Jujubes Candy
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Jujubes Candy (History, Marketing & Pictures)

This little fruity Jujubes candy is a staple at movie theaters and is available in vending machines and candy stores all over the US. These simple little snacks are delightfully chewy and brightly colored ad they have not changed much since the first years that they were sold. There are indications that this candy has been made since 1709 and that the recipe has not changed much since then.

If you love these little candies and always pick up a box at the theater, you are actually enjoying a treat that has been made by candy makers since the 1700s! This proves just how good these little candies really are and if you have never enjoyed them before, you need to put them on your list! While the original flavors might be gone, you will still get to experience a very classic candy that has been made for over 200 years!

Please leave a review or any memories of this snack in the comments at the bottom of this page. Thank you!

Jujubes Candy

History

As mentioned above, these cute little candies have been around since 1709. At the time, this candy was made with gum Arabic, sugar, and a date-like fruit that was called the jujube fruit. This is where the candy got its name and the moniker has remained ever since, even after its introduction in the US.

By 1853, these candies were being sold as Ju Ju Paste and Ju Ju Drops but were basically the same candy as the original. Along the way, Jujube-style candies have been flavored in many ways, but many of these flavors have been fruity in nature.

Jujubes came to the US in the 1920s. The original flavors in the US were lilac, violet, rose, lemon, and spearmint. The company that made them was called Heide. They invented their own recipe for this tasty little candy and they sold them with great success for all of the years that Henry Heide owned the company. The company was run by his son Andrew and then his grandson Philip.

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Hershey’s bought the candy company in 1995 and took over the production of Jujubes. The original flavors were abandoned overtime for the classic cherry, lemon, lime, orange, and licorice collection.

The current Jujubes flavor line-up is the same as the classic box, but the licorice has been replaced with violet flavor, which is purple. There was a short run where spearmint was in the box instead of lime, but they were not that popular and were replaced with the lime flavor that is still made today.

What Do Jujubes Candy Taste Like?

These little candies taste like traditional fruity flavors, but some people swear that they still find the occasional licorice or spearmint Jujube in newer boxes. The flavors are not powerful, so if you want really strong fruit-flavored candies, these might not be the right treat for you. You will get strong orange, lemon, and cherry flavors from these candies in the boxes.

The violet is a little bit understated for some people’s tastes but the lime makes up for it by being one of the strongest flavors in the box. They seem to hold onto their flavor even when the box becomes stale, so old candies will still be just about as good as a new box. These treats make a friendly candy for kids since the flavors are so basic and the ingredients list is so limited and safe.

Logo

Jujubes Logo

Where Can You Buy Jujubes?

You can buy this candy at any movie theater around the US with very few exceptions. You can also find them at most grocery stores. Amazon sells them and so do other online sellers. You will find that there is a whole range of different box designs and styles that are used for these candies, so you might find that you will get a fun and unique box when you order online.

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These little candies are reasonably priced and you can get small and large boxes of them. They are a common part of mixed Halloween candy bags and the small individual boxes will hold about 4-6 of these little yummy candies.

Ingredients

From the Amazon information for the theater box size candies, Jujubes candy contains the following:

  • Corn syrup
  • Sugar
  • Modified food starch
  • White mineral oil
  • California wax
  • Natural and artificial flavors
  • Red 40
  • Yello 5
  • Yellow 6
  • Blue 1
  • A trivial amount of fat

This is a simple list and you can see why the candies are a bit firm and tough to chew.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 8 pieces (39g) % Daily Value*
Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 0
Calories  120
Total Fat  0g 0%
Saturated Fat  0g 0%
Trans Fat  0g
Cholesterol  0mg 0%
Sodium  35mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates  31g 10%
Dietary Fiber  0g 0%
Sugars  18g
Protein  0g
Vitamin A 0% 0%
Vitamin C  0%
Calcium  0%
Iron 0%
  • * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

What Other Candies Are Jujubes Like?

The chewy and waxy texture of Jujubes is fairly unique, but they have been compared to gumdrops. You will also find that some people feel like they are close to jelly beans in texture as well as taste. Some people also say that they are a lot like a candy called Chuckles.

Jujubes are very easy to snack on as they are small and bite-sized and require a little bit of chewing to make them truly edible. This is part of what makes the ma great snack for the theater, where it’s easy to accidentally eat far too much while you are watching the movie and not paying attention to the food you brought with you.

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What is a Jujube Tree?

This is a small fruit tree that grows red dates or Chinese dates. The plants are not very big and they create fruit that tastes a little like an apple when it is ripe. They are usually allowed to wither until they become dates. This is the more common consumption method for this fruit.

There is nothing much about this fruit or the dates that it turns into that has to do with Jujubes the candy. It is thought that the word was just fun to say and so it become the name of the candy. There is no indication that Jujube fruit was ever used to make Jujubes, even in the early years of its existing.

What do Jujubes Look Like?

Jujubes are round and have a flat bottom. Some people compare them to the Dots candy because of this. They are firm to the touch and they come in bright colors that make it clear what flavor they are. This is a small candy that is little more than a bite, and they are chewy and delicious from start to finish.

The packaging of this candy was originally pastel in color, with a soft off-white or pinkish background and lots of images of the candy on the outside of the box. Now, the boxes are usually green and have bright images of Jujubes all over the box. The lettering is cheerful and bright and the boxes often advertise Chuckles candy and Jujubes on the back.

The small individual size boxes that you will see at Halloween are often yellow in color and show a simple logo and some images of the candy stacked up. This packaging theme is not carried through in larger boxes.

Pictures

One of the original Jujubes

Assorted JuJuBe

Commercials

Jujubes made an appearance in Seinfeld:

E-Trade ad that includes Jujubes:

Please leave a review or any memories of this snack in the comments below. Thank you!

Click here for a full A-Z list of Snacks and Candy

22 Comments

  1. I wish you would put something in the picture of JuJuBes (for scale) because my wife thinks they are the size of jelly beans and I cannot convince her they were smaller. In the photo they could be the size of water buckets.

  2. Jujubes or a mainstay of my childhood when they were five cents in the 1950s and we’re also available at the movies that was 25 cents to get in
    They were my and my sisters favorites And I loved the texture because it would become softer as you ate them
    we bought them at the movie along with popcorn with real butter❤️

  3. I’m so happy that after Covid, Jujubes are back to tasting the way they did when I was young.
    They’ve been my favorite candy since I was little and I’m in my 70’s now.
    Please don’t ever change them.
    Thank you
    Julie
    [email protected]

  4. I’m almost 70 and when a kid I used to eat them all the time so my Grandma used to call me Jujube cause my name is Judy and also cause of the candy. I used to love when she called me that.

  5. I was a long haul trucker – I was at a stop sign one day and a truck went by with JuJube on the side I followed him until he stopped at a light and I ran up and asked him if I could buy some – he said he had just made a delivery and he was empty – my luck – I hardly ever see JuJube’s around here – I live in Howell NJ – I was hoping they came in a bulk like RedVines

  6. Wow! Can’t believe they still make these! First memory of juju were in the 50’s when the Saturday matinee including candy and a soda was less than $1! Very 😎 cool!

    1. They are NOT the same as they used to be. I don’t think you can get ANYTHING the way it used to be. Time machine anyone?

  7. Several things that stood out about Jujubes for me were the silly name and the fact that it lasted longer than any other nickel candy. And you could goof around with them, sticking them to your teeth, etc. (This back when I had teeth.)

  8. I’ve just heard that your company is no longer making one of my family’s favorite candies . ( I myself prefer the original harder kind ) . Why?Why? Why? .

  9. You could tell when they changed the original harder polished candy to milky white dull softer finish that made them stick to teeth just as original but the wax made it taste different. Heidi also made a spice dot candy that didn’t have sugar coating on the outside. Hershey’s, start making jujubes for the older kids in us. I can’t handle all those sour candies. Please reconsider and bring back Jujubes. Thanks.

  10. I am so sad that JuJube’s have been discontinued!!!! these have been my favorite candy for the last 40+ years. Why were they discontinued? I will truly miss them

  11. I also grew up with Jujubes, I’m 78 now.. I did not realize that Hershey took it over, and then sold it to Ferrero candy company. In 2022 Ferrero bad a business decision to discontinue making them. I wrote a personal letter to Ferrero requesting they reconsider and bring them back. Maybe if everyone does that it may happen.

    Where are my Mothers Oatmeal Cookies ?

  12. As a young child in the late 1940’s I received a Doctor’s Kit as a Christmas toy. The “pills” in the Kit were jujubes. I can still taste them in my memory. They don’t taste the same now at all. It’s too bad because the flavors were much more subtle back then

  13. BRING BACK JUJUBES ! I’ve already sent my letter to Ferrero Candy Co. a month ago. It did no good. They are a part of the past after almost 200 years. If any news of an alternative OR a change in manufacturing, Please note it here. It might help if more Jujube lovers would also contact the company. Maybe we can bring them back.
    THANKS

  14. I am deeply saddened to hear that an unwise business decision has been made regarding a long-time consumer favorite “Jujubes”. The public would appreciate a comment from the company relative to this poor judgement. Please advise. It certainly would be appreciated by many. Perhaps then consumers would collectively lobby for their return

    Regards,

    Michael P.
    Northville, MI

    1. I’m just reading about this now, I have been looking for them. Nooooooo!!!
      So, I need to contact Ferrero Company. Darn, Candy Raisens and now this?! Sad news 🙁

  15. This is my FAVORITE CANDY EVER!! I have been looking EVERYWHERE for them! PLEASE BRING THEM BACK!
    My mom and I LOVE Ju Ju Bes. All my childhood my friends had no clue what they were but I have always been loyal and always had JuJuBes at my house. Nothing is really like them or their flavors. We love and really miss them.

  16. I miss Jujubes.
    I will be 70 soon, and have eaten them for as long as I can remember. A few years ago, they began to be very hard to find. Now, they are discontinued. WHY?
    They are (were) the best candy out there.
    Please, bring them back!

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