Junior Mint Chews are a recent spinoff from the popular
candy Junior Mints, which are manufactured by
Cambridge Brands, Inc., a subsidiary of
Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.
From the Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. website:
Tootsie Roll Industries acquired Junior Mints from the Warner-Lambert Company in 1993. James Welch, the brother of Robert Welch who originally discovered Sugar Daddy and Sugar Babies, developed Junior Mints. Launched into the market in 1949, Welch named the candy specifically after his favorite Broadway stage performance, Junior Miss.
The new Chews
taste very much like the originals, with the main difference being the lack of
chocolate. The Chews are, as suggested by the name, chewy
mints with a light coating of
glazed shell, thinner than most chewy mints or shell-covered
gums. The shell itself is, for the most part,
flavorless until you get past the glaze to the
sugar, which is, as should be expected,
sweet. Once past the shell, the chewy mint center seems to be the same flavor as the soft centers of Junior Mints. Also, as with the original, the minty
flavor manages to be fairly
strong wihtout being
overpowering.
I think the greatest difference between Junior Mints and Junior Mint Chews, after the lack of chocolate, would be the satisfying rattle you get when you shake a box of the Chews. Unlike Junior Mints, which tended to get slightly melted and stuck together in the box, the glazed shells of the Chews keep them nicely separated and make a pleasant candy-knocking rattle when the box is shaken.
For those who have an interest, here is the rather short list of nutritional facts followed by the brief ingredients list. Even my overbearing boss, who is on a crusade against artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives, and most sugar substitutes would have no qualms in approving of this box of sweets.
The Nutritional Facts.
Percentage Daily Vaules are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, egg white, confectioner's glaze, mineral oil, peppermint oil, soya albumin (a protein), gum arabic, sodium citrate.