HI-CHEW has only been available in the United States for ten years, but in that short amount of time, this lovely chewy candy from Japan has been a fan favorite.
HI-CHEW actually comes in more than 170 flavors, but for the first time, Americans get to cast their vote from a list of exotic flavors that include Lychee, Banana Fizz and Cheesecake to determine the newest flavor that will be available to purchase in the U.S. for spring 2019.
Voting goes until March 31, and the winning flavor will be announced on April 10, 2018. Fans are encouraged to vote here.
HI-CHEW is not only popular with regular people, but also with celebrities. Celebrities like John Mayer and Ryan Gosling have gone on the record saying how much they love them. In fact, the latter was featured in this video.
The HI-CHEW East Meets West Flavor Challenge came about as a way to pay homage to not only the brand’s Japanese heritage but also to the creator of the brand responsible for this fan favorite, Taichiro Morinaga. He came to the United States in the late 1800s to learn everything there was to know about candy making, before returning to his homeland. He created Morinaga & Co, which is now one of the leading confectionery and frozen desserts manufacturers in the world.
Taichiro’s grandson, Gota Morinaga Chairman of Morinaga & Co explained the company’s affection for America.
"The United States has always been a very special country for Morinaga, as it was where my grandfather fell in love with candy making. All these years later, we are honored to call America our home and to celebrate this tremendous milestone. We look forward to the next 10 years and beyond to continue to innovate, excite and deliver deliciously fruity, chewy HI-CHEW and more to our fans here."
A cool tidbit about HI-CHEW is that it was originally developed in 1975 as a substitute for chewing gum, as it is considered to be rude to take food out of your mouth in Japan.
Some of the flavors offered in Japan such include: Asian Pear, Chocolate Covered Banana, Green Apple Mint, Dragonfruit, Mango-Pineapple and Sweet & Sour Lemon Crunch - each sounds utterly delightful.
HI-CHEW will be accepting votes until midnight on March 31. Cast your vote here. Which flavor would you like to see next year from HI-CHEW?