Mike and Ike
Mike and Ike is an American brand of fruit-flavored candies that were first introduced in 1940 by American company Just Born. Despite conjecture, the origin of the candy's name remains unknown.
History
Mike and Ike was created by the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based candy company Just Born in 1940. When Just Born acquired the Rodda Candy Company in 1953, Rodda's expertise in jelly beans helped Just Born produce new Mike and Ike flavors, such as cotton candy. Additional flavors, such as root beer, came in the 1960s, and others have been introduced on and off since.The origin of the Mike and Ike name is obscure, even to the company. Just Born has claimed it originated from a vaudeville song, an internal naming contest, or the names of the inventors. People have also claimed that the name is from the Rube Goldberg comic strip Mike and Ike (They Look Alike); Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose nickname was Ike; the Matina Brothers, two of whom were nicknamed "Mike" & "Ike," and were billed as circus dwarves and appeared as Munchkins in the 1939 film ''The Wizard of Oz.''
Candy
Mike and Ike are oblong fruit-flavored chewy candies that come in several colors and varieties, including cherry, strawberry, orange, lemon, and lime. Popular varieties are Tropical Typhoon, Berry Blast and Jolly Joes. Each candy has 7 calories, 0 grams of fat, and approximately 1 gram of sugar. The candy is kosher and gluten-free.They are similar to Hot Tamales, another candy introduced by the same manufacturer in 1950, though they are not spicy.
Varieties
Just Born produces several varieties of Mike and Ikes, including:| Name | Package color | First available | Package type |
| Original Fruits | Green | 1940 | Box, bag, or freezer pop |
| Berry Blast | Blue | 1987 | Box or bag |
| Tropical Typhoon | Pink | 1977 | Box or bag |
| Italian Ice | Light blue | 2008 | Box or bag |
| Lemonade Blends | Yellow | 2007 | Box or bag |
| Jolly Joes | Purple | 1973 | Box |
| Sour Fruits | Yellow | 1999 | Box or bag |
| Red Rageous | Red | 2009 | Box or bag |
| Strawberry Reunion | Black and pink | 2013 | Box |
| Sweet Paradise | Light Purple | 2014 | Box |
| Mega Mix | Light Blue with rainbow | 2016 | Box or bag |
| Mega Mix Sour | Light Green with rainbow | 2018 | Box or bag |
| Sour Watermelon | Light Pink | 2023 | Box |
| Sour Blue Raspberry | Light Blue | 2024 | Box |
Retro/limited varieties include:
- Lem and Mel flavor
- Cherri and Bubb flavor
- Strawbana
- Tangy Twister
- Mike and Ike – Strawberries n' Cream
- Mike and Ike – Orange n' Cream
- Cherry Cola
- Buttered Popcorn
- Sour Lemon
- Mike and Ike Minion Mix – Blueberry and Banana flavors
- Mike and Ike Valentines Mix
- Mike and Ike Mummy's Mix
- Mike and Ike Merry Mix
- Mike and Ike Sundae Sweets
- Mike and Ike Cotton Candy
- Mike and Ike Root Beer Float