Hi-Chew

Way back in the 1930s, an enterprising candy maker by the name of Taichiro Morinaga was trying to make a new kind of chewing gum for Japan. Back then, and even today, taking food out of your mouth was considered to be somewhat impolite. So, to make chewing gum a more culturally accepted snack he wanted to create a chewy candy, just like gum, but one that could be swallowed like any other food.

Fortunately, Mr. Morinaga had the ability to make outstanding caramel. The caramel was special in many ways, but what made it unique was its smooth, creamy and chewy texture. In a stroke of candy-making genius, Mr. Morinaga took the unique texture and combined it with a natural strawberry flavor – in 1931 Chewlets was born. Following World War II, Morinaga had to re-build the company from the ground up. In 1975, and after a lot of work, Chewlets was re-introduced as the wonderful, fruit flavored candy now called Hi-Chew.

Since then Hi-Chew has become a cultural icon in Japan. To this day more than 113 different flavors of Hi-Chew have been created. Hi-Chew first appeared outside of Japan in local Asian markets. Today, Hi-Chew enjoys a growing global popularity and can be found in convenience and grocery stores across the nation.

Soft, sweet and irresistible, no matter what Hi-Chew flavor you choose, you’re in for a long-lasting, mouth-watering treat. Enjoy!