Menchie's And HI-CHEW Debuted A New Treat For National Candy Month

Fans of the Japanese candy, Hi-Chew, are about to have a new reason to celebrate. If you're never heard of them, don't worry: These chewy candies are similar to Laffy Taffy with a texture that makes it easy to chew, almost like gum. Coincidentally, a gum was the nature of the first iteration of Hi-Chews. 

Per the company's website, before Hi-Chew, Taichiro Morinaga, the inventor, created the strawberry-flavored "Chewlets" that would melt in your mouth as you chewed them. This type of candy is great because its flavor lasted long enough for you to finish it whole, instead of spitting it out. 

And while Chewlets were successful, Morinaga had his eureka moment, and in 1975, Hi-Chew candies were released. Today, this amalgamation of gum and taffy boasts over 170 different flavors, and has gained such a huge American fan base. In fact, when professional Japanese baseball player Junichi Tazawa became a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 2016, per Fansided, he kept a stash of his favorite Hi-Chew candies in the bullpen to share with other pitchers. Of course, they were a hot commodity among his teammates. 

Unsurprisingly, the popularity of this candy hasn't waned. And just in time for National Candy Month, Hi-Chew has announced it's taking its chewy goodness to a whole new level, collaborating with frozen yogurt maker Menchie's to create a frozen treat to help you beat the heat.

Per an official press release, the new Hi-Chew-flavored yogurt is flavored on a popular frozen treat for the summer: sherbet! Although the new limited edition flavor is rainbow sherbet, don't expect to find Roy G. Biv in your cup of fro-yo. The new treat comes in a vibrant pink and plays in the middle of sweet and sour tastes — "lime, raspberry, and orange," as the release reads — to tantalize your taste buds. 

The bright color isn't the only highlight of the new flavor. It's also non-fat and free of artificial flavors, colors, and high fructose corn syrup. According to All Recipe, sherbet is normally made with fruit or fruit juices, along with a little dairy, to produce a frozen dessert.The recipe site further explains that sherbet is generally lower in calories and saturated fat because it uses minimal amounts of the cream and butterfat that is required to produce that rich, creamy texture of ice cream. 

The new Hi-Chew rainbow sherbet flavor will only be around through the month of June and only at participating Menchie's, so hurry to your local location to try it for yourself.