The Snack Attack: Hi-Chew Is The Famous Japanese Candy You HAVE To Try [TASTE TEST]

When it comes to chewy candy, we've all had Starburst and fruit-flavored Tootsie Rolls. But have you ever tried a Hi-Chew? If you haven't -- YOU NEED TO!

Hi-Chew is a popular Japanese chewy candy famous for its long-lasting fruit flavors. Personally, I didn't know Hi-Chew existed until I was contacted by a company rep, who sent me some samples of the famous Japanese candy. And now, I can't stop eating them.

The chewy texture is unlike anything I've had before -- there's a little bit of firmness to it. They taste incredible -- I wasn't expecting such a concentrated fruit flavor. No wonder one of their tag lines in "Flavor packed from the inside out." And when they say long-lasting, they really mean it! Even with some aggressive chewing, this tiny little candy held together until every last juicy morsel had dissolved in my mouth.

Originally called "chewlets," Hi-Chew was created in 1956 as an edible chewing gum, since removing food from one's mouth in Japan is considered taboo. In 2008 the candy was introduced to the U.S. market and in 2015, Hi-Chew opened its first U.S. factory in North Carolina.

Hi-Chew comes in single-flavored 10-stick packs and a variety of mixed-flavor bags -- Original Mix, Cherry-Berry Mix, Tropical Mix and Sours Citrus Mix. You can buy Hi-Chew at local 7-Eleven and Walgreens stores. Click here to find some near you.

Review: Hi-Chew Fruit Chews

Original Mix
Strawberry, Grape and Green Apple

Strawberry -- This one throws me off a little bit. Yes, it tastes like a tart, red berry but it's more artificial compared to the other two flavors in this bag. I'm not getting that fresh, summer strawberry taste. If I had to guess, I'd say it was strawberry but the flavor isn't overly apparent.

Green Apple -- It tastes like sour green apple without the sourness. How is that even possible?! It feel like I'm eating a crisp, crunchy Granny Smith apple.

Grape -- It actually tastes like I have a mouth-full of concord grapes, not that artificial grape flavor that tastes like cough syrup.

Cherry-Berry Mix
Cherry and Strawberry

Strawberry -- I couldn't detect any real differences between the strawberry flavor in this mix and the one included in the original mix.

Cherry -- Oodles and oodles of cherries! WOW! This tastes exactly like a tart Michigan cherry. My mind is pretty much blown. It's one of the best tasting cherry-flavored candies I've EVER had (and I've had a lot of candy, folks).

Tropical Mix
Banana, Mango and Melon 

Melon -- This flavor is actually cantaloupe. I can honestly say that I've never tasted cantaloupe-flavored candy before, and that's probably for a good reason. While this candy does taste like real cantaloupe, which is just strange, I'm not sure if it is a flavor that translates to candy. It is just really unusual. I would have preferred watermelon.

Banana -- This is the tartiest banana-flavored candy I think I've ever put in my mouth. I was expecting that artificial banana flavor (you know, which tastes nothing like actual bananas) but these are the exact opposite. I wouldn't go as far as saying this tastes like a fresh banana, but it comes far closer to the flavor than other candy I've had before.

Mango -- This has to be my favorite flavor of all the Hi-Chews. I feel like I'm eating a fresh mango, without the fruit's gritty texture. As the chew was dissolving, it started to taste more like peach than mango -- but who would complain about that.

Sours Citrus Mix
Lemon, Grapefruit and Lime

Lime -- First, I have to say that these sours aren't exactly the sour flavor that we're used to. Yes, they are tart and tangy but it's not going to make your face scrunch up like you're eating a sour Atomic Warhead. That being said, this flavor tastes just like a fresh, sweet lime. The longer the chew was in my mouth, the more sour it seemed. It really reminded me of the lime juice you would add to a cocktail.

Grapefruit -- Out of the sours, this flavor is the best. I'm not a huge fan of fresh grapefruit, but I really enjoy the flavor. And that's exactly what this chew delivers. It's more on the sweet side than the tart side.

Lemon -- Fresh lemons are pretty much the sourest thing known to man. Thankfully, this chew packs the lemon flavor without the overwhelming sour punch. It's not as dynamic of a flavor compared to the others in this mix, but is just as yummy.

The Snack Attack is a feature on CBSDetroit.com that centers around all things food. Know of a new snack we should attack? Send an email and we'll be sure to add it to the list.