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Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Jujyfruits & Jujubes
What’s particularly odd about Jujyfruits is that they’re less fruit flavored and more vegetable-oriented: asparagus (which I always thought was a little corncob), banana (the one that says Heide), grapes, pea pod, pineapple, raspberry and tomato (which I thought was the bottom of a bell pepper or just a flower). The shapes, further, have nothing to do with the flavors and are randomized so that all shapes come in all flavors. And the flavors? Lemon, Lime, Cherry, Orange and Licorice. (Kind of like Chuckles which are also made by Farley’s & Sathers now.) At the end of the last millennium, a customer survey revealed that the original spearmint green Jujyfruit was not popular enough and was replaced with lime. I rather miss that ... I liked being able to get a licorice and a spearmint candy in one package. Jujyfruits are rather soft when fresh, though not quite as soft as Dots in my experience. They’re chewy and pretty flavorful, though lacking in any tangy notes, it’s all sweet. They’re sticky and can leave big hunks congealed to the sides of molars. I really like the licorice one, which has very nice anise notes and a very clean flavor.
Candy Wrapper Museum has a nice image of an earlier version of the Jujyfruits box, which I much prefer. The current box is rather, I don’t know, primitive looking. (Keep clicking around at the other old Heide products there at the CWM, quite fun to see they had a Good & Plenty knock-off called Hi-D-Ho that were also pink and white.) A little more history: The Heide company that invented the Juju candies was started by Henry Heidi, a German immigrant in 1869. The company introduced Jujyfruits and Jujubes in 1920. Heide continued as a family run company after Henry Heide died and was then run by his son Andrew and his grandson Philip. But in 1995 they sold out to Hershey’s. Hershey’s then sold Heide (along with their other famous candies Red Hot Dollars and line of gummis) to Farley’s & Sather.
According to the Food Network show Unwrapped, the difference between Jujubes and Jujyfruits is really only that Jujubes use Potato Starch instead of Corn Starch as their primary thickener. Add to that, Jujubes are “cured” longer, so they’re firmer. When I was a kid, Jujubes were always hard as rocks and only a fool would try to chew them. (We were all fools back then. Of course the cool part was to soften them up enough to chomp down and glue your teeth together ... what fun!) The Jujube that both the Jujyfruits and Jujubes are named after is a little tropical berry that really has nothing to do with the candy, it was probably just a romantic sounding name and in the early part of the last century many candies tried to adopt such exotic names. Both candies actually used something called Ju-Ju Gum at one time as an ingredient (it’s similar to many of the other vegetable gums like Gum Arabic, Acacia, Agar or Guar).
Today Jujubes are a little softer, kind of like stale Jujyfruits. They also have a bit more range in their flavors which are: Lemon (yellow), Violet (purple), Lilac (orange), Lime (green) and Cherry (red). So they’re basically little floral pastilles that are slightly soft. (Think of them like the Grether or Doolittle pastilles.) I haven’t had them in years and was actually rather pleased with them. I don’t think I really need a box of 6.5 ounces, a little tin filled with an ounce or two might do me for a week. All of the flavors, even the fruity ones, are rather delicate and floral. I wish they did still make the spearmint ones (but it’s okay if there’s no rose in there, I think two flowers is enough). They’re just lovely to look at and because of their durable and inert nature, I feel fine leaving them sitting out on my desk without worrying about anyone eating them or them getting any staler. If you do find them inedible, a fun craft project is to stick an ordinary sewing pin through them and use them as push pins! Overall, neither are candy I’m likely to buy or consume, but it was fun to revisit them and I’m glad they’re still around and have their ardent admirers. Related Candies
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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COPYRIGHT NOTICEAll content (text and photos unless otherwise credited) is copyright 2005-2010 by Cybele May Please do not use my photos without prior permission directly from me, they represent what I ate in preparation for these reviews and are not to be used for other purposes. Design by Hop Studios &
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I’ve always loved Jujyfruits, but probably for the wrong reasons. I never particularly enjoyed eating them, but they’re stunning to look at. 
While the Jujyfruits have remained relatively unchanged over the years, the Jujubes have gone through some substantial changes. 
SUPERB 
YUMMY 
TASTY 
WORTH IT 
TEMPTING 
PLEASANT 
BENIGN 
UNAPPEALING 
APPALLING 
INEDIBLE 
SUPERB
YUMMY 
TASTY 
WORTH IT 
TEMPTING 
BENIGN 
UNAPPEALING 
APPALLING 
INEDIBLE 
Jujyfruits are another one of my favorite candies- my grandmother always had them in a drawer, along with red and black twizzlers, whenever I’d go to her house. She’d never tell us about them, she’d just let my brother and I “happen” upon ‘em. Ahhhh, Jujyfruits, so hard to chew, yet so irresistible.
Jujubes, on the other hand… Although my only experience with them came from a vending machine, so perhaps mine were overly stale? I didn’t even finish the box (which is rare for me), they were so difficult to consume! But I get to have my Dots and Jujyfruits; someone else can have their Jujubes.
dots > juju’s of any kind
any chance of a review of salt water taffy? it’s definitely one of my favorite summer chewy treats! although i know most places are only local that sell it…
I really, really miss spearmint Jujyfruits.
Jujubes are one of my favorite frustration candies. Pissed off at someone? Worry your way through a mouthful of these sticky bastards…
Oops, sorry for the language…I’m actually ticked off at someone right now. Which means I could use some jujubes.
I recently came across a box of Jujyfruits and decided to try them again. Still can’t stand the licorice ones but all the other flavors were just like I remembered. I sucked them until they were soft and melty and they still stuck to my teeth. I thought about all you candy bloggers while I was enjoying a childhood candy.
I think its Welch’s that has a fruit snack like the JUJYFRUITS
So are you supposed to suck on the Jujubes to soften them up before attempting to chew on them? Because I bought some once and tried eating them like any other candy and thought I was going to pull all my teeth out. I’m surprised that two of the the flavors are floral. I guess I was so focused on my poor teeth that I didn’t even notice how they tasted. I haven’t tried them since.
Jujyfruits, on the other hand, are probably my favorite candy ever!
Cybele, you are such a bad influence! I always want to try what you’ve just posted - the pics and descriptions are so gorgeous.
And I never knew that Jujubes were violet flavored. I love that one! I’m going to pick those out and give the rest away. Maybe lilac, too. I kinda wish rose was still a flavor, just because it is rare in mainstream candies.
Haaaaaaaaate Jujubes. So flavorless and difficult to eat. The most unrewarding candy ever.
I love Jujubes! I have a method for eating them and I’ve never since had a problem with them sticking to my teeth. Just take one at a time in your mouth and roll the candy piece in between your molars. Suck on it a bit to soften. Swallow and enjoy!
And believe it or not, I actually prefer the harder, seemingly stale ones. My friend introduced me to this candy about a year ago and I’ve loved them ever since! I got the 6.5 OZ box and that lasts a day or two. Great candy! (:
Just had to comment. I love Jujyfruits. We moved to New Zealand a couple of years ago and I can’t find them here. When I was last in the States I bought a dozen boxes and brought them back with me. How much do I love them? It’s the ONLY candy I bought! (And by the way, I use the SAME technique for eating them… rolling them between your molars!)
It’s disturbing that the author seems offended by the products. No spearmint? How dare they.
OMG like jujubees are like so stale…like how could anyone eat these.. like i am so sure.
Remind me to market some lilac flavored crazy glue for you to see if you ‘get it’.
My boyfriend lovessssss Jujubes and can eat a whole box in a night. How he doesnt get the stuck in his teeth for the rest of his life.. i dont know! But there his favorite and Ive gotten found of them too! Nothing can beat this candy
ILOVE JUJYFRUITS,THEY HELP ME STOP SMOKING WHICH WAS GREAT,THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE NOTICED MORE AND MORE LICORICE .MOST TIMES I FIND UP TO FORTY BETWEEN TWO 60Z BOXES,CAN U MAKE A JUJYFUITS WITH NO LICORICES.I WOULD ALSO BE HAPPY WITH LESS IN THE BOXES,MAYBE I JUST OPEN EACH BOX AND CHECK HA HA
WHY DOES EVERYONE SAY THEY ARE FLAVORLESS?? I LOOOOOVE Jujubes!!!! Especially the violet flavoured ones!!! I eat soooo many of boxes of jujubes and i get em for only 88cents a box!!!
to mr/mis i want to how to make jujubes
ingredients
thank you.
HEIDI CANDY COMPANY IN THE 1960’S MADE A LICRICE TYPE CANDY CALLED EITHER PETS OR LAFAYETTE. THEY WERE THE BEST. IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET THE CANDY TODAY.
PLEASE ADVISE.
I have been looking for a hard licorice candy call “Black Diamond Licorice Buttons” and I understand it was made by Heidi Candy Company. Do you know if this is true, and if so is it still available?
The only Jujubes are the rock hard ones. The ones that would shatter into five pieces when you chomped down on them. 10 oz box one sitting….no problem!
Does anyone have a recipe for Jujubes?
Just curious
My daughter had a severe allergic reaction after eating Jujube’s I am looking everywhere online for the ingredients.. Can’t find them. Anyone know how I can get a list so I can pin point what could have done this to her?
I bought a box of Jujyfruites and to my surprise one of the orange pieces is shark shaped. Does anyone know anything about this odd shape?
My technique for eating Jujyufruit is to suck on them to soften them up, then use my teeth to lightly bite down (not enough to pierce) until the candy becomes a thin sheet. Then I bite off little strips and swallow them.
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