Morinaga Super Sour Ume Hi-chew

As a kid, I could never get enough sour candy. I could eat it until the insides of my cheeks were raw! These days, I still love a sour sweet, but my self control is a bit better. As far as sour foods go, it doesn't get much more extreme than umeboshi. Umeboshi is one of those polarizing foods that people either seem to love or hate (like black licorice or natto). It's an extremely sour and salty pickled plum (though the fruit is apparently closer to an apricot) that's often served with rice. I like them, but I don't think I could just eat one by itself. This Hi-chu flavor actually just calls itself ume and not umeboshi, but sour plum is a natural fit for Japanese candy.

It's interesting to see Hi-chew coming out with lots of new flavors and textures, perhaps to compete with Puccho. This particular flavor has crunchy sugar crystals in the center. Actually, this isn't just regular Hi-chew, it's Suppai-chew, which is a cute play on words because suppai means sour in Japanese. Furthermore, these aren't just sour, they're 超/SUPER sour! Just look at the puckered face on the logo around the パ! With that lead in, I was expecting at least a Warheads level punch in the mouth.

Sadly, it was not so. The Hi-chu smelled and tasted like ume candy, which is to say it sort of tasted like sour cherry. It was sour, but I wouldn't say super sour. There was definitely a citric acid-like flavor, along with the fruity flavor of the plum. While I really did like the taste and found myself eating a lot of them in one sitting, the mild to moderate sourness was a bit of a letdown when I was expecting a kick.

The closest western analog to the texture of Hi-chew might be salt water taffy or Starburst, but Hi-chew are actually a bit chewier and don't tend to break down as easily. This flavor softened easier than normal Hi-chew because of the large sugar crystals in the center. The sugar crystals were extremely sweet and crunchy and actually made it a bit painful to chew. I don't think it would have bothered me as a kid, but it was a bit unpleasant on my adult teeth.

B-

Morinaga website

Polishing Off the June Skoshbox

The items in this review were provided by a marketing representative.

For the past week or so, I've been reviewing snacks from Skoshbox, a new subscription box service just for Japanese candy, snacks, and trinkets. Let me repeat that I received a promotional box, but I'm not affiliated with Skoshbox and did not (nor will I) receive any compensation for the reviews or for anyone who subscribes. I just think it's a great idea and I want to help spread the word! You can find my previous reviews here and here.

Skoshbox is $12 a month including shipping, and you can find more information at their website. If you do decide to sign up, you can use the code SNACKLUV04 by July 15th to receive a free mystery snack with your first box! Currently, Skoshbox only ships within the US.

UHA High Concentration Milk Candy was a little scary because of my lactose intolerance, but it was nothing a little Lactaid couldn't fix. The hard candy was extremely milky, as expected. It tasted a lot like drinking heavy cream, and it was pleasant and rich. The candy itself melted down slowly and uniformly, leaving no jagged edges as it got smaller.

The Marukawa Orange Fusen Gum came in a set of 4 gumballs in a small box. I split it with my husband, so we both chewed 2 pieces at once. The gum was very soft and smooth, making it a little tricky to blow bubbles. The flavor authentic orange with a little extra sweetness, sort of like a creamsicle. We both loved the gum, and the flavor longevity was about average (less than 5 minutes).

The Shoyu Bite-Sized Senbei had an extremely mild soy sauce flavor that was so subtle, it got a bit lost in the salty and buttery flavors of the crackers. They had a great crunch, but the flavor was a little bland. These would be an excellent introduction to senbei, because some varieties have much more intense flavors.

Since matcha (powdered green tea) is my favorite flavor in the world, the item that had me the most excited was the LOOK Matcha Mousse. It contained two flavors: Matcha Azuki (red bean) Matcha Milk. Unfortunately, the chocolate lost a little something in shipment, and it was a bit dry.

The dry chocolate lost its smooth texture and a bit of its cocoa flavor, but the insides were still intact. The mousse in the Matcha Azuki had a mild flavor, and the sweet red bean gel was sweet and almost jammy. The Matcha Milk mousse was a little creamier and stickier, and the matcha flavor was stronger. I liked both, but liked the Matcha Milk just a bit better. In cooler months, the chocolate would be just fine, but it wasn't up to the journey this time of year.

Despite a few issues with chocolate texture, I loved my June Skoshbox, and I'm definitely going to subscribe. For the overall experience, I give Skoshbox an A-. The only change I could recommend would be fewer chocolate items in warmer months. Still, Skoshbox is a great way to try new Japanese snacks, or to enjoy your old favorites! The June box had a great variety of items, and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next month!

Skoshbox website

UHA Fizzy Apple Cider Puccho

I know it's a little childish, but I can't resist bright colors and fizzy candy. Puccho delivered on both accounts with Fizzy Apple Cider, and they even threw in a cute mascot. Look at Captain Pu from the wrapper! I can't get over how adorable it is!

Cute gimmicks aside, Puccho is sort of like a kid cousin to the more famous Hi-Chew. It has a similar chewy texture, and lively fruit flavors, but Puccho also has firm jelly pieces to enhance the chew. This variety even has fizzy candy bits, too!


The candy smelled faintly of apples, but thankfully, not in an artificial way. The main chew tasted like apple juice, and the little Puccho jelly beads didn't seem to add much flavor. The fizzy balls, however, had a sour apple flavor at first, becoming sweeter as they dissolved.

The texture in general was firm, but not uncomfortable to chew. It was a bit rubbery, but that's pretty typical for Puccho and similar fruit chews. I was pleased with the apple flavor, and of course, the fizzy bits. Puccho is always fun to eat, so even though I'm not big on apple candy, this flavor was enjoyable.

B+

Puccho website

Haribo Porsche Gummies

My brother-in-law works in the racing industry for Porsche (a seriously cool occupation), and just when I thought it couldn't get any cooler, Haribo was a Porsche sponsor last year. My brother-in-law kindly sent me some of the special Porsche gummies so that I could blog about them! I can't write much about racing, since I am woefully ignorant, but I do know gummies.

Haribo gummy bears were one of my favorite supermarket checkout treats as a child. Compared to most fruit snacks, Haribo was leagues ahead. The little bears looked like shiny gems, and I have fond memories of biting off the heads of different colored bears to make hybrids while watching Eureeka's Castle. To this day, eating Haribo gummies reminds me of that show.


Some of the gummies didn't survive the summer mail, but the ones that did were in the form of cute little shiny cars fancy Porsche racing cars. This was definitely a promotion I could get behind!

Of course, the gummies gad that nostalgic (and delicious) Haribo gummy bear taste. Haribo gummies like this fall on the firmer side of the gummy spectrum, and most of the flavors are pretty ambiguous. The apple stuck out in particular, but for example, clear just tasted like clear gummy bear (I think it's supposed to be pineapple). I was always partial to the orange, which was more sweet than tart. In short, Haribo gummies are just as good as they ever were, and the Porsche racing promotion certainly impressed me!

Haribo website

Morinaga Ramune Melon Soda

This cute little bottle of Melon Soda flavored Ramune candy was included in the promotional package kindly provided by Tsunami.hk. This type of candy is very similar to Smarties in the United States - flavored pressed sugar pellets. I don't know anyone who gets excited about Smarties, but I don't know anyone who hates them, either.

I'll admit it - I've bought little Hello Kitty or Pokemon toys from grocery stores in Japan for myself and for souvenirs, and they often include a wrapped Ramune candy pellet. One is usually enough for me, but this Morinaga candy packs a whole 27 grams worth of pellets - 23 grams of which are sugar!


The open bottle smelled sweet and reminded me of cotton candy. The pellets chew into a very fine powder with an intensely sweet and slightly sour citric acid flavor. I didn't get any hints of melon soda, and the aftertaste was a little chalky. They were very similar to American Smarties.

Still, even though Morinaga didn't deliver on flavor, I can't say I disliked the taste. The whole bottle was too much for me to eat in one sitting, but I'm not really the target demographic. After 5 or 6 pieces, I had a nice sugar rush, but the candies became a bit cloying and I had to put the bottle away.

C+

Morinaga website

UHA Cream Soda Puccho

It's been a little while since my last post because my husband and I took a delayed summer vacation to Seattle, Washington. Seattle was so green and beautiful, and we lucked into some great weather. I picked up some chocolates and candies to review, so I'll get right to it.

There is a fairly large Japanese population in the Seattle (and Vancouver) area. I picked up this Puccho flavor at one of the many Asian shopping centers because melon flavors are usually a good bet for me. In Japan, cream soda almost always means melon cream soda; the melon is implied.


The candies had a very muted color scheme, with pale green stripes on white. Some of the signature Puccho tough jelly balls were visible as well. There was a faint fruity smell, abut the taste was stronger. The flavor was mild honeydew melon with hint of citrus and cream.

Along with the tough jellies, there were some fizzy powder pellets that had a nice, tangy citric acid flavor. The fizz was pretty sharp and powerful, but short lived. I'm a big fan of melon flavor and fizzy candy, so this Puccho was definitely to my liking!

A-

UHA website

Morinaga Pretty Cure Mixed Fruit Chew

Press Sample
This product is well aware of its audience. I am not a part of that audience, but I probably would have been drawn to this packaging when I was in elementary school. This Morinaga chew, provided by Tsunami.hk, features characters from an animated show called Futari wa Pretty Cure, which falls into the same genre as Sailor Moon.

I was a big fan of Sailor Moon when I was in middle school, and to be honest, I'm still a fan of prismatic packaging. This Pretty Cure candy even comes with a prismatic sticker. Still, despite my love of all things cute (especially Hello Kitty), this packaging doesn't really appeal to me. I should mention that this candy comes from China.


She's a scientist, just like me!
Before I looked up what the Chinese characters for the flavor meant, I popped one of the candies into my mouth and tried to guess. Banana? Orange? Star fruit? Sugar? I was completely at a loss. It turns out that all my guesses were correct - the characters meant mixed fruit. The chews were almost scentless and had a very mild tropical fruit flavor.

As I mentioned, this is a Morinaga product, and the texture was similar to that of Hi-chew, but these were firmer and not as bouncy (and therefore less satisfying). Overall, I was underwhelmed. They were edible, but there was nothing that made me want to eat more than necessary to write this review. I'm sure these would please children, who tend not to be picky when it comes to candy, but they just didn't work for me.

D

Morinaga website

Meiji Yogurt Caramels

Welcome to part 2 of my caramel mini-series. You could say it's an unconventional caramel series, because part 1 was matcha, and today is yogurt. As for part 3, all I can say right now is that the flavor is even weirder. To be honest, I'm still a little scared of them.

Although Meiji is a dairy company, I had never heard of Meiji caramels when I purchased these at Mitsuwa marketplace (near Chicago). The size and shape of the packaging, while not identical, is very similar to Morinaga's, and I'm sure it's no accident. In addition, even though there's no mention of Calpis on the package, the blue polka dots look a little familiar...


Meiji's caramels are just barely smaller than Morinaga's, and were wrapped in wax paper (complete with cute face) instead of foil. The yogurt caramels didn't have a strong scent, but the taste jumped right out at me. Surprisingly, they tasted a lot like classic bubble gum at first, but as I chewed, the flavor become more what I expected.

They tasted a lot like Calpis and a bit like Yakult (a Japanese yogurt drink) - slightly milky with a yogurt and citrus tang. The texture got a little grainy as I chewed, and just a bit like plastic (just the texture, not the taste), but I did like how they weren't too sticky. I liked these, but they didn't have that addiction factor.

B

Meiji website

Kabaya Hello Kitty Strawberry Milk

Press Sample
Don't judge a book by its cover doesn't really apply to candy, but maybe it should. I tend to gravitate towards Hello Kitty products, so I was really excited to see this bag in my sample package from Tsunami.hk. Half the bag is Kitty's face - the candy must be good.

My expectations only got higher when I opened the bag. As shown in the following photo, the white, round candies were individually wrapped in clear plastic so that each piece looked like Hello Kitty's face. It is definitely some of the cutest and cleverest packaging I've seen since I started this blog 2 years ago.


The candy was a different story. The concept was rather complex; there was a crisp and chewy outer sugar coating, then an inner layer of intensely sweet white chocolate, all surrounding a hard and crunchy strawberry-flavored center (like the center of a Gobstopper) with candy pieces inside. It was a little overwhelming, and not at all what I imagined.

Instead of tasting like milk, the white chocolate layer tasted like sugar, and pairing it with a crunchy sugar coating didn't help. The center was so hard that it hurt to chew, and the strawberry flavor was pretty typical, but it was hard to pick out from all that sweetness. It's the white chocolate layer that ruined it for me, because if it was just a candy shell around the strawberry center, I think I would have liked this candy much more.


Because the design was so clever, I rated these a little higher than I would have based on taste alone. The packaging is that cute. The candy just didn't suit my tastes at all, but one of my friends really liked them and graciously finished the bag for me.

C-

Kabaya website

Mentos Fuji Apple

These days, it seems like Mentos are more known for their reaction with Diet Coke, but I can't help but remember the goofy ads from the early 90s (or the parody music video by the Foo Fighters) where ordinary citizens solved their problems with breath mints.

This Korean flavor of Mentos was provided by Tsunami.hk. The English slogan for Mentos is The FreshMaker, but the Korean website included a few others, like That's so Mentos and Be fresh with world best seller Mentos. If freshness is your goal, a fruity flavor like Fuji Apple probably isn't the best choice, but it's an orange Tic Tac situation: these are candies, not breath mints.


The candies had an intensely powerful and realistic apple juice flavor, but the strength did hurt the authenticity just a bit. Still, the Mentos were very juicy and tart, and it was easy to knock back several in one sitting.

These would probably please anyone with a favorable opinion of apples, and though I can't say for sure that they taste like the Fuji variety, I was impressed that these tasted like apple without tasting like cider. Still, I can't imagine a worse breath mint, so you may want to pop some regular Mentos afterward, just in case.

B+

Mentos website

UHA White Soda Puccho

This flavor of Puccho is a bit of a mystery to me. Though I have some guesses, I'm not positive on what white soda is. Maybe a generic term for Calpis? This one has a very cool package, and contains some milk products, so I'll go with my gut.

One thing I know for sure is that the little Puccho guy on the package is cute. His bubble 'fro is adorable! It's almost as cute as Ultra Puccho-kun, who has been known to sport a pompadour.


The candies were quite sticky and had a mild citrus scent. The first thing I noticed was that, along with the Puccho hard gels, there were fizzy candy balls embedded in the chew. I love a good fizzy candy, but these were pretty mild.

Overall, the flavor was not strong. There were hints of citrus but not much dairy, and they weren't addictively good. That's not a bad thing if you're trying to cut back on candy, but it makes for a standard, unspectacular Puccho flavor.

B-

UHA website

Pure Ume Gummy

Even though I love all kinds of flavors, matcha is my favorite. Just about everyone seems to have their own signature flavor - the one that they're always happy to see/smell/taste. Ume (Japanese plum) is that flavor for one of my friends - or at least she seems to like it when I send her ume candy.

Pure is one of my favorite gummy brands, and even though ume is not my favorite flavor, matcha Pure gummies would be a bit weird. These were purchased at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL. I noted that it's a new flavor with a Japanese taste.


The gummies smelled and tasted just like ume. At first, they were quite tart, but they had a sweet plum finish. The prickly sour sugar melted in my mouth, leaving the slightly tough gummy to chew. Pure claims that their gummies have the texture of real fruit, and while I'm not sure that's true, it definitely pleasant.

The flavor was so sour and authentic, and the firm Pure gummy texture was a perfect match for the ume flavor. They weren't as puckeringly sour as umeboshi (pickled plum), but I would recommend these to any ume fan.

A

Pure Website

Morinaga Cola Hi-chew and Canned Pineapple Hi-chew Jr.

In the past, the flavors of Hi-chew Jr. that I've tried have had tiny, tooth-shatteringly hard sprinkles in them that make them too treacherous for me to enjoy. Thankfully, these two flavors of Hi-chew, provided by Tsunami.hk, were sprinkle free!

The yellow package of Hi-chew Jr. is Canned Pineapple flavored, and the small (but not Jr.) black package is Cola flavored. Both of these flavors are on the rare side in the United States, but both are flavors I enjoy.


The candy had a strong pineapple aroma, and as you can see, it was solid yellow instead of white on the outside like normal Hi-chew. It tasted like pineapple, but it was very sweet, which made it more like the canned variety. There were also hints of cherry and tropical flavors, making it quite authentic. A-


Cola had a good cola scent and flavor, but it seemed extra sticky. It may have been my imagination, but there was a slight fizz to this Hi-chew. The caramelly cola flavor was decent, but I've had better cola candy. More fizz would have made this one a winner for me. B

Morinaga website

Wonka Fruit Exceptionals Grapefruit

That sexy package in the picture is from Wonka's fancy new line of products, Wonka Exceptionals. The whimsical packaging definitely evokes images of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, if you prefer).

Movies that scared me when I was little aside, I must mention that whimsy comes at a cost - the tiny gummy cubes came in a bag in a box within a box. At least the pieces themselves were very cute, and that's a plus for me.


The candies smelled strongly of grapefruit zest, and they had a nice, authentic flavor as well. As such, it was quite tart and a bit bitter, and I think Wonka may have overcompensated with sweetness. I really liked them, but they hurt my teeth a bit to eat.

The gummies had the texture of fruit gems or jelly fruit slices, which is my favorite texture for a gummy. They were a bit sticky, but still held their shape well. The accuracy of the flavor reminded me of the Japanese Pure gummies. If these hadn't been so sweet, I'd give them an A+.

A-

Wonka Website

Mars Starburst Sour/Sweet

Since I usually pay for gas with my card at the pump, I don't often go in gas station convenience stores around town. However, they tend to be treasure troves of new and old candy, and an easy place to find regional items when travelling.

These Starburst don't fall into the "new" category. I'm not sure if they are still in production, but they were purchased in a gas station, and there were only a couple of packages left. It was a risky move, but I went for it.


Sour Green Apple was so sour that it prickled my throat. The apple flavor was very fake, but recognizable.

Sweet Blue Raspberry had a nice sweet (albeit fake) raspberry taste with hints of the tart zing of the fruit, and it was probably my favorite.

Sour Watermelon had an impressive sour punch, but I didn't think it tasted at all like watermelon. It's such a mild fruit that adding sour really makes it unrecognizable.

Sweet Strawberry reminded me of ChupaChups suckers, with a fake but familiar strawberry flavor. It did seem sweeter than the normal strawberry Starburst, and it wasn't as good.

This variety was nothing special, although the sour ones were quite sour. Maybe it's just bad execution, but this variety of Starburst didn't add anything to the brand. I'll stick with the original.

Have a look at Candy Blog for another review.

C+

Starburst website

Morinaga Watagashi Hi-chew

This candy was sent to me by the lovely Kelly of Tasty Japan! I participated in and won a contest that she held in October, winning this pack of Hi-chew. It got a little bumped around during its long journey from Australia to the US, but arrived in good shape.

This summer, Morinaga put out a line of seasonal Hi-chew flavors, showcasing treats commonly sold in Japanese festivals. This flavor is called watagashi in Japanese, which is pretty much the same thing as cotton candy or candy floss. Here is a review (by Kelly) of another festival flavor Hi-chew, toffee apple.


Cotton candy flavored treats in the US often have a very distinctive sugary and slightly fruity taste. I was a bit surprised when the Hi-chew didn't smell or taste at all like that. Instead, the flavor was more like mild butterscotch with a just a hint of molasses. It was surprisingly rich and caramel-like!

The small sugar crystals inside the chew were crunchy and gave the feeling of spun sugar. The texture of the chew itself seemed a bit softer than normal Hi-chew. It's been a long time since I've had cotton candy, so I'm not sure if it's made differently in Japan or if this candy is just a better approximation of the flavor than I normally experience.

CandyBlog and Pocky Watch also reviewed (and enjoyed) this flavor.

Thank you again, Kelly!

A-

Morinaga website

Kabaya Lemon Pure R

I will admit without hesitation that I purchased these Kabaya lemon gummies purely because Hello Kitty was on the package. I am a fan. But, according to my past experience, Kabaya does gummies quite well. Pure R is a line I've never tried before, and according to the Kaybaya site, the current flavors are grape, strawberry, and ruby grapefruit. This lemon flavor doesn't seem to be available anymore.

These were a little old when I purchased them, but not expired. However, the website shown on the package, advertising a Pure R/Pureal and Hello Kitty cell phone campaign, is no longer working. I'm not sure how to romanize the name of this candy, and it seems Kabaya isn't sure, either because this package says Pureal but their website says Pure R.


At first, I was worried, because the open package smelled like lemon cleaner. Thankfully, the gummies themselves (which were pretty big) didn't taste like lemon. They were nice and sour, and with a fairly authentic lemon flavor.

Where these got interesting was the texture. There was a somewhat hard shell (which can be seen in the photo above) around a soft, sticky gel center. The shell reminded me of a skin that might form over pudding if it sits too long. It didn't detract from the flavor, but it put me off a little bit. These were addictive, but not as good as other Japanese gummies. My husband couldn't get enough of them, and loved the flavor and texture.

B+

Kabaya website

Morinaga White Peach Hi-Chew

Somewhat recently, Hi-Chew released a series of "World Fruits" flavors, which included this White Peach flavor. The area around Mt. Fuji in Japan is known for white peaches (among other things), explaining the image of Mt. Fuji on the package.

White peaches, according to a little online research, are popular in Asia and less acidic than yellow peaches, which tend to be more popular in the United States. Both types are available where I live, but I haven't had as much exposure to the white variety.

I also noted that on the English Morinaga website, there is a link to a "Massage from the President." Oops.


I was a little surprised at the scent of these, because the candies definitely smelled peachy, but they also reminded me of butter. The flavor was sweet and a little acidic (and a little buttery), and much like a white peach. It was quite juicy, and the tartness intensified with every chew.

These were good, but not one of my favorite Hi-Chew flavors. The flavor was fairly authentic, and certainly different from the taste of a yellow peach. My husband thought much more of them than I did, but for me, there was something just a little off that prevented me from scoring these higher. Maybe it's just peach candy in general.

B

Morinaga Hi-Chew website

Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper Snow Balls

Despite my irrational childhood fear of the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, I loved Everlasting Gobstoppers. In the US, we call this type of candy a Jawbreaker, but Everlasting Gobstoppers suit me better because they are chewable. It was great fun to check what color they were, and taste the different flavors. However, when I had some a few years ago, I noticed they were smaller than they used to be, and had fewer layers.

These holiday "Snow Balls" are actually just Gobstoppers with Christmas colors, and the flavors are the same as the original. On a side note, the snowman on the front looks like he might have something extra in his pipe, if you catch my meaning.


Red was the normal red Gobstopper, a weak cherry flavor (I think), then it changed to a mild, sour, citrusy orange. After just 2 layers, I was at the center, which tasted mostly like citric acid and just a bit like banana. The texture of the center was harder and chalkier than a Sweetart. Maybe some good comparisons would be antacids or chewable vitamins.

Green seemed like watermelon to me, but it was hard to identify. I think it changed to orange as well, which was a bit of a let down. The white tasted familiar (lemony), but I couldn't place it. The next layer was definitely lemon, although it only tasted like a cleaning product.

These were pretty disappointing. I would have liked a bigger flavor variety (grape, for example), and more layers. The flavors left something to be desired as well, especially the lemon. Although these brought back memories of my childhood, they just weren't as good as I remembered. Whether the flavors have actually changed, I'm not sure, but the size change alone detracts from the novelty value.

C+

Wonka Website

Sour Razzles

Another birthday has passed for me, and I received a new crop of candy from two friends who obviously have a good handle on my interests. The stash included these Sour Razzles, a sour version of the famous candy that becomes gum. Despite growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, I had never tried these before, so I didn't know what to expect.

From looking at the package, I think I assumed that they would be like miniature Blow Pops - a hard candy shell with gum inside - but this assumption was incorrect. Razzles look nothing like they do on the box. They reminded me of the dye tablets that come in Easter Egg decorating kits.


The Razzles smelled like citric acid and came in five flavors: Orange, Lime, Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Lemon. They all had the texture of Sweet Tarts (or chewable vitamins) at first, and the nubs on the one side reminded me of candy blocks. It only takes about 10-15 seconds of chewing for the candy to turn into a soft gum. Here's a rundown of each flavor.

Orange packed a serious sour punch. This was the first one I tried, and after just a couple chews, I was puckering. It had a strong vitamin C flavor, but (as with all the flavors) shortly after becoming gum, had very little flavor at all. It was my favorite of the bunch.

Lime was much less sour and lacked the punch of the orange (or maybe I was used to it). When I spit this piece out to move onto the next, the gum was an intense shade of forest green.

Cherry was a full bodied, decent sour cherry flavor that had the same powerful tang as the orange. The sourness had a bit of a delay, but then came on very strong.

Blue Raspberry was sweet and blue-flavored at first, and then the punch of sour had a strong raspberry candy flavor. The height of the sour flavor was great, but then it faded to sweet. I should also mention that when I brushed my teeth that night before bed, my white toothpaste turned blue.

Lemon, which I had saved for last, was a disappointment. It was sour, but the flavor was completely fake and reminiscent of cleaning products. This was my least favorite of the bunch.

I would never choose these as a gum, but as a sour candy, the intensity of the sour flavors surprised me. Despite the weakness of the lemon and lime, I found it hard to stop eating these, and didn't mind spitting them out once they become gum and lost their flavor. They were fun to eat, and definitely would please kids (and adults) with a sour craving.

B

Razzles section of Tootsie Roll website