what makes sour patch kids sour
Sour Patch Kids get their sour punch from a special coating of food acids on the outside of the candy, mainly citric acid and tartaric acid (and sometimes malic acid in “Extreme” versions).
Quick Scoop
- The gummy “kid” underneath is sweet, made mostly from sugar, invert sugar, and corn syrup, just like a typical gummy candy.
- The sour taste comes from a rough, sandy outer layer made of sugar mixed with citric acid and tartaric acid, which hit your tongue first.
- As that acidic coating dissolves in your saliva, the sour fades and the sweet gummy center takes over—hence the slogan “Sour. Then sweet.”
- Sour Patch Kids Extreme versions add malic acid to the mix, which boosts that sharp, puckering sourness even more.
What’s actually happening on your tongue?
- When you pop one in your mouth, your saliva dissolves the outer layer of citric and tartaric acid crystals, releasing hydrogen ions that trigger your sour taste receptors.
- The sugar in that same coating and in the gummy itself quickly follows, rounding out the flavor into a sweet finish once the strongest acid has washed away.
Why do some people say they’re “less sour” now?
On forums and discussion threads, a lot of fans talk about Sour Patch Kids feeling milder than they remember, and they often compare them to other sour candies that “hit harder.” Some people suggest that changes in recipe, batch differences, or even your own taste buds over time might explain why they seem less intense, though the basic acid-sugar coating concept is still the same.
Tiny cautionary note
Because that sour kick comes from fairly strong food acids, eating a lot of sour candies (like Sour Patch Kids) can temporarily irritate your tongue and cheeks and, over time, contribute to tooth enamel erosion if you overdo it.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.