Haribo – Peaches

Expectations are a tricky thing – when I think of brands like Haribo, I think of really stiff, firm, flavourful gummies that will work my jaw out more than chewing gum. But what happens when a brand you know and love decides to take on a snack that visually look like something quite the contrary? When I think of peaches, I think of the soft, ever so slightly sour chewy candy.

I’m sure that North American readers will look at these and think of Fuzzy Peaches that are far more common over here. Going off smell alone, I’d get inclined to agree. They have that same sweet, slightly floral peach smell to them. Based on my preliminary pokes, these don’t seem to be particularly firm either, but I guess I’ll have to find out the old fashioned way.

In terms of flavour, these are also very similar to Fuzzy Peaches, though I’d argue that these are more floral and less sweet. While still kind of sweet, these have more of a peach flavour to them, whereas Fuzzy Peaches these days taste more like corn syrup and sugar. The flavour has more of a mouth watering flavour to them, and don’t rely on citric acid to achieve that effect. In fact, the coating is just plain old sugar. Not that the standard Fuzzy Peach is particularly sour, but thought that was worth pointing out.

The texture is what tripped me up a bit, but in a good way. If you’re used to the usual hard, firm Haribo gummies, you might expect this to require quite some jaw work to get through. Not the case here – it’s got a firm outer layer, but the inside is fairly soft and jelly like. I would liken this to a fruit pastille – the first bite is tough, but subsequent ones are fairly soft and chewy. To liken it to Fuzzy Peaches, they are somewhat similar in texture, though these are more gummy and have a bounce to them while Fuzzy Peaches are softer in general and more gooey and sticky in the centre. At least when they’re fresh.

All in all I found these to be quite refreshing – both because they are different from the super soft, sticky Fuzzy Peaches, and because they actually have a more noticeable, nice natural peach flavour. Make no mistake those, these are just as bad for you, and after eating a few you’ll feel your saliva thicken just as quickly as the other alternatives. But then again, don’t most sweets these days?

I enjoy these, but I feel the need to warn those who are expecting something similar to Fuzzy Peaches that these are more like fruit pastille candies, then they are the gooey sticky beloved peach flavoured candy. If you’re ok with that, then these are a go. I would definitely get these again.