Hi-Chew, a widely popular Japanese soft chewing candy, traces its origins back to the pre-World War II era. Morinaga, the founder, responded to consumer demand for an edible chewing gum that could be swallowed by children, thus avoiding the cultural taboo of taking food out of one’s mouth. The candy, now known as Hi-Chew, was created by combining the founder’s already popular caramel with fruit flavouring.
Among the various flavors now available, the Morinaga Hi-Chew Grape stands out as the most popular. This fruit chew is infused with kyohō and Concord grape juice.
Each candy piece measured approximately 2.5 x 1.5 x 1 cm, featuring an exterior with an opaque, pastel purple layer surrounding an interior of opaque white. Upon tasting, the candy had a soft taffy-like texture, allowing the teeth to easily sink through. The taffy provided more elasticity than Western gummy candy but less bounce than Japanese gummy candy. The candy released intense notes of sweet grape from the first bite, accompanied by a rich acidity mid-bite that heightened the juiciness of the grape flavor. The grape flavor was fresh and natural, significantly more intense than that of a fresh grape. Crucially, it achieved a refreshing and juicy grape flavor with a chewy texture without sticking to our teeth, making it evident why this flavour is the most popular and worth repurchasing.
This Morinaga Hi-Chew Grape contained 55 g or 12 pieces. It was produced in Japan and first purchased in Ōsaka, Japan in 2014.