Snack Review: Jovy Fruit Rolls
To be honest, fruit rolls (or rollups, which always sounds to me like the stomach-crunching calisthenics I was ordered to perform in seventh grade) have never thrilled me. Maybe it’s because my kids occasionally request them, and most of the offerings on the market are so sickly sweet and utterly sticky (say that ten times fast) that they’re more trouble than they’re worth. On the rare occasions I ate a Fruit Roll-Up, I always felt as though I were consuming artificially sweetened and flavored industrial adhesive, and paying for the privilege.
So, it was with much trepidation that I received a large box of assorted Jovy Fruit Rolls containing enough flattened and rolled fruit to feed a small army of hungry children and nervous adults.
I was pleasantly surprised by this product and enjoyed nearly every flavor. Consider me a convert to Jovianism.
The rolled-out product had a natural and subtle color with tiny flecks of fruit and an occasional seed. Most surprising of all was a welcome lack of stickiness to the product itself: you can roll it around between your fingers with no residue, and chew it to your heart’s content and it won’t stick to your teeth. For this alone, Jovy Fruit Rolls had me at hello.
Mango: A well-executed flavor that actually tasted like mango without the stringy pulp.
Apricot: A pleasingly sweet and authentic apricot concoction.
Strawberry Kiwi: The mildest flavor and the first one I tried, it tasted of tart strawberries. In my experience it’s difficult to replicate the taste of kiwi without biting into an actual kiwi. I applaud the Jovy attempt at this exotic fruit, but alas, they fell short. A better name for this flavor would be “Mild Strawberry.” Still, quite tasty.
Grape: Reminded me of grape Kool-Aid, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Green Apple: The most unnatural of the flavors, it tastes more like candy than fruit.
Cherry: Ehh. Strong taste of Maraschino cherries. Maybe it’d be more enjoyable skewered with a plastic sword toothpick and dropped into a Tom Collins or Manhattan.
Strawberry: The most disappointing flavor. I am a fool for anything strawberry (ice cream, milk shakes, Life Savers, actual strawberries, The Strawberry Alarm Clock psychedelic rock band of the 60s), but this fruit roll tasted like the essence of the perfume permeating your grandmother. Ick. (Nothing against your grandmother.) Very, very unnatural with a cloyingly sweet aftertaste (again, not your grandmother). Thanks, but no thanks, Grandma.
Raspberry: Delightful. Natural raspberry taste without the annoying seeds.
One caveat: The Five Second Rule does NOT apply to this snack. Even if your kitchen floor is as spotless as a sterile operating room, if you drop this fruit roll on the floor, do not eat it; the roll acts like a lint magnet and will attract every stray hair and speck of dust in the immediate area.
All flavors combine dehydrated apple and pear mixed with natural fruit flavoring. Jovy Fruit Rolls are manufactured in Mexico and distributed from California; you should definitely check them out if you’re looking for a tasty alternative to the sticky plastic of Fruit Roll-Ups!
10 Comments
amy on September 5th, 2008
your review sounded so generally positive that i actually wanted to try these. get this. i live in a little town in northwest montana, and went into my little tiny neighborhood market to buy some apples (we get really great apples because we’re so close to washinton state-apple capital of the country) and right there by the checkout were the jovy fruit rolls!!!!! i bought one of each flavor they had. green apple, grape, and raspberry. first, the raspberry was the best. the grape tasted like all grape fruit rolls. the green apple tasted kind of real at first, then i switched to grape, went back to green apple, and it tasted like lawn clippings. maybe because it’s less sweet than the others, which was especially evident by the grape/green apple comparison. anyway, i would get the raspberry again for me and i would get the grape for anyone apprehensive about tryong these. i’ll see if the local market can get more flavors to try. thanks for the review.
Matt on September 30th, 2008
Well I read this article and when I saw it in the store I decided to grab one and give it a try. To say the least I wasnt very satisfied. I’ll refrain from going into detail since some people seem to like them and everyone should try a new snack especially if its recommended here. All that I gotta say is that If you are looking for a healthy and tasty fruit roll snack you are better off going with the Joray brand instead of Jovy. Joray fruit roll ups are much more pleasurable! just my 2 cents!
uakari on February 26th, 2009
I like these fruit rolls too but they are very expensive if you buy them retail at the grocery store. Does anyone know where I can buy a bunch of them wholesale through the CA distributor?
Thanks for your help.
stevejmiller7@yahoo.com
Casey on March 13th, 2009
You have to check out JORAY Fruit Rolls! They are the best fruit rolls on the market. They are healthy and delicious. These fat free treats are made from real fruit. A box of 48 is sold for $20 on their website, http://www.joraycandy.com. You won’t be disappointed!
Sixto Morales on March 19th, 2009
Just an advanced announcement:
Jovy Fruit Roll will introduce a NEW flavor this summer, please look for the NEW Watermelon flavor
in the Produce Department of your local retailer.
Thank you
jovyisbest on April 17th, 2009
I have tried many brands of these kinds of fruit rolls and have to say Jovy makes the best tasting by far, and also has the very best packaging to preserve the freshness of the product. Low calories, and great taste, what more could you ask for? Others try to imitate Jovy but none come close!
candy09 on May 7th, 2009
i tried the strawberry one in both brand. (joray & jovy)but I didn’t like the taste of joray fruit rolls. jovy fruit rolls is a lot BETTER! It is hard to find “jovy fruit rolls” in nyc. does anyone know where i can get it in nyc?
alice on December 29th, 2009
I tried both apricot flavors and nothing compares to joray. jovy fruit rolls are a cheap imitation
Jack on January 20th, 2010
I compared both Joray and Jovy and contrary to the poster before me I’d have say that Joray is the cheap imitator, even the name sounds like a rippoff. To start out I was turned away by the packaging, it seems like the product is wrapped in plastic out of some ones garage. The colors are dull and unattractive. My children definitely were not drawn to them the same way they were to Jovy fruit rolls. Now when it comes to taste (Strawberry, grape, and apricot) Jovy hands down takes the price. The flavors are not only more prevalent but the texture isn’t as dry. Now I’m stuck with three boxes of Joray rolls because no one at home wants to eat them, its no wonder they were so hard to find here in the west coast where Jovy is the market leader.
Candy Addict » Snackerrific Weekly Roundup on August 31st, 2008
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