The Tangy Sweet History and Evolution of Skittles Fruit Flavors

The Origins of Skittles Fruit Flavors

Skittles first launched in the United Kingdom in 1974 and were originally known for their fruit flavors. The original fruit flavors consisted of strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime. These tangy and sweet fruit flavors became beloved for their burst of flavor and vibrant colors.

The origin of Skittles traces back to a British candy company known as Mars Limited. A Mars executive named Paul Nicholls was inspired by the rainbow to create a candy with fruit flavors represented by the colors of the rainbow. This inspiration led to the development of the original Skittles product featuring fruit-flavored hard sugar shells.

Introduction of New Fruit Flavors

Over the years, new fruit flavors were introduced beyond the original four fruits. In 1979, blackcurrant was added to the Skittles lineup in the United Kingdom. However, blackcurrant remains unavailable in the United States due to regulations on certain produce items. In the 1990s,wild berry and sour apple flavors joined the Skittles fruit palette.

In 2000s and beyond, tropical fruit flavors started making their way into the Skittles mix. New fruit flavors consisted of mango, raspberry, green apple, and wild cherry. These flavors allowed Skittles to expand beyond the original citrus fruits and delve into exotic fruits with unique flavors and aromas.

Limited Edition Fruit Flavors

Beyond the core fruit flavors, Skittles are known for introducing limited edition flavors for a short period of time. These limited batches allow Skittles to experiment with new flavor combinations and seasonal products. Some of the most popular limited edition Skittles featured flavors like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, peach, berry punch and orchid.

Holidays have also inspired special themed Skittles packs like Sweet Heat during summer and Ghoulish Grape, Chilling Cherry, Sinister Strawberry, Blood Orange, and Forbidden Fruit for Halloween. The creativity of the Mars candy developers allows new fruit flavors to shine for a short glorious period before going back into the vault.

The Evolution of Skittles

While originally sold as small round candies in short opaque paper bags, Skittles have evolved a great deal over the past decades. One of the biggest change came in 1994 when Skittles transitioned from their standard small candies into the modern oblong-shaped Skittles developed to provide more prolonged flavor.

Products Featuring Skittles

The Skittles brand has grown exponentially since their initial debut. Skittles are included in a wide range of products like frozen treats, soda, candy canes, gum balls and even lip balm. The combo of Skittles flavors mixed with other food and beverage products has allowed millions more to enjoy the rainbow taste of Skittles.

Ice creams and frozen yogurts released special editions featuring a Skittles swirl or pieces of Skittles mixed in. The flavors complement each other with the creaminess of ice cream matching well with the tartness of Skittles. Even beverages like 7Up have released limited edition sodas with the flavor of Skittles mixed in for a fizzy and sweet drink.

Spinoff Candy Lines

The popularity of Skittles has led to the development of spinoff products focused on certain attributes people love about Skittles. Sour Skittles pack an extra tart and tangy bite, enhancing the sour citrus flavors. Crazy Cores have different fruit flavors between the outside and inside for intriguing flavor combinations in one candy.

Tropical Skittles feature exotic fruits like passionfruit, pineapple and coconut. Wild Berry Skittles contain a mix of flavors like raspberry, blackberry and blueberry. There are even dessert-focused Skittles like Smoothies which have a creamy component or Bake Shop which features flavors like lemon chiffon and apple cobbler pie.

The Allure of Skittles' Fruit Flavors

What makes Skittles so incredibly popular around the world despite having simple ingredients of sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, fruit juice, sodium citrate, carnauba wax and colorings? The appeal lies in the variety of flavors which set off fireworks for your tastebuds.

Satisfying Sweet and Sour Balance

While Skittles do have quite a bit of sugary sweetness, they also have a perfect balance of tart, tangy citrus flavors from juices infused during production. This sweet and sour balance is highly craveable and moreish. People find themselves going back for more Skittles to satisfy their tastebuds again and again.

Even the sour-focused Skittles products don't lose the sweetness entirely. The sweet flavors paired with mouth-puckering sourness creates a rollercoaster of sensations for your tongue. The flavors of the sugar shell and sour citric acid crystal coating complement each other beautifully.

Flavor Variety

From tropical fruits like mango and pineapple to cool mint and cinnamon fire, Skittles showcase a huge range of flavors in one convenient package. While each Skittle has a dominant flavor, there are subtle flavor undertones which keep things interesting when consumed.

People love the surprise of reaching into the Skittles bag and not knowing if their next piece will be sweet strawberry or zesty lemon. The mystery and variability make eating Skittles a riveting flavor experience that never gets dull.

Are People Enjoying Skittles Fruit Tea?

In recent years, the Mars Wrigley company released a new product named Skittles Fruit Tea featuring flavored tea paired with Skittles candy flavors. But are people actually enjoying this product which fuses tea beverages and fruit candy flavors?

Positive Responses

Many people expressed delight and approval regarding the new Skittles Fruit Tea concept. Tea drinkers enjoyed having their beloved beverage infused with fruity Skittles flavors for added taste and whimsy. The candy flavors sweetened up the tea nicely while still allowing the tea's flavors to shine.

Reviewers enjoyed sipping on the sweet citrus blend of Lemon Berry tea or the tropical dreamsicle-esque Mango Pineapple tea. Parents also reported their kids enjoying Skittles Fruit Tea without excessive sweetness or artificial flavors.

Negative Critiques

However, Skittles Fruit Tea did receive some negative criticism from people not impressed with the execution of the product. Some felt the Skittles flavors weren't prominent enough while others thought the flavors tasted artificial rather than fresh fruit flavors.

Additionally, a number of reviews mentioned the tea bags broke apart easily when steeping, leading to loose tea leaves floating in the drink. There were also complaints about a lack of sweetness requiring extra sugar or honey to enhance the flavors.

While many love the novelty of Skittles tea, the product has room for improvement regarding flavor quality and tea bag construction.

FAQs

What fruits are used to flavor Skittles?

The original Skittles flavors were strawberry, lemon, orange and lime. Over the years they've introduced additional fruit flavors like blackcurrant, mango, raspberry, cherry, grape, peach and more. Limited editions also use fruit inspirations like pumpkin spice and cinnamon.

Do Skittles contain real fruit juice?

Yes, real fruit juices are used to help give Skittles their signature fruity flavors. The candies also contain sugar, corn syrup, palm oil, and citric acid to achieve the sweet yet tart taste.

Why are there no blackcurrant Skittles in the United States?

Blackcurrants were banned from import into the U.S. for over 100 years due to concerns about a tree disease they could spread. The ban was lifted in 1966 but the berries never caught on in popularity, so blackcurrant is still missing from American Skittles.

What is the Skittles commercial song?

The original Skittles commercial jingle that plays "Taste the Rainbow" was composed by an advertising student named Danny Strick. Mars bought the rights to the song and it has appeared in ads ever since 1994.

Are Skittles Fruit Teas discontinuing?

While they were introduced to great fanfare in 2021, Skittles Fruit Teas seem to have already been discontinued according to consumer reports. The product failed to take off in popularity due to mediocre execution.