Those little square fruit chews we know as Starburst have been around since the late 1950s, brightening up candy aisles and getting stuck in teeth worldwide. But while their taste has stayed mostly the same, their name has gone through quite a journey. What were these fruit-flavored favorites originally called?
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The answer is: Opal Fruits
Opal Fruits hit British shelves in 1959 with a lineup of strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime flavors. The name came from competition winner Peter Pfeffer, who pocketed £5 for his suggestion.
Americans got their first taste when Mars brought them overseas, but with a twist. The company figured Americans would prefer cherry over lime, a swap that stuck around even after the global name change to Starburst in 1998. The lime flavor lived on in the UK for awhile but was eventually merged with lemon to make room for blackcurrant (your guess is as good as mine on that one).
Some markets even sold them as "M&M Fruit Chewies," which probably left more than a few chocolate lovers confused at first bite. Mars eventually realized they needed one unified name for global domination, err, distribution, and in 1998 "Starburst" became the official name worldwide. Though British shops still occasionally roll out limited "Opal Fruits" runs for nostalgia's sake.
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