Ever since we chatted with the ingenious food scientist between the fruity and spicy "Sweet Heat" Skittles and Starburst flavors, we've been looking forward to trying them ourselves.

This week, we were finally able to get our hands on a pack of each. Is Sweet Heat worth all the hype? Keep reading to find out what we thought.

 

Sweet Heat Starburst

First, we tried the new Starburst flavors. While the wrappers inside come in red, orange, yellow and pink, just like the classic Starbursts, the flames on the wax paper surrounding them hints at their very different flavors.

 

Flamin' Orange

If you like the classic orange-flavored Starburst and you don't mind a little spice, you're going to like this one. It starts off tasting like the familiar orange you're used to, but it's got a hint of chili spice at the end, giving it some heat that's palpable but not overwhelming.

Strawberry Mango

Strawberry and mango may not sound like a spicy combination, but they didn't forget to give this one a kick! The strawberry mango flavor is probably the tastiest of the four Sweet Heat Starburst flavors. The strawberry and mango flavors are sharp as well as sweet, and mango and chili are a winning combination, making this flavor especially well-rounded.

 

Pipin' Pineapple

Despite the claim that the flavor is "pipin,'" the Sweet Heat pineapple Starburst has the least spice of the bunch. But that doesn't mean it's not tasty. The pineapple flavor is tangy and vibrant, and the slightest bit of heat comes through once you've finished your bite.

 

Fiery Watermelon

Fiery watermelon is the spiciest flavor in the pack, but weirdly the spice and the watermelon blend together to form a flavor that doesn't resemble watermelon much at all. The spice alters the taste you expect, but it's still enjoyable. This is the only Starburst where you can really taste the heat at the beginning of your chew, and the chili flavor is consistent, coming in waves.

 

Sweet Heat Skittles

Wrigley could have phoned it in and simply duplicated all of their flavors between the Starburst and Skittles packs, but they didn't. Only two of the five flavors are repeats, with the flamin' orange and fiery watermelon tasting just like their Starburst counterparts. The rest are just as sweet, spicy and worthy of praise.

 

 

Lemon Spark

It's no surprise that this flavor tastes a lot like a classic lemon Skittle, but the spicy aftertaste does change it up. This one has very subtle heat, but it's enough to notice the difference.

 

Blazin' Mango

Like we said before, mango and chile are a match made in heaven. This tastes a bit like the mango strawberry Starburst, but a bit more tropical. Again, this is probably the best flavor in the bag, packing a punch while being mellowed out by the sweet fruit.

 

Sizzlin' Strawberry

It's hard to go wrong with a classic strawberry Skittle, and this one is similar except the spice makes it taste even tangier. It doesn't taste spicy until you've finished eating it, but the spice does linger for a moment once you're done.

Overall, we'd recommend these sweet (and sour) treats to adventurous candy lovers out there. Even if you can't handle hot food, these are subtle enough to try out just once. The taste is a little tough to describe, but if you've ever eaten tamarind or chili candies, you'll know exactly when you're in for.

 

Curious about how these got made? Click HERE to read our interview with the food scientist who created them.