Juicy Fruit has been on shop shelves for over 130 years, and in all that time, Wrigley has never officially said what fruit it's actually supposed to taste of. That mystery is basically as old as the gum itself.
One of Wrigley's first two products
William Wrigley Jr. founded his company in Chicago in 1891, originally selling soap and then baking powder. To win over retailers, he threw in free chewing gum as a sales incentive — and found customers cared more about the free gum than the product it was supposed to be promoting. Wrigley pivoted the entire business around that discovery, and in 1893 launched both Juicy Fruit and Wrigley's Spearmint, the two products that became the foundation of the company.
A flavour nobody can quite name
Juicy Fruit's taste has resisted a clean description for its entire history. It's most commonly read as some combination of banana and pineapple, with a slightly sweet, almost synthetic edge that doesn't map neatly onto any single fruit. Wrigley has kept the exact recipe a closely guarded secret throughout, and the ambiguity has arguably become part of the brand's identity rather than a marketing weakness.
Still one of the longest-running gum brands in the world
Juicy Fruit has stayed in continuous production since 1893, through multiple changes in ownership at the top of the company, including Mars, Incorporated's acquisition of Wrigley in 2008. Its bright yellow wrapper has stayed close to its original look for most of that time, making it one of the most recognisable gum packs still sold anywhere.
- 1893 — Juicy Fruit launches in Chicago alongside Wrigley's Spearmint.
- Flavour — never officially named; widely read as banana and pineapple.
- Packaging — the bright yellow wrapper has stayed close to its original look for over a century.
Find it alongside other Wrigley classics in our Wrigley's collection.
Frequently asked questions
When was Juicy Fruit launched?
1893, in Chicago, alongside Wrigley's Spearmint — the two products that built the company.
What flavour is Juicy Fruit actually meant to be?
Never officially confirmed; widely read as a banana and pineapple blend, with the exact recipe kept secret.
How did Wrigley end up in the gum business?
Free gum given away to promote Wrigley's soap and baking powder proved more popular than the products themselves.