In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, the latest big food fad to hit grocery stores is… No, not bacon. Darn it all, why do you people always want to talk about bacon?
The OTHER big food trend of the past couple of years is the so-called “superfruit.†The theory behind superfruits is that certain fruits like pomegranates and goji berries contain high levels of nutrients such as antioxidants, which just might help to prevent cancer and other diseases.
Though there’s considerable debate about whether superfruits are really the disease-fighting powerhouses the companies marketing them claim they are, I guess any trend that encourages people to eat more fruit can’t be a completely bad thing. (That argument probably doesn’t hold water when applied to fruit-flavored candy, though.)
As a fad, superfruits are getting a little long in the tooth, but apparently Jelly Belly hasn’t quite got the memo – it’s only now releasing this blend of acai, Barbados cherry, blueberry, cranberry and pomegranate-flavored jelly beans. The Jelly Belly Superfruit Mix is made with real fruit juice and natural flavors, colors, and sweeteners. They’re also apparently “A Good Source of Antioxidant Vitamin C.†Hmm – last time I checked, so were Betty Crocker fruit snacks.
Whatever health benefits the fruits themselves may have, this is candy, not health food – and the most important thing about candy is, of course, the taste. So how do these flavors stack up against Jelly Belly’s more traditional offerings?
(Unfortunately, this product is so new that it doesn’t appear on Jelly Belly’s website, and due to the lack of artificial colors, all the beans come in unenlighteningly similar shades of pink and purple. So as far as which flavor is which, I’m going to have to wing it.)
Dark purple: Blueberry? These have an interesting spicy flavor, like blueberries and cinnamon rather than the harsh sweetness of that artificial blueberry flavor. Blueberry isn’t one of the easiest flavors to capture in candy form, but these beans do a better job of it than most. They do have kind of a weird little aftertaste, though.
Red-purple: I’m guessing “pomegranate†based on the color, but it just tastes like a generic sweet-tangy mixed berry flavor to me.
Pink-red: This is cranberry, no question. This bean has a very authentic tangy cranberry sauce-like flavor. It is a little sweeter than I like my cranberry things, though.
Pink: This must be the Barbados cherry, because it tastes very cherry-like. It’s a very bright, light, fruity cherry, not too intense.
Pink, red speckles: This bean is very tart at first, then turns sweet – it’s kind of a difficult flavor to pin down, not quite berry or citrus. I’m assuming this is the acai, since I don’t really have any idea what acai tastes like. (Unless it’s actually the pomegranate and the red one is the acai? Oh, I’m so confused…) Whatever flavor it is, it’s actually pretty tasty.
The superfruit trend may be reaching the end of its natural lifespan, but that doesn’t mean it can’t result in some tasty candy. Until someone starts marketing superfruit-cured bacon, that is. Crispy, smoky, porky goodness AND added antioxidants? I think that’s a trend we can all get behind.
Buy Jelly Belly Online:
- at Candy Crate
- at Candy Direct
- at Amazon.com
I have to say, these sound absolutely delicious. Who doesn’t love a “healthy” jelly bean?
June 4th, 2009 at 6:42 pmThe latest flavor guide features the superfruit mix and shows which colors go with each flavor. You had it almost right, but you switched pomegranate and acai.
June 10th, 2009 at 3:15 pm