# non-grape flavor of purple jelly beans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415 "2002-05-29T18:48:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/1 "2002-05-29T18:48:52Z")
Yeah, odd and trivial question, but it’s bugging a friend to death. You know those light purple jellybeans that aren’t the dark-purple grape flavored ones? They taste kind of light and sweet… is that a completely artificial flavor or is it supposed to mimic a certain flavor? Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/2 "2002-05-29T19:19:12Z")
Well, if you’re talking about [Jelly Belly](http://www.peikin.com/jellybelly1/menu.html) jelly beans, it might be the blueberry or island punch flavor. The colors are not standardized around the industry, although they all try to make the fruit flavors correspond, more or less. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2002, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/3 "2002-05-29T21:52:16Z")
‘Light and sweet’ certainly doesn’t sound like blackcurrant (which might otherwise have been the case). ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/4 "2002-05-30T00:45:37Z")
Also, a candy’s flavor might not necessarily have a “real world” color counterpart to begin with because some of the flavors used in candy making are amalgamations. For instance, some of the ‘generic’ candy flavours you’d instantly recognize if you’ve ever had Jujubies or Swedish Fish are mixtures of weird stuff you wouldn’t expect in food, like chamomile, cassia and lavender essiantial oils. They come in these big 50 gallon drums marked with taste-tempting names like “Kosher Confectioners Flavouring #5”. You sniff them and say to yourself “Hey! That’s the stuff they use in that crappy bubblegum they used to put in packs of Star Wars cards!”. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/5 "2002-05-30T02:09:04Z")
I’ve never really been one from grape flavored things, but could it have been a “grape jelly” Jelly Belly, I know they make those also. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-grape-flavor-of-purple-jelly-beans/111415/6 "2002-05-30T02:48:26Z")
Well, I know exactly the kind of jelly bean he’s talking about, and it’s something that I’ve wondered, too. “What the heck IS this flavor supposed to BE?” It certainly isn’t “grape”, or anything other than a vague sweetness. They were always my least favorite jelly bean in the Easter candy baskets for precisely that reason. Let me know what you find out. 😃