The origins of Hi-Chew began when Taichiro Morinaga sought to create an edible kind of chewing gum which could be swallowed because of the Japanese cultural taboo against taking food out of one's mouth while eating.

Special editions are sometimes released, normally focusing on a specific fruit farmed in Japan and the location where they are grown, examples include Seto Inland Sea Lemon and Okinawan Shikuwasa.

After seeing increased sales in Salt Lake City in the early 2010s attributed to Latter-Day Saint missionaries who had visited Japan, Hi-Chew began a marketing campaign with Major League Baseball players.

[10] In early 2018, Hi-Chew began a contest known as "East meets West"; user-submitted votes decide which of their Japanese line of flavors should be introduced to a Western audience.

On April 11, 2018, Hi-Chew's Instagram account officially announced that Dragon Fruit had won the competition and would be coming to the United States the following year.

[11] As of 2023 in the United States, Hi-Chew is sold at Walmart, Target, 7-Eleven, Staples, Walgreens, Dick's Sporting Goods, Five Below, H Mart, CVS Pharmacy, Nordstrom Rack, Best Buy, FedEx Office, and other chain stores.

[13] Some of the affected products had been exported to Hong Kong; the Centre for Food Safety monitored the situation there, warning the public against its purchase or consumption.