Hi-Chew – Watermelon

Before my foray into Tirol, there was Hi-Chews. It’s been so long that I only vaguely remember how I first got introduced to Hi-Chews in all it’s chewy glory. I’m a little hazy on the exact timeline of when I first discovered Hi-Chews, but I remember it being all the way back in 2007 (gosh, that was a decade ago!) during one of my many trips back to visit family in Hong Kong. Back then I was still young and had the metabolism of someone going through puberty, so leaving me in a giant supermarket with multiple aisles of snack foods was dangerous. Any money I brought back with me would usually be spent on snacks and candy. I always noticed there was a sizeable amount of shelf space dedicated to this Hi-Chew candy by the Morinaga brand, but I never really gave it much thought. That was until I tried it. It was one of my first snack awakenings, if you will.

As any typical kid can tell you, getting snacks as a gift is usually a safe choice, especially when said snacks are from Japan. When it comes to snacks, I like the way those people think. From their crazy packaging to unique flavours and textures, it’s always bound to catch the attention. As is customary with my aunts, when we come back to Hong Kong I am typically greeted by a welcome package full of snacks. Not wanting to waste anything, I get straight into that careful selection of snacks as soon as we get back to the hotel. Sampling a little this and that, I notice a few packs of Hi-Chews and decide to save them for when I’m on the go and want something to chew on. At this point I have no idea what they actually are, but based on the picture and the package I assume it’s some sort of gum. Fast forward to a few days later and I’m running low on snacks, and need a pick-me-up from all the walking. I crack open the first pack of strawberry. It seemed like a safe choice at the time. How hard can you screw up strawberry gum? As I bite into it, my first reaction is surprise. Surprise that it was so chewy, and almost gummy at the same time. The texture was so much like chewing gum that I honestly wasn’t sure what to do with myself. Am I supposed to spit this out at some point? When is this thing going to lose flavour? I eventually swallowed it once I noticed it starting to disintegrate and shrink, unlike an actual chewing gum.

Beyond the amazing texture, the flavour was something that hit me like a truck as well. Those food scientists at Morinaga knew exactly how to capture the flavour profile of the strawberry without getting too artificial. Not only that but the flavour was so present that it was like getting punched in the face with a basket of strawberries and having the juice go into your mouth. It was after that first piece I knew I was had discovered the chewing candy of choice. Suffice to say that my experience with the other two packets of Green Apple and Grape were equally eye-opening. Since then I’ve never looked back.

Up until that point my experience with chewing candy was usually with more mundane and typical stuff like Starburst. I actually don’t think I’ve gone out of my way to purchase Starburst since I discovered Hi-Chews. I’d usually opt to not having chewing candy, rather than go for something below that golden Hi-Chew standard. Now that I have some of that backstory out of the way, on with today’s review! This flavour is a new one for me, and something I have yet to try. As another piece in that package from Japan, I present the Watermelon flavour in all it’s glory.

The packaging looks pretty straightforward, and it’s clear that the flavour is watermelon. I’m not sure if this particular flavour is supposed to be one of the many regional variants that they like to do, or if it’s just the standard one. I’m going to assume it’s the standard one (not like I would know any better). These are the standard sized packs which come with 12 pieces. One thing I love about the Japanese Hi-Chew packages is that each piece is wrapped in a foil with some whimsical art.

Opening the package of a Hi-Chew is always a magical thing, since the smell comes rushing out of the package. The smell of this one is kind of like a watermelon slush – but not an overly sweet, sickly artificial slush. It’s a little more sophisticated and subtle, like painting your walls in eggshell white as opposed to off-white. Size-wise, each piece comes in a rectangular form and are roughly half the width of a quarter, and slightly longer.

Opening up the package, I am greeted with what looks like two layered chew – red on the inside with green on the outside. This is par for the course for most Hi-Chews that have two tones. I’ve tried to determine if the two colours are actually two different flavours. It seems to me that it is indeed two slightly different flavours, but I can’t tell if it’s just my mind playing tricks on me or not. Regardless, it’s a nice touch in terms of presentation.

The two tones are actually consistent across the whole candy, and not something they just paint on the front which leads me to believe they roll a thinner, green layer of candy onto the red inner layer to get that result. The cross section isn’t particular interesting or different from what we already see.

Biting into it, my first though is the flavour is kind of subtle and muted, and is a little tame. As I continue chewing though, I get hit with more watermelon flavour. The more I chew the more that flavour comes out, and it all ends up in an overall pleasurable mouth experience. Near the end though, there’s a bit of that slightly muted flavour that comes back, which I wasn’t too crazy about but I can look past.

As I’ve mentioned before, the texture is the other highlight of Hi-Chews that make them stand out from the competition. This flavour is no different, maintaining that nice firm, chewy and gummy like consistency throughout. It’s hard to put into words exactly what the texture is like, and is something you need to try to truly understand. That being said, it is really something else. To this day I’m amazed at how they get that texture.

All in all, I’d recommend this flavour to everyone, whether you’ve never had it before, or if you’re a longtime fan like I am. While this flavour isn’t my favourite one, I’d say this is one of the better ones I’ve tried so far. If you see this at your local asian grocery store or speciality store, grab it. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. I guess I can’t actually guarantee anything…please don’t sue me.