For those not addicted to this Japanese candy, Hi-Chew is kind of like Starburst, only, as the name might imply, slightly chewier. An early version of this candy, called Chew-lets, was created as an alternative to gum. As it dissolved in your mouth as you chewed, you wouldn't have to spit it out like you do with gum since doing so is, as Hi-Chew's website puts it, "let's face it, a little rude." Hi-Chew as we know it today dates back to 1975, and while it took a minute to catch on outside Japan, by 2016 it has become so popular in the U.S. that a Hi-Chew factory opened up in Mebane, North Carolina.
Among Hi-Chew's biggest fans is North Carolina's former governor, Pat McCrory. As he told the Burlington, N.C.-based Times-News, the company's representatives brought samples of their product when they first approached him about opening a factory in his state. As McCrory said, "One bite and we were friends for life."
Well, McCrory, along with Hi-Chew's numerous other fans, will be pleased to know that Hi-Chews are available via Costco's website as well as in-store, so they can now get their favorite candies (in cherry, grape, green apple, mango, and strawberry flavors) at a bargain price without ever having to leave the house. Thanks, Costco! That's truly a lazy sugar lover's dream come true.
