When it comes to candy, the focus is usually on the tasty filling inside. However, some creative candy makers have started experimenting with edible wrappers that are just as delicious as what’s inside! Eating the whole candy, wrapper and all, can enhance the experience and flavor. So which candies have edible wrappers that you can happily munch on? Let’s take a look.
Quick Answers
Some candies with edible wrappers include:
- Starburst
- Botan Rice Candy
- Hi-Chew
- Altoids
- Ice Breakers
- Skittles
- Botan gum
- Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramels
The wrappers are made from rice paper, fruit pectins, or edible wax coatings. They provide extra flavor and texture to enhance the candy eating experience. Some wrappers are soft or chewy, while others are crispy.
Candy With Rice Paper Wrappers
One of the most popular edible candy wrappers is rice paper. Light and thin, rice paper provides a delicate, slightly sweet layer around the candy filling. Here are some candies that feature tasty rice paper wrappers:
Botan Rice Candy
Botan is a soft, chewy Japanese rice candy. The outer rice paper is part of the enjoyment of eating Botan. It has a subtle sweetness and gummy texture that compliments the sticky filling inside. Botan rice candy comes in a variety of flavors like strawberry, lemon, and Hawaiian pineapple.
Hi-Chew
Hi-Chew is a delightfully chewy fruit candy from Japan. The soft rice paper exterior wraps around a fruity, mildly flavored center. Hi-Chew comes in bright colors and fruit flavors ranging from peach to grapefruit. The thin rice paper dissolves away quickly to reach the chewy center.
Skittles
The tangy fruit candy Skittles has an outer shell made of edible rice paper. It’s such a thin, lightweight layer that it’s barely noticeable when eating the candy. But it does provide a nice little crunch before giving way to the soft fruity center.
Candies With Pectin Wrappers
Pectin is a plant-based polysaccharide that is derived from fruits. It acts as a gelling agent and gives candies a chewy, fruit-like edible wrapper. Some pectin candy wrappers to try are:
Starburst
The crinkly wrappers on Starburst fruit chews are made from food-grade vegetable waxes and pectin to give them flexibility. They provide a thin fruity coating that sticks to the candy center, helping enhance the flavor. Many people enjoy eating Starburst wrapper and all.
Botan Gum
Botan gum has an outer layer made from pectin that dissolves in your mouth while chewing. Inside is a stick of soft, sweet gum that provides long-lasting flavor. It makes the pectin coating an integral part of the Botan gum experience.
Tootsie Rolls
While most people unwrap Tootsie Rolls before eating, the wrapper is actually edible! It’s made of pectin, gelatin, and palm oil. So don’t worry if some of the wrapper gets chewed up along with the chocolate candy center – it’s meant to be consumed.
Candies With Wax Wrappers
Some candies feature edible wrappers made using food-grade waxes. These provide a thin, slightly shiny outer coating that often has a mild flavor and unique texture.
Altoids
The rectangular packs of Altoids mints come wrapped in an edible paper-like coating made from food glazes and vegetable waxes. While the thin wax wrapper gets discarded by most people, it has a sweet and tart flavor from ingredients like carnauba wax and citrus oils.
Ice Breakers
The outer shell on Ice Breaker mints is a paper-thin layer made of food-grade vegetable waxes. It provides a crunchy texture and hint of sweetness when eaten. Underneath is the hard minty center, so the edible wrapper gives a nice contrasting start to the experience.
Whoppers
The crunchy candy shell on Whoppers malted milk balls is made with edible wax. The balls are first coated in a layer of carnauba or beeswax, which is then hardened around the malt center. The wax has a mildly sweet flavor and gives a satisfying crunch.
Other Unique Edible Wrappers
Beyond rice paper, pectin and vegetable waxes, some companies create novel edible wrappers using unexpected ingredients:
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Caramels
These handmade caramels are wrapped in an edible rice flour-based paper. It offers a thin, slightly crispy texture and blends right in with the creamy caramel once chewing begins.
Strawberries in Yoghurt Gels
This whimsical candy surrounds fresh strawberries in colorful yogurt gel coatings. The gel wrappers are made using natural yogurt and thickeners to form a sweet, smooth outer layer.
Cucumber Mint Gum
To achieve a unique flavor, some gum companies wrap sticks of gum in an outer gel layer made with plant extracts and natural flavors. For example, cucumber mint gum may have a minty green gel coating to enhance the gum inside.
Benefits of Edible Wrappers
Why create a candy you can eat the wrapper of? Here are some of the benefits of edible candy wrappers:
- Enhanced flavor – Edible wrappers can provide extra taste and aromatic components to complement the filling.
- Added texture – Materials like rice paper or wax provide crunch, chewiness or smoothness to enhance the mouthfeel.
- Increased enjoyment – For candy lovers, being able to eat the whole thing is more fun and satisfying.
- No waste – Edible wrappers cut down on packaging waste since there’s nothing to throw away after eating the candy.
- Visual appeal – See-through or colorful wrappers add to the visual experience of eating candy.
- Marketing appeal – Candy you can eat completely can pique consumer interest and bring excitement to established brands.
Challenges of Edible Wrappers
Despite their advantages, edible wrappers also pose some challenges including:
- Difficulty sealing in fillings – Getting wrappers to fully seal and contain liquid or soft centers can be tricky with some materials.
- Shorter shelf life – Edible wrappers made with natural ingredients may degrade faster than synthetic wrappers.
- Higher cost – Sourcing food-grade wrapper ingredients in large quantities can be pricier.
- Need for food safety – Strict protocols are essential as any components can end up being ingested.
- Changes in texture over time – Some wrappers can lose their crunch and become unappealingly soft or soggy.
Candy makers continue innovating to tackle these challenges while creating appealing edible wrapper options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common FAQs about candy with edible wrappers:
Are edible wrappers safe to eat?
Edible wrappers from established brands are made with food-grade ingredients and are safe to consume. However, those with dietary restrictions or allergies should check the specific components first.
Do the wrappers add calories?
Most edible wrappers are extremely thin and add minimal calories or nutrients. For example, a Starburst wrapper only contributes around 1 calorie per piece.
How do they make the wrappers?
Candy wrapper materials like rice paper, fruit pectins, and food-grade waxes are manufactured into thin, pliable sheets using specialized equipment. They are then wrapped fully around the candy fillings.
Do edible wrappers make the candy melt faster?
Not necessarily. Well-made edible wrappers using stable ingredients are designed to contain and protect the candy equally as well as or better than normal wrappers. So melting rates are about the same.
What candies have the best edible wrappers?
Some favorites based on flavor and texture include Hi-Chew’s soft rice paper, Starburst’s juicy pectin, and Botan’s chewy gum wrapper. But taste is subjective – try out a variety to see your own preferences!
The Future of Edible Wrappers
Edible wrappers for candy and other foods continue to advance as companies search for better materials and innovative manufacturing methods. Here are some directions this technology may take:
- Customized nutrition – Wrappers infused with vitamins, minerals, and supplements to meet individual needs.
- Probiotic wrappers – Using edible films with added probiotic cultures for gut health benefits.
- Optimized textures – Creating layered wrappers that combine crispy, chewy, and smooth areas in one piece.
- New wrapper shapes – Moving beyond flat sheets to 3D-printed, molded and embossed wrapper designs.
- Personalized images – Custom printing eatable logos, photos, and designs directly onto wrappers.
The possibilities for elevating and enhancing the edible wrapper concept are endless. Candy lovers can look forward to even more novel, delicious, and sustainable packaging innovations in the future.
Conclusion
While most candy wrappers end up in the trash, some innovative companies have developed wrappers you can actually eat. Materials like rice paper, fruit pectins, vegetable waxes, and food-grade gels allow for tasty, non-toxic outer layers on candy. Eating the wrapper provides extra flavor, texture, and fun. However, manufacturers still face challenges like achieving the right seal and mouthfeel. As edible wrapper technology advances, candy wrappers may one day not just be edible but also colorful, nutritious, and fully customized. For now, adventurous candy eaters can try out the edible wrappers on sweets like Starburst, Botan gum, and Hi-Chew. Just beware – once you start eating candy wrapper and all, it’s hard to go back!
