Editorial: In praise of ... Minties

Last updated 05:00 21/11/2009

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OPINION: Okay, they're not an iconic Kiwi sweet.

But even though they were concocted in Australia in 1922 by confectionary maker James Stedman, Minties, with their distinctive red, white and green waxpaper wrappings, have been a part of the New Zealand sweetscape for 50 years.

But now Cadbury has shifted production from Avondale to Thailand. Cadbury says the ingredients and recipe are unchanged. Apart from colour, taste and texture, it has to be said the company has nailed it.

The Christmas-paper wrappers look right.

But sadly what's inside doesn't look or taste the same. Minties are not as white as they were, they're only chewy instead of rock hard, and they're no longer bursting with mint flavour.

It's something to do with the new machine, says Cadbury, which has boosted the mint content in its latest batch. It increases the water content.

Theoretically the new Mintie is probably superior – easier to chew and less likely to necessitate dental interventions. But we liked them the way they were.

The consistency and flavour was what made a packet of Minties ideal for a long car journey. Each took several minutes to consume and required total concentration in the back seat.

At least the kids can still compete to tear their wrappers into the longest single strip.

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