew are doing to give back to the community.
What Are Hi-Chews?
Hi-Chews are one of the most popular candy products in the world. Consisting of a vast range of different flavors of soft, chewable candy, Hi-Chews offer a long-lasting, chewy texture that are complete with real fruit flavors.
The Hi-Chew range originates in Japan, and are made by Japanese confectionery manufacturer Moringa.
Each Hi-Chew candy is individually wrapped in foil paper stamped with the Hi-Chew logo, or in some countries, packaged in wax paper.
The typical piece of Hi-Chew candy consists of a fruit-flavored, colored interior surrounded by an outer white coating, but some of the newer Hi-Chew ranges offer colored outer coatings.
The texture of Hi-Chew candy has been compared to a fusion between traditional chewing gum and soft candies such as Starburst or Laffy Taffy.
Hi-Chew, apart from being incredibly popular in the United States, is also a cultural candy icon in Asian countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Shanghai.
The standard Hi-Chew formula uses a form of gelatin derived from pork sources, meaning they’re generally not suitable for vegan consumption, but Moringa frequently create other ranges of Hi-Chews that are formulated with vegan-compatible gelatin alternatives.
The main ingredients of the HI-Chew formula are glycogen, a polysaccharide sugar, and palm kernel oil, meaning that if accidentally spilled on clothing, it’s easy to remove with a warm, wet towel.
The composition of Hi-Chew offers an advantage over traditional chewing gum, which is extremely difficult to remove if it gets on clothing.
The glucose syrup used to sweeten Hi-Chew products is produced in Taiwan, and is sourced from tapioca glucose syrup.
The American and Shanghai ranges of Hi-Chew products have a slightly different formula, and use corn glucose syrup as a sweetener.
A major advantage offered by the Hi-Chew range is that all of their products are gluten-free, making them suitable for celiac individuals or those with a gluten intolerance.
Hi-Chew is also safe for individuals that possess tree-nut allergies, as none of the production facilities that are used to create the Hi-Chew range are used to process nut ingredients.
Hi-Chew also gives back to the community in the form of their Angel Foundation, which was founded in 1991 and focuses on providing emergency financial support, education, and assistance to families that are affected by cancer.
Over the last sixteen years, the Angel Foundation has provided more than $7 million USD to families that have been affected by cancer and delivered more than 25,000 individual assistance services to families in need, making Hi-Chew one of the most socially-aware candy companies in the world.
The Hi-Chew Story
The Hi-Chew Story began more than a century ago, when in 1888 Taichiro Morinaga, the founder of the Hi-Chew company, moved from his native country of Japan to the United States at the age of 23.
During his travels in the US, Morinaga discovered western confectionery and candy. Impressed by the flavor, quality, and texture of the product, Morinaga learned western candy manufacturing techniques and returned with them to Japan in 1899.
Morinaga began providing western candy products to the public in Japan to a wildly positive response, and, in the late 1800’s, opened the Morinaga Western Confectionery Shop, which, over the course of 20 years, became one of the largest confectionery manufacturers in the country.
In 1918, the Morinaga & Company confectionery company was formally established, and became the very first candy manufacturer in Japan to produce and distribute chocolate.
Morinaga & Company released the first iteration of Hi-Chews in 1956, in the form of Morinaga Chewlets. The recipe for the chewlets was similar to that of the modern Hi-Chew, and was formulated to provide Japanese candy enthusiasts with an alternative to chewing gum, which is somewhat socially unacceptable in Japan- removing food items from the mouth while in public is frowned upon and seen as a faux pas, so the Morinaga confectionery company created a new form of chewable sweet that could be swallowed.
The first official release of Hi-Chews happened in 1975, with a strawberry-flavored range of Hi-Chews made available publicly.
Since then, Hi-Chews have been formulated in more than 170 different flavors, and sold in many different countries around the world.
The Hi-Chew Range
The Hi-Chew range is now extremely extensive, and includes Kiwi, Strawberry, Mango, Green Apple, Grape, Cherry, and Banana flavors.
The range also includes a series of Cola and Orange Soda Fizzies, Sour Sticks in Grapefruit, Lemon, and Lime, Sour Hi-Chews, and mixed bag products.
Lastly, the Hi-Chew bites use a gelatin source not derived from pork products and are formulated with a hard, crunchy outer shell.
The Verdict
The Hi-Chew product line is one of the most popular confectionery ranges on the planet, and offers a flavor sensation for every palate.
Hi-Chew frequently run Major League Tasting Days at baseball events, and are available in thousands of different retailers across the United States.
If you're looking for a tasty, chewy treat, Hi-Chews are a great option.
