Food & Drink · Local Snacks
Hawaiian Snacks: Gift Baskets, Souvenirs & The Best Hawaiian Candy
Hawaii candy is as unique as it is delicious. Enjoy Snacks is one of Hawaii’s oldest and most cherished businesses selling tangy li hing mui gummies, tropical pineapple treats, wearable candy lei and more.
Walk into any Don Quijote, Longs Drugs, or ABC Store in Honolulu and you’ll find a candy aisle unlike anything on the mainland. Sour plum powder on gummy bears. Pineapple-shaped candies strung into wearable lei. Chocolate-dipped tropical fruit gummies. The flavors are a product of the island’s culinary history: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and native Hawaiian influences folded together over generations into something distinctly local.
You can find most of this in-store when you’re on Oahu. But if you want to order before your trip, stock up for gifts, or bring a real taste of Hawaii home after you leave, EnjoySnacks.com is one of the few Honolulu-based candy companies that ships their full catalog to the mainland. They’ve been making and curating island-style snacks for 30 years out of their Honolulu facility, and it shows in the range.
Know before you buy
Li Hing Mui: Hawaii’s Most Iconic Candy Flavor
Li hing mui (pronounced lee hing mooey) is a dried, salted plum that originated in China and became deeply embedded in Hawaiian food culture over generations. It arrives as a powder, a coating, and a candy ingredient used on gummy bears, shave ice, fresh fruit, and even cocktail rims at local bars.
The flavor hits you with sour, salty, and faintly sweet all at once. For local kids, it’s pure nostalgia. For first-timers from the mainland, it’s usually the most memorable candy experience of the trip, often in a “that’s wild, give me more” way. If you try one unfamiliar Hawaiian candy flavor before your trip is over, make it this one.
Hawaiian Candy Worth Bringing Home
Li Hing Mui Gummies
EnjoySnacks’ Li Hing It! line puts the classic dried-plum flavor into modern sour gummy form. These are the best entry point to li hing mui candy for anyone who hasn’t had it before; the gummy format makes the sour-salty punch approachable without being overwhelming. The Sour Gummy Mango (5 oz, from $8.00) and Sour Gummy Lychee (5 oz, from $8.00) are the most popular. The Sour Gummy Plum “Ume” doubles down on the plum flavor if you want to go deeper. Mini 3D versions in lychee and pineapple (4 oz, from $8.00) are good for anyone who wants a bite-sized option. These all ship to the mainland.
Hawaiian Pineapple Candy
Pineapple shows up in almost every candy format Hawaii produces, and EnjoySnacks has one of the more complete pineapple lineups available online. The TropiGo Hawaii Hard Candy Jar (11 oz, $18.00) is a good all-around option: a colorful jar of tropical hard candies that travels well and works as a gift. The Choco Pineapple Gummy Bag (8.5 oz, $18.00) is the more interesting pick: chocolate-coated pineapple gummies that read as an odd combination on paper but are consistently popular with people who try them. For a proper gift, the Sweet Sunshine Pineapple Gift Pack ($68.00) assembles a full range of pineapple candies (gummy bears, sour rings, chewy pieces) into a single curated box. The Candy Treats: Pono the Pineapple (4 oz, $25.00) is a character-themed treat pack that works well for kids or as a keepsake.
Hawaiian Candy Lei
In Hawaii, lei, traditionally made from flowers, mark milestones: graduations, birthdays, retirements, arrivals. The candy lei is a beloved local variation where individually wrapped candies are looped into a wearable garland instead. They’re especially popular at graduation ceremonies, where kids receive them alongside flower lei. EnjoySnacks’ Enjoy Lei line covers the main flavors: the Good Luck Pineapple Lei (2.3 oz, from $6.40) is the most recognizable, with pineapple-shaped candies strung into a proper wearable lei. The Pineapple Chewy Candy Lei and Guava Chewy Lei (both 2.5 oz, from $6.40) offer chewy candy versions in island flavors. The Hibiscus Lei (2.3 oz, from $6.40) is the most distinctly Hawaiian gift of the group. At $6–$8 each, these pack flat and make lightweight souvenirs ready to give with no wrapping needed.
Hawaiian Candy Gift Packs
If you want to send something that actually feels like Hawaii arrived in a box, the EnjoySnacks gift pack range is the right call. The Sweet Sunshine Pineapple Gift Pack ($68.00) is the standout: a full assortment of pineapple candies in multiple textures and styles, assembled and ready to ship. The Mahalo Mango and Friends Gift Pack ($60.00) covers the mango side with hard candy, soft jelly, and premium sweets in a single box. For something lighter, the Candy Treats: Lani the Lychee (4 oz, $25.00) works as a single-person gift. EnjoySnacks also donates a portion of their We Love Hawaii Arare Mix (10 oz, from $10.00) sales to communities affected by recent storms. A solid option if you want to support local while you shop.
More EnjoySnacks Worth Trying
We Love Hawaii Arare Mix
Arare are Japanese-style rice crackers seasoned with soy, sesame, and in Hawaii’s case, island-inspired spice blends. EnjoySnacks’ We Love Hawaii Arare Mix (10 oz, from $10.00) is one of their most purchased items: crunchy, savory, and more addictive than it looks. A portion of sales goes to communities affected by recent storms. Good as a snacking bag, good as a stocking stuffer, good as something you buy because you’re curious and then immediately finish.
TropiGo Gummies: Local Flavors
EnjoySnacks’ TropiGo line puts tropical island flavors into soft gummy form. The local-flavor assortments include guava, lychee, passion fruit, and mango. Flavor combinations you won’t find in any mainland candy aisle. The hard candy jar (11 oz, $18.00) travels well and makes a good desk snack or gift. If you want to try before committing to a full bag, the gift packs include TropiGo alongside other EnjoySnacks products as a sampler.
Hawaiian Almond Cookies
A Chinese-Hawaiian tradition: butter-crisp almond cookies that became a local staple through generations of island bakeries. EnjoySnacks carries them in gift-ready tins: slightly sweet, slightly savory, with a crumbly texture that holds up to shipping. They’re one of those things that’s deeply familiar to locals and genuinely surprising to first-timers, which makes them a useful inclusion in any gift basket aimed at someone who thinks they already know Hawaiian food.
Li Hing Mui Powder
If you want to bring the actual flavor home rather than just the candy, EnjoySnacks sells li hing mui powder on its own, a sour-salty seasoning that goes on everything from gummy bears to shave ice to cocktail rims. Shake it over fresh mango, pineapple, or watermelon for the most authentic local experience you can recreate on the mainland. It’s also the thing that will confuse and delight mainland friends at a party. A small bag goes a long way and ships flat without issue.
On-island
Where to Buy Hawaiian Candy on Oahu
Don Quijote (multiple locations, open 24 hours) is the best value; the local grocery chain stocks a wide range of Hawaiian candy at everyday prices, not tourist markup. The Kaheka Street location near Ala Moana is the most convenient from Waikiki.
Longs Drugs (CVS) is the longtime local go-to for bulk Hawaiian candy, including li hing mui products and dried fruit snacks at reasonable prices.
ABC Stores are convenient throughout Waikiki but charge tourist prices. Fine for a last-minute impulse buy, not for stocking up.
Shirokiya Japan Village Walk at Ala Moana Center has a specialty snack section where Japanese imports and local Hawaiian candy sit side by side, good for browsing if you’re already at the mall.
For ordering before your trip or shipping gifts home: EnjoySnacks.com ships the full catalog across the US with authentic Honolulu-made quality.
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