Hi-Chew Premium – Alphonso Mango
Mangoes are what I think of as a crowd favourite. Apart from people who are allergic to it, everyone loves it and it goes well in almost any format. It’s one of those fruits that’s hard to go wrong with, and that goes doubly true for chewy candy. Just thinking about mango Hi-Chews makes my mouth water a little. That’s how good they usually are.
Similar to the melon flavour that came in the same ball form, these have a “juicy” sensation to them because they somehow manage to create a mouth-watering sensation. I’m not sure how much of this is just due to the flavour, but regardless it’s one of the reasons I feel like some flavours have a heads up on the typical stick format.
While I’m on the topic of flavour, these are nothing short of amazing. If you’ve ever had one of these mangoes, or something based on these mangoes from India, you will most likely be able to tell them apart from the more typical mangoes found in North America. Due to trade bans we don’t get Alphonso mangoes here for quite a long time, and the mass market mangoes in North America tend to be the less flavourful varieties that are almost bland in comparison. They also don’t seem as smooth and more stringy than the ones found in India. The best way I can describe it to someone who hasn’t had luxury of trying both is that the Alphonso mango is often considered one of the best in terms of sweetness and flavour. it’s often used for making sorbets, mousse, puree etc. There’s not a hint of tartness or sourness to it that even very ripe typical North American breeds have. It really did taste like I was chewing on a taffy or mochi made from puree, which is just as pleasant and tasty as it sounds.
Texture is a bit softer than the standard taffy sticks, as expected. The candy outer shell is fairly soft, and as you can tell aren’t immune to the risks of heat damage. As i mentioned earlier, a big thing that makes me enjoy mango flavour more in this form than the stick form (apart from the flavour profile) is that the combination of flavour and texture somehow creates a mouth-watering sensation. I don’t know many people who would consider that a bad thing, so I consider that a big plus. Also unlike the stick form, these tend to be a bit more bouncier at the outset, mimicking a gum chiclet in terms of initial chewiness. These melt away faster than the stick format, but they definitely make their presence known despite the shorter life span. I’m a huge fan of these.
I’m actually not sure how hard these are to find in terms of availability. From what I can tell this flavour is pretty popular, and I can tell you from personal experience that it’s absolutely justified. They may come out pricier than than the other flavours, but this is a firm recommend, and you need to go try this out. Unless you hate mangoes, in which case, there’s nothing I can do for you. Seek help.
